What’s in a Number? The Truth About Fruit Stickers

What Do the Numbers on Fruit Stickers Mean?

Have you ever noticed those little stickers on fruits and veggies? They have numbers on them, and those numbers tell us something important!

Conventional Fruits

Most fruits and veggies you see at the store have a four-digit number on the sticker. This number starts with a 3 or 4. These fruits are called conventional. That means they were grown using regular farming methods, which include pesticides, fungicides and other chemicals.

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Organic Fruits

If the fruit is organic, it means it was grown without synthetic chemicals like pesticides. Organic fruits have a five-digit number that starts with a 9. So, if you see a sticker with a number like 94011, it means the fruit is organic.

GMO Fruits

Fruits that are grown using genetic modification. This means scientists change the fruit's genes to make it grow in a certain way. These fruits have a five-digit number starting with an 8.

So, What’s on Your Fruit? Have you eaten GMO fruits before?