Author: Laura Lynn Klein

Here’s a labeling system that you’ve likely never heard of before. You know those annoying stickers found on all your favorite fruit and vegetables? Maybe you’ve bitten into a sticker or chopped it up into a fruit salad. But those pesky stickers actually have a purpose. Let’s take a closer look at what they mean.

Know the Code

Produce stickers contain Price Look Up (PLU) codes that serve a larger purpose. They’ve been used since 1990 to help cashiers identify bulk produce. For example, a 4-digit code that starts with the numbers 3 or 4 mean that the fruit was cultivated on a factory farm that sprayed its crops with synthetic pesticides. A 5-digit code starting with the number 9 means that the fruit was grown in a traditional way and was either cultivated organically or without the use of pesticides or fertilizers. And a product with a 5-digit code starting with the number 8 means that the fruit is genetically modified.

It’s An Imperfect System

While it’s neat to know what these PLU codes actually mean, for savvy shoppers, PLUs should be your last line of defense. Here’s why: The PLU numbers are actually meant to tell the cashier whether an apple is a conventional Fuji or organic Honey Crisp, so they know what to charge you at the check out. The numbers are actually organized by the Produce Marketing Association and aren’t directed at consumers. Rather, it’s a voluntary system that allows retailers to have an idea what they should charge. For example, charging more for a piece of organic fruit and less for genetically modified fruit. And while theoretically, the number 8 is meant to signify genetically modified, you’ll rarely see it on PLUs because again, it’s voluntary and rarely used, if ever.

Look Beyond the PLU

If you want to ensure your produce is organic, look beyond the PLU for an organic certification. And don’t trust that PLUs will help you to avoid genetically modified foods because remember this system is voluntary and is not controlled by a governing body (and isn’t 100% transparent). Big seed and agriculture corporations like Monsanto have invested millions of dollars in campaigns to stop mandatory labeling of GMO products, even though surveys have showed the majority of Americans want GMOs labeled. The same companies even backed a federal law called The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015, nicknamed the Deny Americans the Right to Know (DARK) Act, that blocks states from enacting labeling laws at all. So why would they be honest on a PLU code? Forget it.

Know Other Labeling Systems

In a pinch, looking at the PLU code can give you some idea of the fruit or vegetable’s origin. But it’s best to use other sources at your finger tips. Look for a separate organic label or sign before buying fruit, or ask for the produce manager where the produce came from, how it was grown and if it came from GMO seed. This is especially important when it comes to fruits that are laden with pesticides like apples, which year after year top the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list of the most heavily sprayed fruits and vegetables. Other big offenders include peaches, nectarines, strawberries, and grapes.

If you want to avoid genetically modified fruit and vegetables, choose organic. To be certified organic, foods cannot be grown with genetically modified seeds. Still, most fruits and frozen fruits are not genetically modified except the Hawaiian papaya. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently approved a genetically modified non-browning apple, but it’s not yet widely available. If you’re dealing with high risk GMO produce like corn, edamame (soy beans), papaya, zucchini, or yellow summer squash, you’ll want to ensure that you choose organic or that it’s specifically labeled as non-GMO, which is common at health food stores like Whole Foods.

Produce PLUs are a cool trick to know, especially considering that so few people are familiar with this labeling system. But in the end, those sticky little labels aren’t actually directed at you. They’re there to help cashiers identify what type of produce you’ve chosen so they know how much to charge you. The fact that the labeling system is voluntary, means that producers could opt out of telling the whole truth. However, the smart consumer will see beyond PLU stickers to know how their food was grown. From choosing organic to non-GMO, know your food labeling system from top to bottom so you can enjoy the health benefits of that Fuji apple without a side of pesticides.

America loves coffee. In fact, 54 percent of American adults drink coffee every single day. But even if you choose coffee that’s organic, fair trade, and shade-grown, coffee production can still be extremely wasteful. No matter how much farmers streamline the process, coffee production creates a byproduct called coffee pulp. And while some of the byproduct is useful as fertilizer, far too much of it ends up taking its toll on the surrounding environment. But one former Starbucks executive thinks he’s finally come up with a solution that makes use of the pulp and provides small, indigenous communities with a new revenue stream. By turning pulp into flour, Dan Belliveau is solving a number of problems with one thoughtful innovation.

The Problem with Pulp

The process of separating the coffee cherry from the beans produces loads of pulp, a byproduct that can be used to make tea as well as fertilizer. In all, about25 percent of leftover coffee pulp is transitioned into the rich fertilizer that’s used to grow coffee trees. Still,17 billion pounds of coffee cherry pulp is thrown away annually. This coffee waste can end up in ground water, lakes, and streams, stripping our waterways of oxygen and harming wildlife.

Putting Coffee Pulp To Work

As a result, coffee producers have been looking for a way to put coffee pulp to work. EnterCoffee Flour, a new product that’s the brainchild of former Starbucks executive Dan Belliveau. In his plight to come up with some use for coffee pulp, he realized that the used coffee cherries could be dried and milled into a nutrient dense flour. Belliveau thinks that Coffee Flour could divert billions of pounds of coffee waste from waterways.

Nutrient Dense and Delicious

Coffee Flour doesn’t taste like coffee. While it has a dark, rich flavor, it’s also bright and fruity. This brown-hued flour can be baked into cookies, energy bars, coffee cake, brownies, and hot cereals. In fact, Coffee Flour can be used for baking in many of the same foods as regular flour, but it’s much healthier. The pulp-derived flour isgluten-free, plus it contains five times more fiber than whole grain wheat flour, 3 times the iron of fresh spinach, and 3 times more protein than kale. It’s nutrient dense, full of flavor, and it gives you a little boost. With around12 to 15 percent of the caffeine found in a regular cup of coffee. If you want to amp up the caffeine content, you can combine it with chocolate, which adds up to the caffeine in a single cup of coffee.

Boosting Coffee Flour Communities

Another main reason why Coffee Flour is winning praise is the positive impact it can have on communities. Belliveau wants the flour’s production to stay in local communities where the coffee pulp is produced in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico, and Vietnam. Creating a new product from the pulp waste means new jobs in areas that may be the first to feel thepains of global warming.

Specifically, global warming makes it easier for damaging pests to thrive, like the berry borer, a grazing predator, and coffee rust, a fungus that destroys coffee plants. Traditionally, these pests couldn’t survive the cool mountain air, but warming temperatures have meant drastically reduced yields in Costa Rica, Ethiopia, and India.

The bottom line is Coffee Flour provides another industry to help these communities make the most out of the coffee crop that survives without doing much more work. One small community in Nicaragua created 70 new jobs, 90 percent of which went to women. What’s more, indigenous communities can learn to use the local flour in their own foods like tortillas and masa bread so they can survive with the crops that they have on hand. And if communities don’t want to use their leftover pulp to produce flour, they can opt out because producing the superfood flour is up the individual community.

Coffee Flour is a means of solving more than one problem with one product, boosting up communities through production and creating a healthy and versatile new flour.

Foods can contain a wide variety of dating, from sell-by to best If used by to expiration dates. Many Americans end up using these dates as concrete indications of when foods should be thrown out. But chucking foods while they’re still eatable is a waste of resources and in fact leads Americans to throw out40 percent of the food they buy. Let’s take a closer look at how you can cut back on food waste while at the same time, staying safe.

The Purpose Of Food Dating

Food dating has a variety of purposes. It helps stores decide how long they can sell a product and it helps consumers choose the best quality foods. When foods are handled correctly, they can often go well past the product’s date and still be safe to eat. With the exception of baby formula,food dating is in fact voluntary at the federal level, though many states do require it.

Food dating comes in a wide spectrum of forms:

– Sell-by means you should buy the product by a particular date

– Best if used by is the date that’s recommended for the best taste and quality

– Use-by is the last date of peak quality

– Expiration date is the last date a food should be eaten or used

If food develops an off-odor or the appearance of spoilage, it should be thrown out, no matter the expiration date. Additionally, make sure your refrigerator is set to40 degrees F so that food can safely be stored.

Product coding is usually found on shelf stable foods. Its purpose is less for food spoilage and more for tracking purposes when foods are recalled. These codes are also a requirement for interstate commerce, or selling products across state lines.

The Real Expiration Dates

Many foods can be eaten wellafter their expiration or sell-by dates, though the sniff test is still important. Eggs, for example, can be eaten 3 to 5 weeks after the day they were packed, which is usually beyond the expiration date. Poultry, ground meat, and ground poultry can be stored for 1 to 2 days and beef, veal, pork, and lamb can be stored for 3 to 5 days. Milk is usually fine a week after the sell-by date. Bacon and hot dogs are good for two weeks, 7 days if opened and luncheon meats are fine for 2 weeks or 3 to 5 days if opened.

Canned foods can last an eternity, especially if they’re stored in a cold, dark place. Make sure that the area isn’t damp, which can erode cans and cause them to spoil faster than usual. Your Depression era grandmother was right to store a year’s worth of food in the cellar. While you might not want to live on canned pears and Spaghetti O’s, you could for a long time if you had to. Acidic canned foods like tomato sauce keep for 18 months while low acid foods like green beans can last up to five years. Cans that are bulging from spoilage should be discarded immediately. If you’ve canned foods yourself, even though they don’t have an expiration date, they don’t last as long as manufactured canned foods.Home canned foods can be stored for one year.

Stop Wasting Food

Food waste is a big problem in the U.S. As I said above, Americans waste 40 percent of the food they buy. We throw away$165 billion worth of food annually. I said billion, not million. Reducing this food waste by just 15 percent would feed some 25 million Americans. Knowing what you now know, reducing food waste is easier than ever.

Perishable foods can last months longer if they’re frozen before the expiration date. For the most part, if foods look and smell fresh, they are likely still fresh. Furthermore, resist the urge to overbuy, especially when it comes to foods like dairy, bread, produce, seafood, and meat. These foods are not only expensive, they don’t last as long so when they go bad you end up wasting tons of cash.

Food dating is meant to help manufacturers, store owners, and consumers, but it’s not set in stone. You’re the best judge of your food’s freshness.

Certain foods have no place in your pantry or your refrigerator. The best way to avoid ever indulging in them is not purchasing them at all. While some may even seem healthy, if you look closely you’ll understand why they’re far from safe. As you prep for this week’s grocery trip, make sure you leave these items off the list:

1. Conventional Meat, Eggs, and Dairy

This is one of those no-brainers when it comes to choosing organic. Unless you’re buying locally and you’re completely sure that the farmer doesn’t use hormones or antibiotics, stick to organic.

Conventional livestock is often raised using hormones and antibiotics in order to hasten the growing process and get animals fatter quicker and to the market sooner. The sub-therapeutic use of antibiotics is still rampant in the animal husbandry industry in the U.S., meaning that animals are fed a steady diet antibiotics in their daily feed whether they are sick or not. In all, around 80 percent of all antibiotics sold today in America are fed to livestock. This overuse of antibiotics has led to antibiotic resistance. Each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 2 million people become infected with antibiotic resistant infections and 23,000 people die from those infections. The bottom line is that the overuse of antibiotics today is rendering what used to be life saving drugs, ineffective against deadly infections.

2. Margarine

Margarine is so 1985. It was all the rage a few decades ago because people thought that saturated animal fats would cause early death. And while the jury is still out on saturated fats, we know that trans fats, found in foods like margarine, are awful for your health. Trans fats clog your arteries by increasing LDL or bad cholesterol and lowering HDL or good cholesterol. Margarine is manmade junk food that’s more of an industrial experiment than real food. And lets not forget it’s high in sodium.

3. Donuts

While they may be yummy, it’s no secret that donuts aren’t exactly healthy. Like many other highly processed baked goods, as well as the cholesterol double whammy listed above, donuts contain trans fats. Remember trans fats are that partially hydrogenated concoction that will cause you to keel over into your coffee. Donuts also contain tons of sugar, artificial colors and flavors, and virtually no nutrients. That means you over indulge on that Boston cream or powdered beauty and in an hour you’ll be hungry again.

4. Processed Meats

While we discussed the problems with conventional meats above, it’s worth mentioning processed meats separately because they’re so bad. Processed meats like hot dogs, salami, and bacon contain nitrites and nitrates, a preservative that gives them their bright pink hue. They make the meat more appetizing but they’re a doozy for your health. These chemical additives have been linked to cancer. One study even found that eating a hot dog a day can increase your risk of colorectal cancer by 21 percent, shockingly – more than smoking cigarettes.

5. Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners are a frightening invention that’s used in everything from diet soda to sugar-free candies, but they’re terrible for your health. Aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose are just a few of the offenders with brand names like NutraSweet, Sweet’N Low, and Splenda. The jury is still out as to whether artificial sweeteners are linked to cancer, but they have showed signs of increasing your risk of metabolic syndrome. According to Harvard Health, regular consumption of diet drinks is linked to a 36 percent greater risk of metabolic syndrome and a 67 percent increased risk for type 2 diabetes.

6. Microwave Popcorn

Most microwave popcorn is not only made from genetically modified corn, which is usually grown with healthy dose of pesticides like glyphosate (which was declared by the World Health Organization as ‘probably carcinogenic‘ to humans), and it’s also made with a host of nasty additives. And that fake butter flavor, it comes from diacetyl, which has been linked to lung disease. Popcorn is also loaded with artificial flavors and colors, not to mention inordinate amounts of salt and zero nutritional value. If you want to eat popcorn, buy the organic variety, pop it yourself, toss it with some olive or coconut oil, add a few pinches of sea salt and you’ve created a delicious snack (I even sprinkle some nutritional or brewer’s yeast over my popcorn for added umami flavor).

Urban fruit trees are by all accounts beneficial to urban dwellers. They have virtually no carbon footprint, especially if the plants and trees are free of pesticides. What’s more, if you grab a garden peach on your morning walk to work, the fruit is 100 percent local. By enjoying an apple grown on a tree in your yard rather than one flown in from New Zealand, you’re reducing your impact on the earth significantly. Not to mention that fruit trees are visually pleasing and make for a pleasant walk through the city.

But is urban fruit safe to eat? And is it as healthy as fruit grown in the countryside?

Contaminants in Urban Soil

Cities are inherently more polluted than the country. From busy roads to industrial waste and leaky gas tanks, chemicals abound. But the news isn’t all bad.

While these chemicals can leave less than desirable traces of arsenic, lead, and other heavy metals in the soil, that’s most likely where they’ll stay. According to Acta Horticulturae Workgroup, heavy metal concentrations in fruit from trees tend to be very low even if they are grown in contaminated soil because the fruit doesn’t come in contact with the ground or soil. Others even claim that urban grown fruit is even less contaminated with pollutants than fruit that is grown by big agriculture because it’s not chemically treated with pesticides, fertilizers or post-harvest treatments.

Airborne Pollutants Are Different

While soil pollutants don’t end up polluting the fruit, airborne pollutants are a different matter entirely. Airborne pollutants can cling to the skin of that juicy plum and the potentially dangerous pesticide residue can get into your lungs. That’s why it’s best to avoid fruits from trees and bushes that are planted in heavy industrial areas or next to busy roads where all the exhaust has most likely taken its toll.

Digging into the Soil Directly

It’s also different if you’re an urban gardener digging into contaminated soil directly. Urban growers can be exposed to soil contaminants by direct contact with the soil. These contaminants are particularly harmful to children that are still developing. So it’s important to get to know the history of the site where you’re gardening.

For instance, was it once the site of a dry cleaning operation, gas station or industrial factory that used a number of potentially dangerous chemicals? If that is the case it may be best to stay clear. Do some research and get your soil tested with a simple kit (you can order them online), then you’ll know exactly what’s in your soil.

Other best practices for gardeners include wearing gloves, taking care not to track dirt into the house, and thoroughly washing produce. Also, consider adding topsoil and mulch to crops to reduce soil dust and using raised beds to garden when the soil just isn’t up to snuff.

Skip the Pesticides

Whether you’re enjoying a pear grown in the city or the country, pesticide residue is still an unwelcome addition to any piece of fruit. Do some due diligence and ask around if the tree you’re about to harvest fruit from has been treated with pesticides or look for signs that denote it’s been sprayed.

Urban or rural, when it comes to growing and eating fruit, avoiding synthetic pesticides is the healthiest choice for you, your family and the planet. While it’s difficult to control the amount of contaminants that may be found in the soil and those that go airborne from a car’s exhaust, you can control or preferably eliminate toxic, synthetic pesticides, especially if you’re growing the tree at home. Not only do they further contaminate the soil and groundwater, they contaminate the fruit or vegetable making it less healthy for our planet and human consumption.

Urban fruit isn’t perfect. It can contain contaminants. But in most cases, these toxins don’t actually make it into the fruit, they stay put in the soil. This means that heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and arsenic don’t contaminate the tree. What’s more, if you grab a hanging apple on your walk to work, you’re eating about as local as you can get. That piece of fruit would just go to waste if it fell to the ground or no one ate it.

The bottom line is it’s probably safe to eat urban fruit, especially if the tree is free of added pesticides. If you want to be extra cautious, rinse it thoroughly before you chomp down. Enjoy the best of the local bounty by eating some urban fruit.

More and more often when you ask an urban child where that crunchy carrot came from, they’ll respond that it came from the grocery store. And that egg, well, it came from an egg carton. Many kids have no connection to where their food comes from before it hits the retail shelf. That’s why it’s our responsibility to show the younger generation that many of their favorite foods in fact came from the garden, the farm, the sea, or from animal production. Here are some tips for reintroducing kids to their food’s origin:

Visit local family farms.

If you look in the right places, you’ll find ample opportunity to visit small, local farms (Google your city name and “local farms”). In season, many farms allow you to come pick your own produce like strawberries, blueberries and tomatoes. In October, you can head to the pumpkin patch to show your little ones how pumpkins grow and discover unique heirloom varieties that you may not see at your local store. Or visit an apple orchard for fresh pressed cider and caramel apples in the fall.

Hit the farmer’s market.

The farmer’s market is the perfect activity for the kids. It’s entertaining and educational. Introduce your kids to the farmers and ask them a few questions. Ask the farmers how their vegetables are grown, do they use synthetic pesticides, or how do they control common pests? Or what’s currently in season? And if you are buying meat, ask them how the animals were raised. What did they eat, did they eat their natural diet? Did the animal live a happy, normal life outdoors? Many farmers will even show you pictures of their farm! You might also want to point out to your child what these farmers don’t use in their food production like synthetic pesticides on fruits and vegetable or hormones and antibiotics to raise the animals for meat. And share the dangers that these food additives pose to human and planet health.

Just by introducing your kids to the local farmers, they’ll get a first person lesson in food production. It will also underscore the importance of knowing where your food comes from and how it is grown, rather than just blindly shopping at a grocery store.

Make your own pantry staples.

Teaching kids about how foods are made is as easy as making them yourself. Making your own bread with the kids is a fun hands-on activity and an easy way to get them involved. Homemade cheese and butter are other great options. And after you put in the work, you’ll get to enjoy the food, which shows your kids early on that these foods take effort and shouldn’t be eaten mindlessly. Instead, that slice of just baked bread with homemade butter should be a cherished experience rather than just a meal.

Join a community garden.

More and more community gardens are popping up in neighborhoods and they’re a great way to teach your kids about gardening. This is especially helpful if you don’t have a green thumb and you need a little help from your community. Community gardens also bring the neighborhood together. When it’s time to harvest that batch of summer squash or that bumper crop of green beans, you can come up with fun recipes that involve the kids.

Keep a chicken coop.

I can’t think of anything better than cracking a fresh, local egg and seeing that bright orange yoke within. Local eggs aren’t just pretty, they’re much tastier and healthier for you and for many urban dwellers, they’re the only farm animal that’s a real option. While a chicken coop is a lot of work, it’s doable even for those that never thought themselves a farmer. Your kids can help feed the chickens and even clean the coop!

Grow a kitchen herb garden.

Fresh herbs don’t come from wasteful plastic containers at the grocery store. In fact, fresh herbs are an easy addition to your lifestyle, even if you’re the furthest thing from a gardener. Growing a kitchen garden is a fun project for your little ones. Clean out a discarded egg carton and then rip off the top. Add a few spoonfuls of top soil with a number of herb seeds. As your child’s kitchen garden grows, you can transplant them into larger containers. And every time you need fresh herbs for a recipe, your little one gets to tear off the requested amount. This simple act will also save you money at the grocery store check out.

Can with the kids.

Even canned foods don’t have to come from the grocery store. In fact, your family can learn to can. Whether those heirloom tomatoes come from the backyard, your local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture farm), or a neighborhood garden, canning is a great way to show the kids how to use and preserve an over abundance of food throughout the year. Pickling cucumbers is another easy way to show your kids that pickles are actually made from cucumbers. You can also pickle okra, carrots, beets, onions (my favorite) and any number of tasty vegetables that come from the garden.

Choosing a few of the ideas above can help you introduce your little ones to the source of their food that’s beyond the grocery store.