Labeling Codes and Standards

Buying grocery store produce requires an understanding of labeling codes and standards. Codes consist of a set of numbers located on stickers attached to the foods or as a bar code. Standards refer to specified designations whereby a product can be legally labeled.

Labeling Codes

PLU (Product Look-up) code

This was developed by the International Federation for Produce Coding (IFPC), an affiliate of the Produce Marketing Association. This particular website requires you to answer four non-invasive questions in order to gain entry to their 55-page listing for the various numbers assigned to foods from around the world. It also includes the criteria for application of a PLU number, which consumers may also find interesting. A complete list of the codes can be seen here.

IFPC is a world-wide coalition of fruit and vegetable associations that joined together in 2001 to introduce a global standard for the use of PLU numbers. It should be noted that PLU codes are not part of a regulatory system so there are no requirements that state grocery stores must use them. It is solely for their own convenience if they do.

UPC (Universal Product Code)

This is not the same as the PLU code. The UPC symbol is a 12-digit bar code which originated with the UCC (Uniform Code Council). It was created to help grocery stores keep better inventory, as well as speeding up the checkout process. The UPC code is used for such food items as cans that come in identical units, while the PLU code is assigned to items that need to be weighed or come as “bunches”.

UPC numbers consist of two parts:

• a machine-readable bar code and
• human-readable numbers

The first 6 UPC numbers indicate the identification of the assigned manufacturer. The next 5 digits are item numbers. The twelfth number is called the check digit which allows the scanner to determine if the other eleven numbers have been used correctly or not.

Labeling Standards

North America

General designation is as follows:
Organic produce has a five-digit number beginning with a 9. Organic bananas, for example, would be given the designation of 94011.
Conventional produce has a four-digit number beginning with a 3 or 4. Therefore, the number on conventionally grown bananas would be 4011.
Genetically engineered produce also has a five-digit number on the label and begins with an 8. Again, the number on genetically altered bananas would be 84011.

GE Labeling

In 1992, the FDA declared that biotech foods were the same as conventional foods – because the biotech companies said so. The number 8 was then instituted since the produce industry thought consumers would prefer genetically modified food moreso than conventionally grown food. It did not take long for them to find out differently. Although the number 8 designation can still be found, it is rare. The biotech industry is also fighting any sort of labeling for their inventions – now that they know consumers really do not want them. As it stands now, Hawaiian papaya is about the only food you will find that has the number 8 in front of it.

Unless the label specifically states “certified organic”, it is a safe bet that any food containing corn, soy, and cottonseed oils has a GE origin. These processed foods will not have the genetically engineered PLU code that would alert the consumer. In addition, manufacturers of GE products are not subjected to any special review, approval, or labeling. The organic producer is, however. Ironic, isn’t it – something that is grown naturally requires more scrutiny than does something containing any number of harmful substances?

Organic Labeling

Before a product can be labeled organic, stringent guidelines must be followed. Producers must have had their farms inspected and be given permission to use the “certified organic” label on their produce. Organic farmers try their best to make sure their seed has not been contaminated through cross-pollination and go to their own great expense to do so. The onus of a pure product is placed squarely on the shoulders of the organic grower, and his efforts should be acknowledged and supported.









The following labeling guidelines are according to The National Organic Program, which prohibits the use of antibiotics, growth hormones, chemical insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizers in organic dairy, meat, and poultry. In addition, farmers must use organic seed and feed.

However, changes in these standards, made in April 2004, expand the use of antibiotics and hormones in organic dairy cows, allow more pesticides, and for the first time, permit organic livestock to eat potentially contaminated fishmeal (see articles below). Relaxing of the following standards makes it even more important to buy from a local organic farmer that you know.

“100% Organic” or “Certified Organic” means that all of the substances, ingredients, processing aids, food additives, including colors and flavors, are certified organic.

Organic” means that only 95% of the ingredients must be organic, leaving the remaining 5% open to “allowable” substances from the USDA’s National List of Allowed substances and include such things as:

• Synthetic substances allowed in organic crop production.
• Synthetic inert ingredients as classified by the EPA for use with non-synthetic substances or synthetic substances used as an active allowed crop or livestock pesticide ingredient.
• Non-synthetic substances prohibited for use in organic crop, livestock production and processing.
• Synthetic substances allowed for use in organic livestock production.
• Nonagricultural (non-organic) (both non-synthetic and synthetic) substances allowed as ingredients in or on processed products labeled as “organic” or “made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s)).”
• Non-organically produced agricultural products allowed as ingredients in or on processed products labeled as organic or made with organic ingredients.

“Made with organic ingredients” means that only 70% of the ingredients have to be organic. The other 30% contain non-organic ingredients and synthetic substances normally allowed in conventional food and fiber production. Products with less than 70% organic ingredients have to list only the organic ingredients on the ingredient panel rather than the primary panel.

Important Articles:

A must-read article warning about the USDA-takeover of organic standards.
Whose Organic Standards?
Consumer Reports, August 2003, Page 61
Assault on Organic Standards
San Francisco Chronicle
Organic Food Fight

United Kingdom

Labelling regulations are strict and all organic food sold in shops must be clearly marked as such. Regulations are the same for all organic certification bodies, are governed by the EU standards and also apply to imported EU and other pre-packaged organic foods. An organic product that is manufactured or packed in the UK will have a code number from a European Certifying Authority. These code numbers, along with their certifying body, are as follows:
• UK1 (UK Register of Organic Food Standards)
• UK2 (Organic Farmers and Growers)
• UK3 (Scottish Organic Producers Association)
• UK4 (Organic Food Federation)
• UK5 (Soil Association Certification)
• UK6 (Demeter or Bio-Dynamic Agriculture Association)
• UK7 (Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association)

Australia

Although the organic food industry is currently worth over $300 million a year and growing at a 20-30 per cent rate each year, there are no nationwide regulations to control the labeling of organic food sold in Australia. Organic produce, however, must meet the National Standard for Organic and Biodynamic Produce.

Therefore, if a label says “Organic-certified produce”, the food was grown, harvested, stored, and transported without the use of synthetic chemicals, irradiation, or fumigants.

Other things for which to watch include these suggestions:

• If buying from an organic retailer, a notice from the Organic Retailers’ and Growers’ Association of Australia (ORGAA) should be prominently displayed.
• A “Certified Organic” label from any of the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) accredited certifying organizations is a guarantee that the produce is organic.
• The packaging will contain the grower’s name and certification number.

If there is no proper certification label, or if the label just says “natural” or “chemical free”, it is not organic. In Australia, it is not illegal for product labels to carry the word “organic” but not be certified. Organic Future wants to discourage this practice to ensure consumers are not misled. They invite consumers who find a product or outlet that advertises itself as “organic” without a certification symbol to contact them. They will then contact the company in question and ask that they either change the label or seek certification.