What do the labels / stickers on fruits & vegetables mean ?

Have you ever noticed the labels / stickers on fruits and vegetables ? If yes , ever thought of the numbers/codes printed on labels !? What do they really mean ? Wanted to answers for all such questions !? By the end of the article , you can able to distinguish the distinct categories of codes on the labels and what do they actually mean ..!

PLU codes :

The stickers on fruits and vegetables are commonly referred to as the PLU stickers . PLU stands for Price – Look – Up . The PLU codes or Produce codes are generally the numbering system assigned/administered by the International Federation for Produce Standards ( IFPS) . Currently , there are over 1,450 PLU codes assigned by the IFPS .

The system of PLU coding is a globally used system . The coding is done for fresh produce on stickers , labels , tags etc.,

What do the PLU Codes mean ?

Most of the produce codes begin with 3000 or 4000 series . But PLU coding is a specific identification number system in which different codes are assigned to different produce . The produce is generally categorized as conventional , genetically modified and organic ones .

A 4 digit code ( starting with 3 or 4) – usually known as a conventionally grown food .

A 5 digit code ( starting with no. 8 ) – It is considered as a genetically modified food item .

A 5 digit code ( starting with no. 9 ) – It is considered as an organic food .

So , these different codes on fruits and vegetables mean how your food item has been grown .