Know How Your Produce Was Grown

You know those little stick-on labels you have to peel off your fruits and vegetables before you eat them? Well, they can tell you HOW that piece of fruit or vegetable was grown.

A four (4) digit sticker says that food was grown in a conventional manner. Conventional meaning on a farm with pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

Five digits starting with an "8" tells you that food was genetically engineered (GMO). You will not know what animal is mixed with it to get that particular product. Lots have pig genes, so is it really a fruit or vegetable? Dr. Michael Antoniou, a British molecular scientist points out, "Gene-splicing has already resulted in the unexpected production of toxic substances... in genetically engineered bacteria, yeast, plants, and animals with the problem remaining undetected until a major health hazard has arisen." Genetic engineering of food and fiber products is inherently unpredictable and dangerous -- for humans, for animals, the environment, and for the future of sustainable and organic agriculture.

Five digits starting with a "9" means that food was organically grown without GMO seeds, pesticides or synthetic fertilizer chemicals.

These sticker rules apply to most of the time, but; I found that Costco, Sam's club and those warehouse types stores have their own labeling system and will not release that information? You will find the origin of their produce on the packing box in which the foods are displayed, but that box seldom ever reveals how the foods were grown, only where.

Did you ever wonder if that sticker is safe for foods? We are told that stickers must be food grade to be stuck on your food. Let's hope we are getting the real story there.

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Lena Sanchez a happy retired Medical Office Nurse/Administrator/Consultant who took charge of her life 8 years ago and is committed to helping others do the same