Ever ponder the meaning behind the enigmatic numbers on those tiny stickers that hang on your produce? They contain a plethora of information that is useful to both customers and retailers, so they are not only for scanning at the checkout counter.

What’s Meant by the PLU Code?
To begin with, what does “PLU” mean? This code, which stands for “price look up,” fulfills three crucial purposes. They make it possible for grocery businesses to quickly distinguish between various produce varieties during the checkout process, guaranteeing that each item is priced correctly. The advantages don’t end there, either. PLU codes also come to the rescue when distinguishing between organic and non-organic products. They also aid in differentiating between distinct types of the same fruit.

The Magic of the Number ‘9’
Although each PLU code normally has four digits or more, the exact number isn’t chosen at random. It serves as a universal identifier for a specific kind of fruit or vegetable, or a range of sizes within that kind. However, when it comes to organic fruit, there’s a little extra magic involved. The five-digit code for organic products always starts with the number “9,” and is followed by the well-known four-digit PLU.