Organic Foods

You know those pesky little stickers that are on your fruits and veggies can not only help the checkout clerks when they scan for pricing, but they also help you determine if what you’re feeding your family is healthy or questionable. The stickers are called PLU codes generated by the Produce Marketing Association. They help at the checkouts by scanning instead of requiring the numbers to be manually punched in.

These stickers tell you if your produce has been grown by conventional methods, organic or produce that has been genetically modified. By keeping these “digits” in mind next time you go to the grocery store, you’ll know how to best navigate the produce aisle.

Example:

Conventionally grown                        (2222)  4 digits

Organic fruits and vegetables           (92222) 5 digits and prefaced by a 9

Genetically modified fruits/veggies    (82222) 5 digits and prefaced by an 8

Genetically modified foods have been on the markets since the 1990s, but researchers admit that’s not long enough to determine safety risks.That being the case, you may want to stick with eating simply organic, then genetically modified foods and pesticides won’t be another food concern for you and your family.

To Your Health,

Vida