What is the meaning of numbers on fruit stickers? Is that lemon you are thinking of buying at the grocery store really organic?

Numbers on fruit stickers at grocery stores have either 4 or 5 digits. If the fruit you are about to place into your grocery cart has a 4-digit code, might I suggest you leave the fruit on the grocery shelves. Four digit stickers mean that the fruit was grown using pesticides, fertilizers and other toxic chemicals.

If the code on your fruit is a 5-digit number, there are two possibilities. One is good and the other is not. If the 5-digit code begins with a 9, it shows that the produce was grown organically. Great, That is the preferred option.

If the code begins with an 8, it means that the fruit has been genetically modified. Best to pass on that option given widespread concerns about the dangers of genetically modified foods which have been banned in Europe. Over 19 countries, including France, Germany, and Italy have banned the cultivation of GMO crops

Now a caution is in order. Even if the fruit was grown organically – no harmful toxins applied – there still may be an accumulation of toxins from the soil.

The best option of all is to buy foods with no stickers from local farmers. Visit your local farmers market often. Befriend local farmers who grow their crops organically. You will enjoy the experience and best of all you will begin to feel better too.

A final note on the impact of stickers on food. The study below finds that young people do not make choices based on labeling whether a food was genetically modified or not. I recommend that everyone – young and old – take the labeling on food stickers into consideration when making purchase decisions.

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Feb 11;18(4):1761. GMO Food Labels Do Not Affect College Student Food Selection, Despite Negative Attitudes towards GMOs

Abstract

US Public Law 114-216 dictates that food producers in the United States of America will be required to label foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) starting in 2022; however, there is little empirical evidence demonstrating how U.S. consumers would use food labels that indicate the presence or absence of GMOs.

The aim of this two-phase study was to determine how attitudes towards GMOs relate to food choices and how labels indicating the presence or absence of GMOs differentially impact choices among college students-the age group which values transparent food labeling more than any other. Participants (n = 434) made yes/no choices for each of 64 foods. In both phases of the study, participants were randomly assigned to seeing GMO Free labels, contains GMOs labels, or no GMO labels.

Across the two phases, 85% of participants reported believing that GMOs were at least somewhat dangerous to health (42% believed GMOs to be dangerous), yet in both studies, although eye-tracking data verified that participants attended to the GMO labels, these labels did not significantly affect food choices. Although college consumers may believe GMOs to be dangerous, their food choices do not reflect this belief.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery ®
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease