The new age consumers are more health conscious and moreover it is the basic human right to know what we are buying and what goes inside our system. This is precisely where the numeric codes come handy. Price look-up codes, commonly called PLU codes, are basically identification numbers affixed to produce in grocery stores and supermarkets to make inventory control easier and accurate. The codes are usually a four or a five-digit number, currently in the 3000–4999 range, identifying the type of bulk produce, including the variety.
The fifth digit is usually used specifically on non-conventionally grown product, such as organic produce which are generally considered as a much healthier option, this organic produce is prefixed by a ‘9’. Similarly genetically modified produce is denoted by the prefix ‘8’.currently there is a lot of hue and cry regarding the consumption and safety of genetically modified or GM foods, with majority of the consumers voting against GM foods. These prefixes can be reliably used by consumers and buyers to decipher if the product is genetically modified or not and use this information to make up their mind whether or not to buy the product. In July 2012 Produce PLU Codes User’s Guide prepared by the International Federation for Produce Standards specified that three categories have been established for categorizing food produce. A ‘9’ identifies organic produce, an ‘8’ indicates genetically modified produce, and a ‘0’ or no fifth digit indicates non-qualified produce.
PLU codes have been in use since 1990, and as per the PLU guide there are over 1400 PLU codes assigned as of 2012. Use of PLU codes eliminates the task of the grocery store checkers to identify each variety of produce. The process of organic produce and conventional produce vary quite a bit; the use pf PLU code is an advantage as one can easily identify the difference between the two by looking at the code, this is especially important with the growth of the organic produce market.
The Price look-up codes are generally printed on small stickers or tags and are glued on the surface of the product. Since 2006, the 4-digit code is often supplemented by a GS1 DataBar Stacked Omnidirectional barcode, as per the information provided by the IFPS. New technologies are under consideration to replace the tags and stickers currently in use. These including etching using lasers and printing or “tattooing” using ink made from substances such as the juice from blueberries. The adhesive used to attach the stickers is considered to be of food-grade, howeer the stickers themselves aren’t edible.
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