Health Hack #6: Know your Produce Codes – Embrace the #9s

The price look-up (PLU) code system is used by most produce distributors but also allows consumers to be in-the-know to identify conventional and organic produce at the grocery store. Even though the defeat of Proposition 37 means that genetically engineered information will not be added to labels at this time, PLU codes do have the potential to identify genetically engineered produce.

Here is how PLUs work:

• Codes starting with #4 – signals standard produce practice (aka could and likely does contain pesticides if bought in the U.S. – deep sigh!) Example: #4011 is the code for a standard yellow banana
• Codes starting with #9 - signifies that an item is organic. YAY!
  Example, #94011 is the code for an organic yellow banana
• Codes starting with #8 – signifies the item is genetically engineered (GE). Example, #84011 is the code for a genetically engineered yellow banana.

*this specific information has been directly sourced from Kqed.org - https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/51586/food-labeling-how-to-identify-conventional-organic-and-gmo-produce

Read my earlier post Eat Organic for even more reasons to buy the #9s!