I thought that this might be of interest with all the talk of GM corn of late.
Greg H. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carol Minnick" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2002 19:35 Subject: [GardeningOrganically] how to tell if fruit is GMO > An article in the June 26 issue of the Philadelphia Inquirer Food > section explains what the codes on those individual pieces of produce > really mean. This is actually quite significant because the GMO > (Genetically > Modified) industry, despite consumer pressure (and the law in Europe) > has > refused to label GMO/non-GMO food in the US. So, while there may not be > > any grocery store label, if you can read the individual stickers, you > can > find out exactly what kind of produce you are buying! > **************** > > "Sticky But Useful Fruit Labels" > > As much as we may dislike them, the stickers or labels attached to fruit > speed up the scanning process at checkout. Cashiers no longer need to > distinguish a Fuji apple from a Gala apple, a prickly pear from a horned > melon, or a grapefruit They simply key in the PLU code -- the price > lookup number printed on the sticker -- and the market's computerized > cash register identifies the fruit by its PLU. The numbers also enable > retailers to track how well individual varieties are selling. For > conventionally grown fruit, the PLU code on the sticker consists of four > numbers. > > Organically grown fruit has a five-numeral PLU prefaced by the number 9. > > Genetically engineered fruit has a five-numeral PLU prefaced by the > number 8. > > So, a conventionally grown banana would be 4011, > an organic banana would be 94011, > and a genetically engineered banana would be 84011. > > The numeric system was developed by the Produce Electronic > Identification Board, an affiliate of the Produce Marketing Association, > a Newark, Del.-based trade group for the produce industry. As of October > 2001, the board had assigned more than 1,200 PLUs for individual produce > items. > > You can read the full article at: > http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/living/food/3547139.htm > > Carol M > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > To receive a FREE health document, > "Standard vs. Organic Whole-Food Supplements", > send a blank email message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > > > ~~~ORGANIC AND GREEN, for a healthy future.~~~ > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GardeningOrganically > > Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > List owner: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Plan to Sell a Home? http://us.click.yahoo.com/J2SnNA/y.lEAA/MVfIAA/FGYolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
