You know those annoying stickers on your produce that you always forget to take off until you start washing it and then it gets all wet and gross just to remind you how annoying it is?
Well I may change your perspective on those pesky little guys from annoying to actually really helpful - they aren't just for scanning at the register!
Did you know that you can tell the quality of your produce based on the skew number on those stickers?
All produce is assigned a 4-digit number. For example, bananas are always labeled "4011". Sometimes you will just see this 4-digit number, which indicates the produce has been traditionally grown. What does that mean though? It means that it was grown with pesticides!
Now, if there are 5-digits, you will want to look at the first number to see if the produce was genetically modified (GMO) or organically grown.
If the first number is an "8", this means that it was genetically modified (GMO) or genetically engineered (GE). For example, a GMO banana would be labeled "84011".
If the first number is a "9", this means that the produce was organically grown. For example, an organically grown banana would be labeled "94011".
That's it! It's as simple as that. Take a look the next time you're at the grocery store and make a more informed decision on the food you're purchasing!