Tag: Fruit codes

Since their introduction in the 1990s, Price Look-Up (PLU) codes have served as a universal system for identifying fresh produce in grocery stores. To understand how do I read a fruit code, consumers simply need to decipher the numerical sequence found on the small sticker applied to each item.

While many shoppers assume a PLU code starting with a '3' signifies conventionally grown produce, its meaning depends entirely on the code's total number of digits. A four-digit code beginning with 3 (or 4) is for conventional items, while some five-digit codes starting with 3 have been used for irradiated products. Understanding this distinction is crucial for deciphering your grocery store's produce section.