Cracking the Frankenfood Code

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http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2003/10/60911Cracking the Frankenfood CodeKristen Philipkoski10.22.03The seemingly innocent act of labeling produce has become a highly contentious issue. Organic advocates tend to want more information; producers of genetically modified food generally want less.Recently, the organic side of the fence has been whispering about a sneaky way to identify genetically modified fruits and vegetables. Shhh, don't tell the biotechs, but you know those little stickers that are really annoying to get off when you're washing a tomato? The numbers on them can tell you if the tomato is genetically modified! That's the word on the street.It would be scandalous (to people who care about genetically modified foods) if, after all the hubbub over labeling, it was happening right under the biotech companies' noses. But that's not exactly the case.Those stickers carry price look-up, or PLU, codes which are generated by the Produce Marketing Association for inventory and standardization purposes. They're the numbers grocery checkout clerks used to punch in manually, but now scanners read and feed them into the stores' computer systems. Yes, unique codes exist for organic, conventionally grown and genetically modified items. But grocers only use them if they want to, making PLU codes an unreliable labeling system for consumers."There's no requirement that grocery stores use (PLU codes)," said Kathy Means, vice president of issues management for the Produce Marketing Association.Various publications have generated a buzz around the PLU system recently. For example, a letter to the editor in the October issue of Gourmet magazine described the number code's meaning: four digits for conventionally grown, five digits beginning with 9 for organic, and five digits beginning with 8 for genetically modified. Similar articles have appeared in Sunset magazine, The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Times Union of Albany, New York, and various other newspapers that picked up a Knight Ridder wire story on the PLU numbers.What most of the stories don't mention is that PLU codes are not part of a regulatory system. They exist merely to assist with inventory to help stores be more efficient.Another reason the numbers aren't so useful is because almost no genetically engineered whole fruits or vegetables are available. The genetically modified foods more common in stores now are ingredients in processed food, specifically corn, rapeseed (in canola oil) and soy. Processed foods don't carry PLU codes.For now you will find only one item labeled with a PLU number beginning with an eight at fruit stands: papaya from Hawaii, according to Craig Culp at the Center for Food Safety.Until organic and genetically modified fruits and vegetables came along, each type of fruit had the same PLU number. For example, all bananas were 4011. To differentiate conventional bananas from those which are organic or genetically modified, the Produce Marketing Association decided that a 9 would appear in front of organic foods, and an 8 before those that have been genetically modified, i.e., 94011 or 84011."The numbers system was developed many years ago when there was a thought that (genetic engineering of fruits and vegetables) would take off faster and there would be more (genetically engineered) products on the market," Means said.In 1992 the FDA declared that biotech foods are the same as conventional foods, as long as biotech companies say so. They therefore don't require special review, approval or labeling.But the reception from consumers and corporate buyers of genetically engineered foods has been historically chilly.In 1994, a biotech company called Calgene introduced the first genetically modified whole food, the Flavr Savr tomato, engineered to ripen on the vine and slow the rotting process. It was taken off the market in 1997, Calgene says, because the tomato required special transportation equipment that they couldn't afford. Genetic engineering foes said it didn't sell because it tasted bad and was more expensive.In 1998, biotech giant Monsanto pulled the plug on its genetically enhanced potato effort, when a major potato processor, McCain Foods, said it wouldn't buy the altered potatoes, ostensibly because of consumers' mistrust of biotech foods. Fast food establishments have since said they also don't want genetically engineered potatoes for their French fries.For now, labeling of both genetically modified and organic foods is strictly voluntary. Organic labels must comply with the National Organic Program. Consumer groups and legislators have launched efforts to require labeling on genetically engineered foods -- but no biotech companies volunteer the information on their labels. =====In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.