A shopper has revealed the hidden meaning behind the codes on fruit stickers and people have been left stunned.
Joshua Bollum took to TikTok to share the piece of little known information, and for people who are worried about eating GMO produce or food grown with pesticides, the tip could be very handy.
As the Daily Star reports, he explains his theory using the code on a lemon and a Pink Lady apple which is 5030, and a Sun Pacific orange, which is 4012.
He said that if you find a four-digit number on the stick it means it's been grown with pesticides, and a five-digit number that starts with eight usually means it’s genetically modified.
What do you think of Josh's information? Let us know in the comments...
On TikTok, where his video has been viewed more than three million times, Joshua said: "I’m sure a lot of you eat fruit, and whenever you buy fruit, you always see these little stickers on them.
"Well, these little stickers actually tell you how the fruit is grown."
Joshua says: "These numbers mean different things, so a four-digit number means it’s been grown with pesticides, and a five-digit number that starts with eight usually means it’s genetically modified (GMO).
"A five-digit number starting with nine usually means it’s certified organic."
In a nutshell, look out for the magic number nine if you only want to eat eco-friendly products – although as many viewers pointed out, it can get expensive.
One quipped: "I actually don’t need to read the barcode to know if it’s organic.
"They always have a big sign, or section, and it’s double the price."
Other people said the information was very useful and helped spread awareness of farming methods.
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"I wish I saw this 15min earlier because I am 100 per cent sure the shiny apple I just ate is BAD," said one.
A second said: "I work in a grocery store, this is 100 per cent true!"
Someone else shared: "I'm surprised how many people don't believe this. I thought this was common knowledge by now. It's been known about for so long..."
"Every Gen X now standing in the fruit section pulling out their glasses," joked another.
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