Even though they look like a nuisance, the labels or stickers attached to the fruits and vegetables have more of a function than to help scan their price at a checkout stand.
The price look-up number, or the PLU code printed on the sticker, also informs you how the fruits / vegetables were grown.
If you read the PLU code, you will be able to recognize if the fruits or vegetables were organically grown, genetically modified, or produced with chemical fungicides, herbicides, or fertilizers.
Usually, we all notice the stickers on the fruits/vegetables that we buy in the grocery stores, and often wonder what they actually mean. So, here we present you the codes and their meaning, in order to help you find out more about the origin of the fruits or vegetables that you buy.
4 digit code
It starts with the numbers 3 or 4, which means that the item for consumption was cultivated in the second half of the twentieth century on factory farm, and possibly used artificial fertilizers.
5 digit code (N.9)
The 5 digit code starts with the number 9, which means that the item for consumption was grown in the traditional way, has been cultivated for decades, and is organic or without any fertilizers or pesticides.
5 digit code (N.8)
The products with the 5 digit code that starts with the number 8, means that the item for consumption is better known as GMO (or genetically modified).
So, next time when you visit a market remember to check out these regulations. Parenthetically, the adhesive that is used as sticker attachment is considered as food-grade, but the stickers themselves are not edible.
Source: http://www.healthylifetricks.com