Friday, June 11, 2010

Friday Fun Facts!


Have you ever wondered about the Fruit Sticker Numbers or PLU (Price Look-Up Code) on fruit? Well it's really simple and fun for you (the shopper) and the kids to find the numbers together as a game.

I was reading in the June, "Naturally Preferred" magazine pg#21, found in the Natural Organic section at Fred Meyers that Fruit Sticker numbers indicate whether an item is Organic or Conventionally grown.

Organically grown means the farming methods are without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides, bioengineered genes, or petroleum-based or sewage sludge-based fertilizers. Sounds scarey huh?! Well, rest assured you can detect Organic fruit & vegetables by the label that says Organic & has the PLU number that has a 9 proceeding a four-digit number!

You can go HERE and enter Fruit Sticker numbers to see if they are Organic!
Christina

3 comments:

Laura said...

First, I just want to say how much I love your blog! We try to eat organic or minimally processed foods as much as possible, and I appreciate that you are putting out the word on how to save on these products.

I also see the Mark Bittman book in the background. I love this cookbook! I really enjoy his minimalist approach to cooking using fresh, natural ingredients.

Saving 4 My Family said...

Thanks Laura for leaving a comment. I just got the book at the Library so I am excited to check out the recipes. A friend recommended the book who is a great cook herself and said it was good for both beginners (like myself) & those who are seasoned cooks :) BTW, in the new Parents mag he was featured & has a website for easy family recipes.

Christina

Unknown said...

And as an extra little fact... if it is 5 digits with an 8 at the front - it means it is GMO. The problem is, it's not required to label this, so no one uses it! :)

I have the cookbook "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian" by Bittman. I didn't realize there was others! :) I love the one I have. It's like the Betty Crocker or Good Housekeeping ol' standby. I highly recommend it (even if you are not vegetarian - I'm not). I love his approach for cooking grains. And his spice lexicon is great!