Most of us are unaware that the stickers attached to fruits and vegetables serve a purpose other than scanning the price.
The PLU code, or price lookup number, on the sticker can tell you whether the product is genetically engineered, organic, or made with chemical fertilisers, fungicides, or herbicides.
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- A four-digit number that begins with a 3 or a 4 indicates that the fruit was most likely cultivated conventionally. The last four letters of the code represent the type of fruit or vegetable you’re buying. For example, bananas are always labelled with the code 4011.
- If the first of five numbers is “8,” the product is genetically engineered. The digits 84011 would appear on the label of a genetically modified banana (GE-genetically engineered or GMO).
- A five-digit number beginning with a 9 indicates that the item is organic. Organic bananas are labelled 94011.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) ranked these common fresh produce items based on pesticide residue testing data from the United States Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration.
The Environmental Protection Agency warns that pesticide intake can cause “birth defects, nerve damage, cancer, and other long-term effects.” Pesticides pose a particularly serious risk to children.
Fruits and Vegetables to Always Buy Organic The Dirty Dozen Plus
These foods have really high pesticide loads and should always be purchased organic.
- Apples
- Celery
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Grapes
- Hot Peppers
- Nectarines (imported)
- Peaches
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Strawberries
- Sweet Bell Peppers
- Kale/Collard Greens
- Summer Squash
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These foods are relatively safe and do not have to be purchased organic if you are on a budget.
- Asparagus
- Avocados
- Cabbage
- Cantaloupe
- Sweet Corn (not to be confused with potentially GMO canned corn)
- Eggplant
- Grapefruit
- Kiwi
- Mangoes
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Papayas
- Pineapples
- Sweet Peas
- Sweet Potatoes
The EWG also reports that 99 percent of apples, 98 percent of peaches, and 97 percent of nectarines tested positive for at least one pesticide residue, and the typical (white) potato contained more pesticides by weight than any other produce!
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