So I was amazed to find out from this super informative post that those tiny, sticky little produce labels actually contain surprisingly valuable information. Normally, all they do is annoy me because sometimes they are hard to peel off, not to mention I don’t really want to eat any remaining adhesive, but now I have a new appreciation for them.
Labels containing a four digit number mean that the food item was grown conventionally (with pesticides and petroleum based chemicals and/or fertilizers). Labels starting with an 8 plus a 4 digit number means the product is a GMO (genetically modified organism) which I like to avoid if at all possible. Lastly, if the label starts with a 9 plus a 4 digit number, that means the food was organically grown.
I decided to double check this with some produce that I had on hand. My conventional avocado does state “4225”, my conventional kiwi states “4030”, and my organic grapes state “94022”. That is all I can check for now since the rest I purchased locally from the farmers market.
I think this is pretty neat information in case you are ever unsure about how a particular fruit or vegetable was grown. And no more grumping on my part about these labels, since it turns out they can actually be very useful!
Photo By: Dawn
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
That’s really interesting. I always assume veg and fruit are not organic unless they’re labeled specifically stating that they are, but I had no idea how to tell if a piece of produce is GMO. Thanks for sharing this piece of information!
This is great information! I didn’t know this either. Will be looking more carefully now.