Stickers on fruits: Have you ever noticed those little stickers on fruit? They either have small barcodes or numbers printed on them. Most of us take them off without a second thought. But have you ever wondered what those stickers actually mean? Let’s find out what role these stickers play and what benefits they provide.
Why are stickers labeled?
These little codes tell us how our fruit was grown. The numbers printed on the fruit stickers are called PLU (Price Lookup Code) code, which means Price Lookup Code. These codes were introduced by the International Federation for Produce Standards to help retailers identify fruits and vegetables at checkout. Not just for billing, they also indicate whether a fruit is organic, chemical, or genetically modified.
What does this code indicate?
This code is usually 4 to 5 digits long. The first digit indicates the farming method. By reading this code, you can tell if the fruit you caught is naturally grown or chemically grown.
What do these numbers mean?
If the five-digit number on the fruit sticker begins with 9, you are looking at 100% organic fruit. This means it was grown naturally. If the sticker has only four digits, it means the fruit was grown conventionally, meaning chemical pesticides or fertilizers were used. These fruits are more economical but not as clean or nutrient-rich as organic fruits.
You may also sometimes see a five-digit number beginning with 8, which means the fruit has been genetically modified. Now you understand the secret behind stickers on fruits. So now next time you buy fruits, please pay attention to those codes.