What do the 4 digit numbers on produce mean?

A 4 digit code – means your fruit was conventionally raised. If you don’t see a label with 5 digits it is safe to assume your fruit has been grown with pesticides and chemicals in nutrient depleted soil. A 5 digit code (starting with the number 8) – means your fruit has been genetically modified.

What number does GMO produce start with?

8
The sticker is known as a “PLU.” Here’s how to crack its numerical code: Organic produce has a five-digit code beginning with “9.” Conventionally grown produce has a four-digit code. GMO produce begins with “8.”

What do numbers on fruit labels mean?

product look up
Called a PLU sticker — short for product look up — they feature a four- or five-digit number that lets cashiers know what the product is and how much it costs.

How do you read produce labels?

How to read produce labels

1. FOUR DIGIT NUMBERS (they all begin with 3 or 4) denote conventionally grown, non-GMO produce (that is, grown with chemical pesticides and fertilizers and not genetically modified)
2. FIVE DIGITS BEGINNING WITH AN 8 means the produce is GMO, genetically modified.

What is an open code on produce?

The PLU code is simply a way to identify the produce that you’re buying. All PLU codes are between 3000-4999. The leading number ‘8’ will now just be more codes for conventional produce (83000-83999) or organic produce (84000-84999).

What does 3 mean on fruit label?

A four-digit code beginning with a 3 or a 4 means the produce is probably conventionally grown. For example, regular small lemons sold in the U.S. are labeled 4033, large are 4053; small organic lemons are coded 94033, large are 94053.

What does a PLU code starting with 3 mean?

What fruits are genetically modified?

A few fresh fruits and vegetables are available in GMO varieties, including potatoes, summer squash, apples, and papayas. Although GMOs are in a lot of the foods we eat, most of the GMO crops grown in the United States are used for animal food.

Is conventionally grown food bad for you?

Conventionally grown fruits and vegetables are safe! The U.S. EPA’s current process for evaluating the potential risks of pesticides on food is rigorous and health-protective. Specifically, any residues found in fruits and vegetables are at levels that do not pose risk to consumers’ health.

Can you sell fruit on the side of the road?

Ryan Hushaw with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Agricultural Crimes Task Force said, “You are allowed to sell fruit from your own property, as long that’s the location where the produce is actually grown at, but you cannot sell fruit from the right of way easement roadway.”

What does 4011 mean on fruit?

bananas
Conventionally grown produce has four digits on the sticker. If you buy a banana with a four-digit code (4011 is the code for bananas) on the sticker, that banana was conventionally grown with the use of pesticides.