Annoying Little Tags on Fruit

 What’s the probability your supermarket plums are genetically modified?The Bite
Yes, those tags are annoying, but reading them can tell us quite a bit about them.  But we’ll help you crunch the numbers: Those 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 of Checking the Tags

• 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.

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.

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