Dr. Frank Lipman, The voice of sustainable wellness

Has anyone ever seen a sticker with an '8' at the beginning? Since it isn't legally required to label genetically modified foods as such, what requires growers to use this label? I've never seen one, so am a bit skeptical of this part of the numbering system.

This is great information, I had no idea.

What about the rest of the numbers? Example, I believe heirloom items start w/ a 3

I have a red bell pepper here…58525 40583… what does THAT mean doctor?

Thank you for this information!

yes…what do the number 3′s mean……..

Likely the reason you don’t see “8″s are because the US doesn’t sell GMOs very often as produce. Generally, the GMOs we have in this country are corn, soybeans, alfalfa, sugar beets, and cotton. So, the GMOs that people consume (at this point in time, anyway) are in LOTS (basically all non-organic) processed foods. The number system is legit, and had been used since 1990.

Thanks Frank, that’s good to know! ( And knowing is half the batlte…. go joe)

Great info ~ thanks much! I commented on Pinterest about it and tracked you/info down. I am an eco journalist and recently did a story on GMOs, will add to the online version when it prints next month.

~Regards,
Barbi Walker

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/barcodes.asp

Deb, I have seen a program on TV that the sticker lets you know (which Farm or company grew it) and where it was grown. Other then that it did not specify any other pertinent info.  It’s interesting but is this info you speak about accurate?

Thank you .

Shelby – that’s an excellent point about the processed foods. 

Since “genetically modified foods” has only began to be a word as of the past 3-5 years…and I knew my PLU’s by heart from Wal-Mart…I’mma call this one as a LIE.

Now…tell me about the color of bread ties…now THAT CODE (coded by day made) is TRUTH.

Just bought some peppers from costco.  The 4 digit PLU code starts with a 3.  What does that mean?

I just read this article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-smith/plu-codes-do-not-indicate_b_473088.html
Which is right?

Very interesting – makes you wonder what kind of chemicals we are taking into our bodies and that may explain all the illnesses persons are experiencing.

Thank goodness for labels so I can make informed choices.

Hi Dore,
you’re right that most people only became aware of GMO recently HOWEVER, genetically modied tomatoes have been around since the late ’80′s early 1990′s !

I’ve been following this since then and am very upset that the Public was not made aware of this by the Government/ Retailers or Growers by labels.

This( labelling) has started in the last few years due to “grassroot” demands by Nutritionalists, Healthcare Providers and people in Public ( e.g. Oparah Winfry) who were concious of this and who made the media aware of it. :)

GiGi

That was excellent and practical imformation, thank you so much…

It is NOT possible to eat organic produce grown from GMO seeds. The rules for certified organic prohibit ANY use of GMOs.

Guess what everybody! The leading cause of cancer is digestion! No matter what you eat! How about that! Learn Science, don’t follow trends.

Hi there! I’m glad to see this now communicated!! :) I have been aware of this for a bit but I thought that the ones starting with 3 was GMO… because I see yellow and some orange bell peppers starting with 3′s and same with those mini watermelons with no seeds…. Can you clarify this for me? Thank you!
_Marcella
http://www.bbinsideout.com
ladykennedy03@yahoo.ca

this is true, I am an organic inspector.

The system is VOLUNTARY so you can’t rely on it at all.  More info here: http://www.examiner.com/article/the-myth-of-plu-codes-and-gmo-foods  I called the overseeing organization myself to verify that it’s entirely up to sellers whether to use the numbers (and of course GMO growers are not going to go out of their way to tell you their produce is GMO if they don’t have to).  Sorry!

I’ve been buying apples that have a sticker with an ’8′ as the 1st number of the code for some time. After reading more about gmo issues, I’m now only buying organic.

You go girl!!!  We need more people willing to spread the truth like you!!

Makes you wonder how much he got paid to say that!!

Bet she got paid big bucks to say that!

Yep, I verified it …. http://www.plucodes.com/docs/IFPS-plu_codes_users_guide.pdf

Yep, I verified it …. http://www.plucodes.com/docs/IFPS-plu_codes_users_guide.pdf

Yep, I verified it …. http://www.plucodes.com/docs/IFPS-plu_codes_users_guide.pdf

Hi!  I’m hoping this is true…. I have, for example, an orange in front of me sold as organic, labelled 94012, which is consistent with the info in point 3.  But, do producers really keep close track, and are they always telling the truth?

 Hi.  The information in the article tallies with what my research has turned up so far.  Since there is no mandatory labelling or source-tracking of GMO in either USA or Canada, looking to avoid 8-codes is futile.  Unless a company vouches that its product is made from GMO-free ingredients (sorry, can’t tell you about fruit other than that organic by definition means non-GMO as well), it’s a crap-shoot, and not in your favour.  Nobody keeps track.

 The Huffington Post article, I mean.

Certified Organic produce must be GMO free otherwise the farm will lose certification. This includes GMO seed, and using fertilizers or other products derived from GMO plant material such as canola meal or corn gluten. 

And as for the 8 on the PLU code determining when produce is GMO? There are no laws requiring the labeling of GMO food, so I highly doubt its an accurate statement. On top of that there is almost no produce sold in North America that is GMO. Its true that 80%+ of processed food products on store shelves contains GMO ingredients, but thats because of the prevalence of GMO corn and canola in the form of high fructose corn syrup and canola oil.

Hmmm stickers aren’t edible there’s a news flash!

What does it mean for a fruit, a papaya, to have a sticker starting with the number 3?

 Really?  How much does the job pay?  I’d TOTALLY be up for that.

but…. but…. stickers are DELICIOUS!1!!

Until we the people stop this chemical epidemic, our food supply will not get better. There is very little food on the market that is organic. We can pretend the farmers are being honest.

Some additional info with a slightly different take on the subject.

http://www.original-healing.com/2012/03/07/plu-codes/

I bought something  with a sticker starting with number 3, what would that indicate?

What about tomatoes starts with number 6 ie 64701

grow your own food, there are natural forms of ‘pesticides’, aren’t there? My opinion, fruits/veggies bare seeds to be re-planted, but people tend to through them away to buy new produce… that in-itself perplexes me!  

straight-to-the-point! hahaahah

How would know what is not labelled with a sticker and who is patrolling all this? Sounds fishy to me.

If this label issue is true why are they still champaigning to vote to have GMO food labeled in california? Really questionable this coming out when that issue is up for voting and monsanto along with dow contiues to pay millions of dollars to put it out because they are making all the profits from us not knowing what we are really buying and consuming

Sorry, this info is false. You really need to fact check. We need this kind of labeling but the best we can do at the moment is organic or not. Please check facts before believing “truth” like this.

Look at the organic law again, it ALLOWS up to 30% genetically modified organisms in it.

Did you ever find out what the “6″ means? I’d like to know.

Gyo people, gyo, don’t listen to the disinfo idiots talking about eating oragnic/natural is a trend, and the ignoramus with the logic that,”the cause of cancer is digestion” :-/…..

You are absolutely right, Caitlin!

yup boiled garlic, tends to be a great way to ward off insects + using companion planting and planting flowers (like marigolds) near flower vegetables like tomatoes also works. You can find alot of ways by looking up Permaculture

the problem lies with this… while you can feel good still at the grocery store produce isle (you have to watch for the “sneaky 8′s”) your pre-made meals in a box or a bag, what we feed our livestock, egg layers, and grains that we universally consume are not labeled with this system since they are not required to by law unlike most of the other civilized coutnries of the world(russia and France lead the way in non GMO. Unfortunately… we all want to eat healthy however we do not want to pay for that level of quality and with the world’s current population we have exceeded our “organic capacity” with farmers on government subsidy, insurance rates through the roof for harvests, and a population whose size requires advancement in cultivation not seen since the creation of the diesel columbine…

is it truly true if 4 digits that start with 3 or 4 are conventional or not
i cant find a strand of evidence that says so, based on jefferey smith’s article on huffington post regarding this myth,
he says that we cannot distinguish between gmo and non-gmo when we look at the plu codes, with the exception of organic, e.g, starting with 9 and five digits, 91235,
so then what the hell have i been eating all my life?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-smith/plu-codes-do-not-indicate_b_473088.html

here is the link btw,
please someone for gods sake, answer me,
this makes no sense i really believed in those plu’s man :[

What is a 3294 Apple?

i SEE 3 AS THE STARTING NUMBER IN ALOT OF PRODUCTS,,, ANYONE KNOWS WHAT THAT IS

We can tell the difference by looking at the produce with our own eyes….Market Produce vs Farmers market… Fruit, vegetables etc grown naturally vs market is so much prettier and vibrant

I live in Pa. and yes if you go to the Giant you will see 8′s but only a few ! there are many 4 # PLU’s and even 9′s but there are also some not even labeled

This is true but the GMO corn and Soy are being used in other products not being sold as much as produce but as a sweetner and the Soy in baby formular , 20 years GMO/GE has been out now look at past 15 years when these products starting to spread sickness to the body like cancer, Asthma, ADHD, Diabetis. They label the produce time to label ingrediances too

I got a PLU sticker on a persimmons that says 69220. The persimmons was from Spain What does the 6 mean?

thanks for this i really wanted to know gmo fruits and organic symbol!!(9 is the number i will look for in fruits!!!)

i have barely never

the first number only means anything if it is a 5 digit PLU code. to answer someone else’s question…if it is a 4 digit code that starts with a three, that just means it’s most likely an apple. (some apple’s codes begin with 4) it’s really all just so the people ringing up the sale know what they are without memorizing different prices every week…they just know the codes which never change.

also, the reason some things have these stickers and others don’t is because they fall off ALL THE TIME! Also, certain produce would just be a pain to put stickers on.

When you see an 8 at the beginning of a 5 digit PLU code the item you are buying is GMO.

Bought organic banana from Trader Joe’s yesterday; just checked the labeling and as said above, that exact plu #94011 is shown. At least in that regard, we can count on it showing whats going on with the growth of this produce item. Great article, thank you for the education.

It is a voluntary standard. TRUE

“so it is never used” or “so you can’t rely on it at all” is a theory that doesn’t hold up to investigation. Is it POSSIBLE that someone could use a conventional number to hide a GMO? Sure. Is that happening in the real world ALWAYS or even USUALLY? I have yet to see any evidence of that. But GMO activists, and I am one of them, seem to have no problem destroying the credibility of the movement by spreading false claims about this. Mandatory GMO labeling should be law, no question, we all agree. Still, LYING, spreading disinformation, by calling the 5th digit ‘all a myth’ or ‘totally meaningless” doesn’t help us. So far, the facts are not in alignment with that theory that all produce suppliers, wholesalers and retailers are as inclined to use fraud as Monsanto and the FDA are.

“I have personally checked this out to my satisfaction. I buy from
reputable health food stores and their produce always has the 9 for
organically grown. I checked the source of some regular grocery store
produce with the absence of an 8 or 9 and learned that it was
conventionally grown, but not GMO and not organic, of course. I also
checked some produce with the 8 and indeed it was from a GMO source. Is
this the case all the time…of course not. But after factoring in for
frauds, it’s a pretty reasonable bet in helping someone avoid GMOs and
it’s way better then nothing.” ~Grace Joubarne

While it’s true that the 5th digit for GMO’s is technically not
mandatory, has anyone got any evidence where a GMO was hiding behind a
conventional PLU code? ONE CASE? Why not personally take ten or 20 conventional produce products and track down their origin. If you still want to claim they are all practicing fraud, go ahead after that. Stick to the evidence, rather than claiming the technically possible is ALWAYS or even usually the case and that therefore the standards are meaningless. Most reputable business people, given a choice, actually DON’T choose to misrepresent their products, unless they are crooked and fly by night. It isn’t a good idea in a free market where reputation is everything.

The wheat that we eat is also genetically modified since the 1970s as well. There’s an article on CBS this Morning “Modern Wheat a “perfect, chronic, poison,” doctor says” The Dr. is William Davis. He has a book called “Wheat Belly”. Another reason to become gluten free.

anyone knows what it is a code 3 ? I never saw that one before …

Hi all. IS there any one who know where can I buy gm fruits? (I mean in which country u saw it?) . I am studying on them. My field is food technology and really need to prepare it.

Why are you an idiot..

I wrote a paper in college in 1993 about the unknowns regarding the GMO tomatoes. It’s been around a lot longer than you realize.

and what it doesn’t mean. It is a voluntary price look up code. What that means in the United States is that you will likely see the 9 for organic because is gets a price premium, but you will never see an 8 for genetically engineered. There is no difference in price between genetically engineered and conventional. Genetically engineered is grown as conventional, most often with more chemicals, that is what the engineered genetics are for. So, the only use consumers have for these stickers is to see if a conventional papaya, sweet corn, zucchini, or yellow crook neck squash, rolled into the stack of organic ones.
Soon we will be able to be on the look out for oranges and apples too.

This information is completely false totally false. First there are no GM apples, bananas, etc. Once you know that you know this entire article is made up bullshit. 99% of GM product is in just a few crops, canola, rice, soy, corn, sugar beets and cotton. There are no GM Washington apples or peaches. Let me add not yet. Sure they want to do this but given right now none of these things exist it discredits the entire line of thinking here.

I have seen an ’8′ on a package of kiwis from Costco.

what does the honeycrisp appple bar code mean ,, 8283

Please visit http://plucodes.com/ , is the website for the International federation for Produce Standards (IFPS), for any additional information.
They state that:
“The IFPS shall be responsible for deciding the assignment and definition of qualifying prefix digits for international recognition. At present, only three digits have been allocated:
0 Applies to all non-qualified produce and is generally presented without the leading “zero” digit.
8 Genetically modified
9 Organic ”

I hope this helps clarify any confusion.
Best, Katrine – Be Well Team

There is no confusion there are NO GENETICALLY MODIFIED apples, bananas, etc. the entire article is dramatically misleading!

I have seen 8 in the code on farmer market sweetcorn from the US and this is here in Canada

That is not true. Just because something says “organic” on it does not mean that it
does not contain GMs. In fact, it can still contain up to 30% GMs, so be
sure the labels say 100% organic.

actually it contains up to 5 percent. the term organic means 95 percent organic…the term made with organic ing. means 70.

where is my reply

i kill you

Does it mean anything that your number is two off mine :)

what does it mean when the fruit label starts with a 5..ie 58654