If you haven’t already, take a closer look at those little sticky labels on the fruit and vegetables you buy at the grocery store. Those numbers provide important information regarding just how the produce was grown. So even if something is marked as organic, the sticker can reassure you that it is.
If the label has:
- 4 digits only: The produce was grown in a conventional manner which means with pesticides and other petroleum based chemicals or fertilizers.
- 8 + 4 digits: This produce is genetically modified, a GMO. It contains genes that were put there by someone else other than Mother Nature.
- 9 + 4 digits: This produce has been grown following organic farming practices.
In other words try this for a creative, (or perhaps hokey), attempt to remember:
4 in the store means pesticides knocking at my door.
8 is not at all great with all those GMO’s that I hate.
9 is fresh and fine. Organic and healthy for me and mine.
Now to dovetail the Environmental Working Group’s recently released 2011 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides also known as the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 list, here’s a handy chart I put together for an easier reference.
| Label Number | EWG Shopper’s Guide |
| 4 digits only = Conventional | Clean 15: Lowest in Pesticides Onions, Corn, Pineapple, Avocado, Asparagus, Mango, Sweet Peas, Eggplant, Cantaloupe, Kiwi, Cantaloupe, Cabbage, Watermelon, Sweet Potato, Grapefruit, Mushrooms |
| 8 + 4 digits = GMO | Absolutely Nothing! Nada! Zip! Zero! |
| 9 + 4 digits = Organic | Dirty Dozen – Best to Buy Organic Apples, Celery, Peaches, Strawberries, Blueberries, Nectarines, Bell Peppers, Spinach, Kale, Potato, Grapes (Imported), Lettuce |
| No label or not sure | EWG Full List: 53 Fruits/Veggies |
So don’t go bananas trying to keep up with all this information. Feel free to copy the chart if it will help you on your next trip. And keep these homemade recipes and tips in mind too when it’s time to clean your fruit.
What other kinds of things do you do?
Easy Ways to Remember What Those Produce Labels Mean, republished with permission from The Green Samaritan.com
Jeanne
In addition to serving as the Healthy Living Editor for Modern Hippie Mag, Jeanne Blaisdell publishes TheGreenSamaritan.com, her personal blog highlighting green living tips and information geared towards helping herself and others on their journey towards greater environmental awareness. Jeanne is the founder of EcoAvenueLtd.com, an online shopping site featuring the latest deals and promotions from a collection of earth-friendly merchants. Jeanne lives in Greensboro, North Carolina with her husband Tom and two boys, Jack (10) and Ben (7). Find The Green Samaritan on Facebook, follow on Twitter @GreenSamaritan and @EcoAvenueltd.
Love this – shared it with everyone at work. We all thought they were just numbers for the grocery store –