Deciphering Produce Codes

I know you’ve seen the little coded stickers on your produce: Banana #4011, Granny Smith Apple #4017, Asparagus #4080, but did you know that these stickers which contain the Produce Look Up Number (PLU#) can tell you a lot more about what you’re buying than reaffirming that that red bell pepper is, indeed, a red bell pepper? They can tell you the method of growth: conventional, organic or even if a fruit or veggie is a GMO.

PLUs are an easy coding system by which every fruit or vegetable is given a special number which, in effect, serves as that piece of produce’s bar code–making it easier for supermarket cashiers to piece, weigh and charge you for the goods. #4011 is the universal code for bananas; #4103 is the universal code for Braeburn apples; #4640 is the universal code for romaine lettuce.

All conventionally grown produce carries a four-digit code. So if you pick up an avocado and see the four-digit number 4771 you’ll know the avocado was conventionally grown.

Organic and GM produce carries five-digit codes. Organic produce carries the fruit or vegetable’s regular four-digit code and that code is preceded by the number 9, while GM produce carries the fruit or vegetable’s four-digit code and that code is preceded by the number 8. So if you pick up that same avocado and see the PLU #94771 you’ll know it’s organically grown, but if you see the number PLU #84771 you’ll know it’s a GMO.

Of course it’s really hard to find GMO on your produce shelves, and I’m not even sure they make a GM Avocado–but at least you’d know it’s PLU# if you saw one!

Understanding the codes helped us a lot when we used to shop at our local Kroger-owned store. Sometimes, the store would advertise “ORGANIC” on the produce shelves, but would pile organic and conventionally grown fruits or vegetables right next to each other and, inevitably, the fruits would intermingle making a keen eye for PLU labels necessary to ensure that we were selecting and purchasing what we wanted.

Just Remember:

• If it starts with a nine, it’s just fine.
• If it starts with an eight, don’t put it on your plate.

October 24th, 2006