Interesting story for everyone...

I usually buy red, black, and green grapes at the market. Last time I went, I got my usual delicious, plump, beautiful, red and black grapes, although the usual green ones weren't there--there were these GIANT boxes, 4 lbs. for <$2, some ABSURDLY cheap price.

Well, why not, right?

I tried a huge bowl of mixed grapes with my boyfriend later on. The red and black were delicious, of course--but something was just odd with the green. Some of them seemed to have brown spots, but they weren't pecked (pecked fruits are the sweetest sometimes!). The skin was tough, and very strange. They weren't as juicy, they weren't as sweet, there was just something "off" about them. My boyfriend agreed.

So, the other morning, I fixed myself another grape medley for lunch, but my stomach started to revolt at the sight of the green ones. I really didn't want to eat them, they weren't impressive--but I didn't want to waste the giant container they came in. 4 lbs. is a LOT of grapes.

I began to inspect the container--and lo and behold--"Product # 83333"--five digits starting with an 8--the grapes were GMOs!!

I *usually* think to check the PLU#, and I've never actually encountered anything GM before. Now I know to always always always check for sure--but it's also reassuring to know that if your mind forgets to check, the senses will TELL you when something is wrong!

I'm just so amazed that both me and my boyfriend spend the day yammering about how weird the green ones were, and it turns out they were GM!

If it helps anyone --->

* 4 numbers = conventional produce
* 5 numbers, starting with 9 = organic produce
* 5 numbers, starting with 8 = genetically engineered produce



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/29/2008 04:36PM by tanawana.

yikes! that's crazy. that reminds me of when i went to to grocery store and they had this "new" variety of apple, called a "graple" -- a cute little homemade sign said they tasted like a combination of apples and grapes. i thought, ahhh! some strange exotic variety of apple that i haven't had before! i bought a little carton of them. (i can't believe i'm telling this story because it makes me sound like such a freakin' ditz...) i took them home, and when i bit into one, i had a flashback to junior high, when i used to be addicted to grape bubble yum... it tasted exactly like that. i knew that was not the grape flavor found in nature, so i took a careful look at the package... which said

Contents: Apples, Artificial Flavoring

EWWWWWWWWWWWWW! They'd injected those apples with grape bubble yum syrup! Talk about a crime against nature...

maui thats so crazy!!!!



My website: The Coconut Chronicles

Quote

Posted by: tanawana (IP Logged)
Date: February 29, 2008 10:35AM


If it helps anyone --->

* 4 numbers = conventional produce
* 5 numbers, starting with 9 = organic produce
* 5 numbers, starting with 8 = genetically engineered produce

What's to say those numbers are telling the truth though? I wouldn't put it past them to say conventional is organic and so on....

maui_butterfly That's just gross. I hope you took them back!

confession: i gave them to my neighbor (who i don't much care for). isn't that terrible? i'm going straight to hell for that...

Good point SL - Can't trust everything ya see or read :O)

It's so scary and ridiculous that fruits and vegetables can't simply BE fruits and vegetables anymore!

mauui: what's a raw foodist to eat in hell, won't everything get cooked? Eek!

Lots of love to all of you,

Wendi
XOXO

hahahaha i know! i never thought to read the ingredient label on a clear plastic carton full of apples.

you can see where this is going, can't you? dorito flavored cucumbers. twinkie flavored bananas. bacon flavored broccoli.

Quote

dorito flavored cucumbers

Oooh... A long time ago in my cooked-food stage of life (yesterday), Dorito flavored anything would have been great! LOL

Are those produce codes regional? Where I shop 5 digit numbers starting with 8 are given to bulk "wellness" products (herbs, spices, teas, etc...). The majority of the items with these codes are organic.

If it's the number you have to write on a tag at a bulk store, I'm pretty sure it's different, given all the numbers I've had to write vary from 3-6 digits, depending on the store.

The PLU# is on every (or should be!) item of fresh produce at grocery stores. All my organic fruits always had 5 digits and started with a 9. I don't think teas/herbs/etc would have a PLU, unless it was a bunch of naked basil that's not packaged or something?

I think you misunderstood. I don't mean that I shop at a "bulk store" like Costco or Sam's Club. I meant that most of my store's herbs and spices are sold in bulk (by weight). It turns out to be a great deal because you can bring and fill your own spice jars and have them ring out at $0.57, $1.12 or whatever the actual value of the herb/spice is since you aren't buying the packaging. The PLU codes for these, organic and conventional both, are all five digits starting with an 8.

maui_butterfly Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> reminds me of when i
> went to to grocery store and they had this "new"
> variety of apple, called a "graple" -- a cute
> little homemade sign said they tasted like a
> combination of apples and grapes...so i took a careful look
> at the package... which said
>
> Contents: Apples, Artificial Flavoring
> they'd injected those apples with
> grape bubble yum syrup! Talk about a crime against
> nature...

A few years ago during one of the holiday periods they came out with "new flavored" sodas with holiday themes, including turkey and gravy soda, cranberry soda, mashed potatoes, etc.

So basically if they can come up with the flavors in a lab, they can be applied to anything. If you think about it, for many years, there has been fruit flavored lip gloss and other such products.

Wishing you vibrant health

turkey and gravy soda. that's amazing.

when the last harry potter movie came out, they released a co-branded product called Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Jelly Beans. From the product description: "It's magical. It's incredible, and it just arrived! The new handy personal sized box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, the jelly bean preferred by Harry Potter. Discover the wild flavors of EARWAX, DIRT, BOOGER, ROTTEN EGG, SARDINE, BLACK PEPPER and the 2 latest new flavors PICKLE and SAUSAGE. And, everyone's favorite VOMIT. Think of stinky limburger cheese, think salami gone bad--that's VOMIT all wrapped up in the disguise of a jelly bean. 20 Individual Flavors: Black Pepper, Blueberry, Booger, Buttered Popcorn, Cherry, Cinnamon, Dirt, Earthworm, Earwax, Grape Jelly, Grass, Lemon Drop, Pickle, Rotten Egg, Sardine, Sausage, Soap, Toasted Marshmallow, Tuti-Fruitti and Vomit"

An aquaintance of mine was running around trying to get everyone to sample the vomit flavored jelly bean. "Try this, it REALLY tastes like vomit!"

"Sounds great, I'll pass."

People will eat vomit flavored jelly beans, but they won't drink a green smoothie...

>>>People will eat vomit flavored jelly beans, but they won't drink a green smoothie...<<<


Right?! That puts it all in perpective, LOL. I knew a lot of little boys that were eating those jelly beans. Like you, I passed too.

Great thread-lots of info and funny.

Pistachio,

A couple of years ago, I bought the Thanksgiving Party Pack of those oddly flavored Jone's Sodas to work and eight of us were determined to try every flavor. They included atrocious flavors like salmon, etc., There were all VILE! LOL

maui_butterfly,

I've had the Harry Potter Jelly Beans. They really do taste like the things they were intended to taste like. I utterly refused to try the booger and vomit ones though, cuz, that's just.... wrong! But, dirt tasted like dirt and grass tasted like grass!

This article is interesting: [www.grist.org]

It suggests that most GM food is not labelled at all, so while if a PLU has 5 digits and starts with an 8 then it is GM, and if it starts with a 9 it is organic, it does not follow that a standard 4 digit PLU is not GM.

Rob

--
Rob Hull - Funky Raw
My blog: [www.rawrob.com]

Hahaha. The grapples! Same thing happened to me, maui butterfly!!

I put them in the dehydrator and gave them to some kids. The whole place smelled from the fake aroma.

cocoa_nibs Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hahaha. The grapples! Same thing happened to me,
> maui butterfly!!

oh good, i'm not the only ditz! not saying you are a ditz. who checks the ingredient label on a whole piece of fruit??? they should have to put a sticker on the actual fruit, a big one "contains artificial flavoring".

> I put them in the dehydrator and gave them to some
> kids.

oh, in that case, i'll see you in hell.

> The whole place smelled from the fake aroma.

mmmmmm... grape bubble yum aromatherapy. coming to discering luxury spas everywhere...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/2008 03:45AM by maui_butterfly.

I was having shifty feelings about some very red strawberries with no PLU#... So, if I follow that article, something with NO number could be GM?

"Unfortunately, other genetically modified food is not labeled. At all. But the perspicacious shopper can dodge the mysterious effects of GM food by reading labels. Corn, soy, and cottonseed oil are largely genetically rigged in the U.S., so any processed product containing them is probably genetically modified. On the other hand, organic food is GM-free, so that's always a safe way to go. Visit the True Food Network website for further clues."

Or is that only for processed foods? O.o

Anyway, if I turn into a ten foot, fire breathing mutant, I'll be sure to attack places like the Monsanto HQ first. 0=)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/2008 04:44AM by phantom.

phantom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was having shifty feelings about some very red
> strawberries with no PLU#... So, if I follow that
> article, something with NO number could be GM?

Or even something with a 4 digit PLU. I think you are only safe from GM if you buy organic.

Rob

--
Rob Hull - Funky Raw
My blog: [www.rawrob.com]