Grocery Store Tip: Decoding the Produce PLU Stickers

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by Renae Chiovaro on June 5, 2012

Did you know that the little stickers on produce are more than just pricing codes? Yes, those little numbers can actually give you information about the how the produce was grown. I just recently learned this info and I thought it was worth passing on!

First PLU stands for Price Look Up– the PLU stickers convey to the cashier what price to charge. Secondly, the numbers tell you if the produce is conventionally grown, organic or genetically modified.

Conventional produce has a four-digit number.
Organic produce has a five-digit number that starts with 9.
Genetically modified (GMO) produce has a five-digit code that starts with 8.

Examples:

94011: An organically grown yellow banana

84011: A GMO grown yellow banana

4011: A conventionally grown yellow banana

So when you are in the produce department, give those little stickers a glance. If you intend to buy organic, make sure the PLU starts with a “9”. Also, if you want to know what produce to buy organic, check out the dirty dozen list.

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Renae Chiovaro

Renae is a married working mom of two handsome boys. She works as a registered dental hygienist by day and blogs here at How to Have it All by night. She enjoys cooking from scratch, working in her vegetable garden and functional training.