by Al Swilling
SENAA International
27 December 2011
There are tons of articles "out
there" on the Internet on the topic of determining which fresh
produce items are genetically modified (GM), but they all seem
to insist on over-complicating the issue. Some also provide
false information to those who, in good faith, read their
articles and rely on the author's information being thoroughly
researched, accurate, unbiased, and honest. One Web site has
gone so far as to make a chart of various first digits of the
PLU codes (Product Look-Up codes) and what
they mean. That chart is inaccurate, and misleading.
Hopefully this article will simplify the task of determining,
as far as is currently possible, the conditions under which the
fresh fruits and vegetables at the local grocery store are
grown.
This article only discusses
fresh produce. For an informative discussion of processed,
canned and frozen foods, mixes, etc., please read Dr. Joseph Mercola's article,
"How Do You Know If Your Food Is Genetically Modified?"
Decoding the PLU Code on
Fresh Produce and Fruit
Basically there are only five
things to remember when interpreting the PLU (price look-up) code on
fresh produce:
- The produce in question will
bear a sticker which has either a four or five digit numerical
code known as the PLU, or Price Look-Up, code. The PLU code is a
four or five digit
international code that identifies specific fruits and
vegetables.
For example, 3001 is a small Aurora/Southern Rose Apple,
conventionally grown; and 4152 is a Macintosh Apple,
conventionally grown. PLU code 4159 is a Vidalia Onion,
conventionally grown; and 4161 is a Texas Sweet Onion,
conventionally grown.
- If the code is a four-digit
code, it is "conventionally" grown, which means that the farm or
orchard that grew that particular product probably used chemical
fertilizers and definitely used either herbicides or pesticides,
or both, in the growing process.
- If the code is a five-digit
code, then it is either organic or has been genetically
modified.
- If the first digit of a
five-digit code (does not apply to four-digit codes) is "9",
then it is organically grown. If the first digit is "8", then it
is genetically modified. However, placing a five-digit PLU code
on a GM fruit or vegetable is not mandatory, and some
producers of GM fruits and vegetables refuse to use the
five-digit code on their products. Consequently, some
produce and fruits bearing a four-digit PLU code may be
GM products.
- The use of a five-digit
code with the number 8 prefix is still voluntary, and
some GMO producers do not voluntarily label their
products as such. Until such labeling is mandated by
state or federal law, the surest way to ensure that GMOs are avoided is to
buy organically grown produce that is labeled as organic. If the
market where you currently shop does not provide produce that is
labeled as organically grown, then find one that does.
Regardless of what other Web
sites may claim, that's all you have to remember,
because that is all the useful information about PLU codes that is available at this time.
Determining whether
a fruit or vegetable is organic, conventionally grown, or
genetically modified is not the only thing about which buyers
should be concerned and informed. There are also some
precautions that buyers should take before consuming any fresh
produce, regardless of how it is grown.
Six Words about Salmonella and
E. Coli Infections: Wash Your Fresh Fruits and Veggies
It would be remiss to mention
the PLU codes and GMOs and not include some precautionary notes
about two
other causes of concern.
Two major concerns in addition
to the growing method used to produce our food are salmonella
poisoning (salmonellosis)
and E. coli infections. The truth is that there is a very
simple way to drastically reduce one's chances of becoming
infected: Wash all produce before cooking and/or eating it,
especially foods that will be consumed raw.
While all produce should be
washed before eating, it is especially important that
conventionally grown produce be washed to remove any pesticide
and herbicide residue left on the product.
It is equally important to wash
organically grown foods before use to reduce the likelihood of
contracting salmonellosis or
E. coli infections.
The reason why washing organic
produce is so important is because the "organic" fertilizers
used to grow those foods are basically compost and animal manure. Either
one or both may be used.
Animal manure will definitely
have some E. coli present, because E. coli live in
the large intestines of all animals. It is only logical that
some of the bacteria will be excreted in the animal's waste. If one of the animals that
produced the manure was infected with salmonellosis, then that can
also be present in the manure. Poultry and eggs are especially
prone to carry salmonella bacteria. Also, the manure from
poultry can contain the bacteria.
The manure from cattle that are mass
produced for companies such as McDonald's and Jack-In-The-Box, which are fed GM corn
almost exclusively, are hosts to an especially potent and
often deadly mutant strain of E. coli–one that never
existed on earth before–called E. coli 0157:H7.
According to news reports and the documentary film Food
Incorporated, infections caused by E. coli 0157:H7
can be fatal. One child, Kevin, a perfectly healthy child, died
12 days after eating a hamburger contaminated with E. coli
0157:H7. Others, children and adults, have suffered similar
fates. If crops are fertilized with organic fertilizer--cow
manure--obtained from CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding
Operations), where the cattle's diet consists entirely of GM
corn, the likelihood of getting E. coli 0157:H7 infection
from vegetable crops is much greater.
If compost is used, it may also
contain either salmonella or E. coli or both, with salmonella
being the most
likely, since table scraps, egg shells, eggs, scraps of poultry,
dairy products, or scraps of sandwiches that contain mayonnaise are sometimes added to compost.
If food grown with organic fertilizer is consumed
without first washing it, then some of the manure or compost
will likely be ingested. This is especially true of mushrooms.
It is suspected that most cases of salmonella and E. coli
illness that make news headlines were contracted simply because
the victim neglected to wash the suspected fruit or vegetable before
eating it, because neither bacteria are normally associated with
vegetables or fruits. It is almost a certainty that any
vegetable or fruit that causes either salmonellosis or
E. coli
infection was grown with organic fertilizer. So-called chemical
fertilizers will not contain either salmonella or E. coli
bacteria, because they contain no organic materials that would
carry the bacteria.
Back in the day when most people
had at least back yard vegetable gardens and still had a
connection with the earth–when everything was organic–it was common knowledge that fruits
and vegetables were to be washed before they were eaten. Today,
with most people being far removed from the source, obtaining
their fruits and vegetables from supermarket shelves and
bins instead of directly from the garden, that common sense precaution seems to be an afterthought,
if it even occurs to the consumer at all. Most folk seem to
think that because the fruit or vegetable is wrapped in plastic
or polished and sprayed with wax that it's ready to eat right
out of the package, even though most packaging clearly states,
"wash before using".
Potatoes, sweet potatoes,
onions, carrots, beets, turnips, rutabagas, and other root crops grow beneath the earth's
surface and are in direct contact with the soil and fertilizing
agent, whether it be chemical or organic.
In the case of vegetables such
as tomatoes, squash, melons, and peppers; and leafy vegetables
such as spinach, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage,
lettuce, or other above ground crops, the plant's fruit, leaves, and
stems come into contact with the surface soil and fertilizing
agent to varying degrees. Spinach, cilantro, parsley, and Romaine lettuce are
likely to have some of the sandy soil and fertilizing agent on
and among the leaves and at the base of the stems, especially if
they are harvested close to the ground and sold in bunches.
Therefore, careful washing to remove sand, soil, and fertilizer
is essential.
Washing fruits and vegetables
should be done under cold running water. No soap should be used,
but it requires more than just quickly passing the food item
under the running water and shaking off the excess water. If the
fruit or vegetable's skin or surface is tough enough, a
brush for this purpose may be used. For more on food safety,
visit the USDA's online Safe Food Handling Fact Sheet, "Washing
Food: Does it Promote Food Safety?"
After washing and rinsing your
hands with soap and water, lightly rub the surface of the
produce with your hands under running water to loosen and remove any soil, sand,
fertilizer, or organic material from the item's surface. In the
case of leafy vegetables, snip off the cut ends of the leaves
with kitchen shears or a sharp knife, keeping the part that will
be eaten from coming into further contact with the snipped ends.
After trimming the ends of the leaves, discard the snipped ends
and wash the cutting board and knife with soap and water before
using them further in order to prevent contamination of the
washed produce or other foods that may come into contact with
the knife or cutting board. It isn't that hard to do, it only
takes a few seconds, and it will significantly reduce the
possibility of contracting salmonella or E. coli
infection.
The Truth About "Chemical
Fertilizers"
Before going into chemical
fertilizers, it should be known that neither SENAA International
nor the author of this article are in any way affiliated with or
proponents of Monsanto or any other manufacturer of chemical
fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. SENAA International and
the author are, in fact, proponents of organic farming and the
use of organic foods as the healthiest choice. Above all else,
we are proponents of truth and accuracy. It is in the interest
of truth that this topic has been added to this article.
It should also be understood
that this is not intended to be a comprehensive dissertation on
chemical fertilizers, and it is not a comparison of organic vs.
chemical fertilizers. This is merely a brief explanation of what
chemical fertilizers are and how they affect food crops and
those who consume them.
When we hear the words "chemical
fertilizers", we automatically think something sinister is
afoot, primarily due to the horror stories about Monsanto and
other chemical companies systematically taking over food
production, especially in the United States. With the majority
of people now far removed from the earth that sustains us and
lacking in knowledge of how our food is grown, we don't really
know what is meant by the term "chemical fertilizers". Whatever
it is, we reason, it can't be good or good for us. The truth is,
chemical fertilizers have been in use for decades with
absolutely no ill effects on humans. The composition of chemical
fertilizers is actually simple, and their use is not the horrid
thing that some would have us believe. While organic fertilizers
are better for the soil and the food crops that it grows,
chemical fertilizers, when combined with adding organic matter
to the soil, is perfectly sufficient to grow healthy, nutritious
crops.
Miracle Grow is a "chemical
fertilizer", and it produces some of the best tomatoes grown and
significantly increases the yield of the plants that are
fertilized with it. Used correctly, both the plant and the
consumer benefit from its use. That is just one example of
chemical fertilizers benefitting all concerned. Professional
farmers can, I'm sure, cite other examples using other chemical
fertilizers.
Essentially, chemical
fertilizers consist of three basic nutrients, nitrogen,
phosphorous, and potassium (in the form of potash), listed in
that order as the "N-P-K" number. An N-P-K of 10-10-10,
for example, means
that the fertilizer contains 10 percent nitrogen, 10 percent
phosphorous, and 10 percent potassium. The NPK number
varies with different types of fertilizer. The correct ratio of
NPK to use on a given field is determined by a soil sample,
which is analyzed by a Department of Agriculture lab to
determine which nutrients are needed.
Nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium
are nutrients that are essential to healthy plants and animals,
including human beings.
Nitrogen makes up approximately 78
percent of the earth's atmosphere and is an essential component
of protein, which is used by the human body for cell creation,
maintenance, and repair. One's nitrogen balance indicates
whether or not a person is getting enough protein and whether
the body is using the protein effectively. A positive nitrogen
balance indicates tissue growth, typical in a healthy growing
child. A negative nitrogen balance indicates tissue or muscle
loss or destruction, since nitrogen is essential for growth, and
therefore indicates insufficient protein intake or the body's
inefficient use of protein. A
zero nitrogen balance, or equilibrium, indicates a state where
tissue and muscle are neither increasing nor decreasing. If a
balanced diet is being followed, health is good, and daily
routine remains the same, then equilibrium will occur.
Phosphorous and potassium are
electrolytes essential to healthy heart, nerve, and muscle functions in
humans and other animals. Obviously they are also essential for
healthy plant growth and reproduction. A deficiency of either of these
electrolytes in humans will cause heart malfunction, muscle cramps and
failure, and problems with nerve impulse transmission,
especially during periods of physical exertion and extreme heat.
During hot weather, electrolytes are lost due to heavy
perspiration, and electrolyte deficiency can result if not
replenished.
Severe deficiency of nitrogen,
phosphorous or potassium can cause death. What chemical
fertilizers do, in essence, is provide these three essential
nutrients to the food plants, which pass them along to the
humans and other animals that consume them. Farmers who use
chemical fertilizers usually plough under the plant stalks after
the crops are harvested and the field rests until the next
planting season. That allows the plant material to decay and
put organic material back into the soil.
The drawback to using chemical
fertilizers is not that they are harmful to the plants, soil, or
to the consumer, because they are not. The drawback is
that they do not provide the trace elements that organic
fertilizers do.. The trace elements in the soil are what give
tomatoes grown in Topeka, Kansas, a different flavor from
tomatoes grown in Ideal, Georgia. The trace elements in the soil
in Vidalia, Georgia, give Vidalia onions a flavor that cannot be
duplicated anywhere else. Peaches grown in southern Georgia have
a flavor that can only be approached in one other place on
earth–one orchard in Spain–and it's because of the trace
elements in the soil. It is said, too, that using a chemical
fertilizer with too high an N-P-K ratio will bind certain trace
elements and prevent their being used by the crops.
On the other hand, organic
fertilizers, especially from local livestock, do contain some
E. coli bacteria and possibly salmonella. Because of high
ammonia content, farmers who use organic fertilizers such as cow
or chicken manure usually allow it to age before using it on the
fields. Aging also reduces the presence of harmful bacteria.
However, there may still be some live bacteria in the aged
manure. For that reason, even though the fertilizer is usually
ploughed into the soil prior to planting, it is essential to
wash even organically grown fruits and vegetables before
consuming them. Rain, wind, and other factors can cause the
organic fertilizer to get onto the surface of food crops.
Retailers and farmers at the local farmers' market cannot be
depended upon to wash the product before putting it in the
baskets or bins for sale. It is especially important to wash
root crops and mushrooms before preparing and consuming them,
especially if they are to be served raw.
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