Price Look Up: what does the numbers sticked at the fruits we buy?

The codes Price Look Up (PLU) are numbers of 4 or 5 digits that are showed at the stickers of fresh products that we buy (fruits, grains, seeds, etc.).

It is an international code that indicates the attributes of the goods: type, subtype, cultivation methodology and size.

These numbers are assigned by the IFPS after product and production evaluation, nationally and internationally.

According to the organization, in addition to indicating the attributes of food, PLU codes ensure that there is inventory control, sales data and that the consumer pays the exact price for the product.

IFPS is the International Federation of Production Standards, established in 1990, is composed of national producer associations from around the world. The association is voluntary, and to obtain the code it is necessary to register and go through the inspection of the committee (the whole process is paid).

The 4-digit codes are intended for "conventionally" grown products - with fertilizers and pesticides. They are organized by the number 3000 to 4000.

The 5-digit codes are used to identify organic and genetically modified (GMO) products. What differs is that the organic ones start with the number 9 and the GMOs with the prefix 8.

Know more in: http://www.ifpsglobal.com/

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