First, let us be clear; the FDA DOES NOT protect
consumers from genetically modified (GMO) food or require informative labels on
packaged produce. The labels we see on
produce appear at the whim of grocers and are suggested by industry marketers,
such as the Produce Marketing Association (PMA). Marketers advocate use of labels
to massage some consumer-identified concerns, such as calories, fat content,
sell-by dates, and place of origin and also to assist produce departments with electronic
processing and pricing. Dismissed is any industry concern about genetic modification
of the seed, from which the produce grows, or the chemical soup in which it is
grown. The lack of labels, to identify GMO
produce and processed foods with GMO ingredients, is part of what is driving
consumers to seek organics.
Although Produce Look Up (PLU) codes are established by
the International Federation of Produce Standards (IFPS) for the industry,
consumers can get information from them as well. The PLU codes, when present, appear
on the small sticky label stuck to the skin of fruits or vegetables, and identifies
how it was grown, what species it is and, of course, helps the industry with
electronic processing and pricing.
Most commonly seen are four-digit PLU codes. They indicate
produce grown using chemicals, many of which are toxic and some proven carcinogenic,
but which the FDA approves. The Agra-industries and chemical-industries, an
almost invisible line separating them, have successfully lobbied the FDA to
allow many chemicals to be A-listed for use in growing food. Often, those
seeking the licenses to sell the chemicals have supplied the only information
reviewed by the FDA, before approval.
A five-digit PLU code, beginning with the number "9"
identifies organically grown produce. However, it should be noted that the
green and white "USDA certified organic" label is the only reliable
symbol available to consumers today. The words "organic," "naturally
grown, or "all natural" are not trustworthy indicators of a product's
pedigree, rather they are terms that are sometimes used to lure consumers to
products they might otherwise avoid.
The PLU system is already capable of identifying GMO
produce with a five-digit code but it is so rarely used few know it exists. The first digit of the GMO PLU code is "8".
This tells the consumer that the produce was grown from a seed, in toxic
conditions for which the plant was "genetically engineered" to
survive. More information about PLU
codes is available at http://www.plucodes.com/ .
A PMA executive offered this information, at a meeting of
association members, broadcast on YouTube,
"Labels do matter because consumers are bringing
their ideals to the grocery store." Therefore, consumer concerns appear to be important
to the industry, and statistics indicate that most consumers would not
knowingly purchase GMO foods. Yet, finding a sticker with the PLU code for GMO
produce is akin to finding hen's teeth. This may be due to the fact that Monsanto,
the patent holder of GMO seeds and primary producer of most of the chemicals
used, is a PMA 'partner', as indicated on their website.
Consumers are, somewhat, complicit in their own fleecing,
when it comes to buying food. According to the PMA, "the majority of
consumers get their produce information from the package, produce section store
signs, family and friends and the produce department staff." Since labeling is at the whim of the store, as
are their signs, and the same store sources and department staff educate family
and friends; it is easy to see how the equation favors the industrial food industry
over consumers.
Consumers fail before they begin their hunting and
gathering expeditions because the places they hunt are laden with information
land mines. GMO produce looks bigger and
always picture perfect which can conceal old produce with diminished nutrient
values. It usually lacks taste and ingesting
the genetic modification assets of the plant is unhealthy.
The second choice, and most prevalent, is the produce
grown in the FDA's approved chemical soups. These also have less nutrients and
taste, and the chemicals that permeate their skins withstand washing. They also
have abnormal shelf lives.
Organic grown produce is generally rich in nutrition and
taste. It has a normal life span and, after weighing the health liabilities of
other produce growing methods, are well worth any difference in price.
While the PLU codes can be helpful for both the industry
and consumers, the FDA must seriously address their responsibility to safeguard
the American consumer with policies that require informative and appropriate
food labels. Consumers must be willing to become informed shoppers and invest
their time and money in their own health.
