PLU (Price Look up) codes have been used by supermarkets
since 1990 to make check-out and inventory control easier, faster, and more
accurate. Fresh fruit and vegetable PLU codes are used to identify bulk produce
(and related items such as nuts and herbs). For example, they tell the
supermarket cashier whether an apple is a conventionally grown Fuji apple which
may sell for $1.29 per pound/kg or an organically grown Fuji apple which may
sell for $2.29 per pound/kg. In some instances the codes are also
differentiated by size (e.g. small, medium, and large).
Fruit is divided into three
classes: conventional, organic, and genetically modified.
1. A prefix of ‘9’ is used in front of the 4 digit
number (3000 or 4000) to identify the item as organic creating the range 93000
– 94999 for organically
grown produce items.
2. A four-digit code beginning with a 3 or
a 4 means the produce is probably conventionally
grown.
3. A five-digit code that starts with an ‘8’ means the item is genetically modified.
Refer to
the Supermarket page: http://supermarketpage.com/prucodes.php
What is PLU Codes?
In 1949, the Produce Marketing Association
(PMA) was founded for the purpose of taking advantage of new packaging
technologies and the developing style of self-service grocery shopping to
promote the produce business. Since then, agribusiness has taken over most
farming and PMA has grown accordingly. It has become the focal point of
coordination in large-scale national and international produce marketing.The
International Federation for Produce Standards (IFPS) is associated with PMA.
It assigns and administers Price Look up (PLU) codes -- those numbers on sticky
labels -- and keeps a
database of them.
How to apply PLU Code?
For
questions regarding this site, please contact PMA at +1 (302) 738-7100, or
visit the PMA Web site.
For
information on the International Federation for Produce Standards (IFPS),
please visit the IFPS web site.
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