Food & Drink : Food :

What's the probability your supermarket plums are genetically modified?

01.30.2008

Submitted by tmeronek on Wed, 01/30/2008 - 1:12am.
The Bite:
Plum dandy (um, pretty high). But we'll help you crunch the numbers: the little stickers on fruits and veggies have digits that let you know whether they're conventionally grown or organic, and if they're genetically modified (GM).
The Benefits: 
  • Better odds for your body. GM foods have been in stores only since the 1990s, so we don't know the long-term health risks, and in a 1998 EPA sampling, 29% of the foods tested contained detectable pesticides.
  • Less of an eco-gamble. Scientists are concerned that GMOs will reduce biodiversity.
  • Winning the taste-bud lottery. Foodies all over the world agree that the range of possible flavors is greater when we just let Mother Nature do her thing.
Personally Speaking: 
Those stickers used to annoy us because they're not always easy to peel off, but now we have a newfound appreciation for the little buggers.
Wanna Try: 
Look for the labels stuck on your fruits and veggies:
  • A four-digit number means it's conventionally grown.
  • A five-digit number beginning with 9 means it's organic.
  • A five-digit number beginning with 8 means it's GM.

Cocktail Fact

Since some people find produce stickers annoying, distributors are experimenting with dyes that permanently tattoo barcodes on fruit.

Bang For The Bite

GMO-free and organic produce isn't available everywhere, but this trick helps you know what's what when navigating the veggie aisle.

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