I apologize for the prior email. I assumed it was correct without having checked first (I usually do check).
The information is somewhat true. But according to Snopes (which itself has problems of credulity), the bar code only indicates either the LAST place an item has been, or where the bar code was ASSIGNED. The assignment might be in a completely different country from where the item was actually grown or produced. So for example, if mangoes were picked in Guatemala and imported to Mexico, where they are then packed and shipped to the United States, the bar code can say Mexico and NOT Guatemala. So the bar code doesn't always give the complete picture of where an item has been (though I would still avoid anything that's associated with China). Nonetheless, the information is still somewhat helpful. I did add the info about the People's Republic of China (PROC) to the "bar code email" that has been circulating around the internet, and that is correct. Another way of identifying produce is as follows: There is a string of numbers called the PLU code that is on a sticker on most of the produce you buy. If the numbers begin with a 9, the produce is organic. If the numbers begin with a 4, the produce is conventional. If the numbers begin with an 8, the produce is genetically engineered. Nenah Nenah Sylver, PhD electromedicine specialist and author The Rife Handbook of Frequency Therapy (2009) & The Holistic Handbook of Sauna Therapy (2004) www.nenahsylver.com <http://www.nenahsylver.com/>
