Identify imported genetically modified fruits by code
Fruits with a 5-digit code starting with 8 (84011) are genetically modified products (GMO) while those starting with 9 are grown using organic methods...
Fruits are one of the major imported products of Vietnam. Most of these fruits have specific origins and are labeled with numbers such as #4030, #4033 or #3107… These numbers are called Price Look-up codes, or PLU codes for short. They provide some information about the growing process through which consumers can evaluate and make purchasing decisions.
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The code on imported fruit provides a lot of information about the fruit. Photo: Kohilag. |
Dr. Frank Lipman, founder and director of the Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York and author of several best-selling food books, explains that fruit codes come in three different types.
The numbers on those three codes will indicate whether the fruit was grown conventionally, organically, or genetically modified.
Accordingly, if the fruit has a 4-digit code, usually starting with 3 or 4 (for example 4020), it means that it was grown using the conventional method (Conventionally Grown). That means that they have undergone a farming process using chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
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A four-digit code starting with the number 4 indicates that the fruit was grown using conventional methods. Photo:naturallifeenergy. |
Meanwhile, a 5-digit code that starts with 9 (for example 94011) indicates that the product is organically grown. Fruits with a 5-digit code that starts with 8 (84011) are genetically modified (GMO).
Fruits can share the same code if they are grown in the same way, have the same quality, and have the same characteristics, regardless of where they are grown. For example, a banana from Leeds can have the same code 4011 as another banana from Texas if they are grown in the same conventional way.
PLU codes are published and controlled by the International Federation for Produce Standards (IFPS). This is a global organization that distributes codes for all fruit products circulating around the world.
These codes have been used since 1990, making inspection and management in supermarkets more accurate and faster. PLU codes are determined based on many factors such as type, characteristics of the fruit, growing method and size. Currently, there are more than 1,400 types of fruit with PLU codes worldwide.
According to VNE
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