How to Decode PLU Stickers on Produce

Required Eating

Posted by Adam Kuban, April 19, 2008 at 7:00 PM

"4401": A four-digit code indicates conventionally grown items, here white-fleshed peaches.

Those pesky PLU code stickers that you have to peel off your fruit and vegetables do more than just convey prices to the cashier. If you know how to read them, says Marion Owen at PlanTea.com, they can tell you a thing or two.

Conventional produce gets a four-digit number.
Organic produce gets a five-digit number that starts with 9.
Genetically modified items also get a five-digit code, but that code starts with 8.

Examples
4139: Conventional Granny Smith apple
94139: Organic Granny Smith
84139: GMO Granny Smith

If you want a full list of PLU codes, hit up the International Federation for Produce Standards, where you can look up the look-up the look-up codes and find out even more info. For instance, some PLUs are restricted to items grown in certain regions. (4138, for instance, denotes a Granny Smith grown in East/Central North America.) But if you want to decode those at the store, you'd have some memorizin' to do. And if you're really into it, here's the IFPS's PLU Codes User Guide (pdf). [via Lekkercraft]

8 Comments | Tags: grocery stores, shopping, tips

8 Comments:

so you're saying we can look them up?

phattymatt at 12:42PM on 04/20/08

No, I'm saying if you remember that a five-digit code starting with a "9" means "organic," starting with an "8" means "GMO," and that a four-digit code means "conventionally grown," you'll have that much more knowledge in the aisles.

Adam Kuban at 5:39PM on 04/20/08

just kidding...

"...where you can look up the look-up the look-up codes..."

phattymatt at 11:54PM on 04/20/08

Great info ... thanks!

NoPunyNerd at 10:35AM on 04/28/08

Pretty interesting. I always knew the codes meant something, I just didn't know what exactly it meant.

ChristinaINP at 3:13PM on 04/28/08

you really don't have to remember even that much though, because any organic item will almost always say "organic" on the sticker along with the PLU code

i have yet to see a GMO item though.. and since i work at Whole Foods Market, i thankfully never will lol

Control at 11:39PM on 04/28/08

Thanks for the information. Now I know how to avoid GMO!!

elaine nan at 5:02PM on 05/01/08

This is very helpful. I've seen the organic codes, but never GMO. Guess I'll have to check the produce section of a huge supermarket if I want to catch a glimpse.

butterface at 12:11AM on 05/02/08

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