What Produce Stickers Say About Fruits & Vegetables
It's easy to overlook the stickers on our produce. I mean, who really cares anyway? Sometimes we even forget to take them off before we wash, chop, and eat our favorite fruits and veggies. But if you're trying to improve your lifestyle and diet, this number should matter to you.
The PLU number on our produce identifies a product and allows a cashier to ring it up. The number also indicates whether the produce was organically or conventionally grown, as well as if it is genetically modified.
Did you know that approximately 60-70% of food items sold, packaged or not, contain genetically modified ingredients? A genetically modified organism, is an organism which biotechnology has been applied, creating combinations of plants, animals, bacteria, and virus genes that do not occur naturally or through traditional crossbreeding methods.
As GMOs increase in prevalence, so does public interest for information regarding the safety of them. Unfortunately, GMOs used in our food items have not undergone independent safety testing and therefore the long-term effects are unknown. I don't know about you, but I don't love the idea of being a test subject. Especially when I'm not getting paid.
We can't change what is sold in stores, but we can choose what we put into our bodies. Let's talk more about what these codes mean.
Organic PLU Code
A five-digit code beginning in the number 9 indicates organic produce. Organic labeling stipulates that:
No synthetic pesticides (linked to lymphoma and leukemia)
No Roundup herbicides (linked to kidney disease, breast cancer, & birth defects)
No ingredients laced with hexane (neurotoxin)
No growth promoting antibiotics (contributes to weight gain & antibiotic resistance)
No ractopamine drug residues (banned in other countries)
Certified organic foods are non-GMO. USDA regulations prohibit genetically modified ingredients from being used in certified organic products.
Organic crops cannot be grown with synthetic pesticides and contain far less pesticide residue overall. Although natural pesticides are allowed on organic crops, organic produce contains very low levels of pesticide residue compared to conventional crops. Eating organically can significantly reduce your exposure to these residues.
A commonly used herbicide, glyphosate (Roundup), is prohibited on organic crops. Glyphosate is a toxin which accumulates in your body the more you are exposed to it. Glyphosate is linked to:
Breast cancer
Kidney disease
Some birth defects
Escalating autoimmune and other neurological disorders
I prefer not to consume toxic things whenever I have the chance. Maybe that's just me.
Conventionally Grown PLU Code
According to a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) fact sheet, "Conventional farming is the use of seeds that have been genetically altered using a variety of traditional breeding methods, excluding biotechnology, and are not certified as organic."
Conventional growing methods are used to manufacture plants with faster growth, higher yields, pest and disease resistance, larger seeds, or sweeter fruit.
Conventional crops are often mixed with other crops, including genetically engineered crops, and may be grown to meet requirements presented by an end market, including specific chemical or nutritional requirement.
Unlike organically grown produce, conventionally grown means that synthetic pesticides and fertilizers were used to promote growth and prevent disease.
GMO PLU Code
A five-digit code beginning with 8 is supposed to indicate that the produce is genetically modified. However, this may be inaccurate due to the unwillingness of GMO producers to use the number in a retail setting.
It should be alarming to you that GMO producers are unwilling to mark their produce. If GMO produce is safe and healthy, then why not mark it?
GMO crops are sprayed with many chemicals, one of the most common being Monsanto's Roundup. The primary ingredient in Roundup is glyphosate which is linked to Parkinson's disease, infertility, and many forms of cancer.
An MIT study demonstrated that these chemicals are making their way into our food supply. The study states, “...negative impact on the body is insidious and manifests slowly over time as inflammation damages cellular systems throughout the body.”
Shoppers who want to avoid GMO produce should look for Non-GMO Project Verified mark, a USDA Certified Organic mark, or a PLU number beginning with a 9.
Final Thoughts
It's unfortunate (and quite annoying) that we live in a society where we have to put in so much effort just to not be poisoned (seems like a basic human right).
I always get the backlash of "if it's just a small amount, how much can it hurt?" But when every single product you consume is laced with toxic ingredients, you never really know the accumulative amount that you are consuming.
This information isn't for everyone. Some might not care. But if you're anything like me, you care at least a little. It can feel overwhelming, like you have to immediately obliterate everything in your pantry and change your lifestyle. These changes don't happen overnight. They happen by you becoming more mindful of what you're consuming and choosing to make better decisions each time you're at the grocery store.
