A man named Zib Atkins has revealed what the numbers on the stickers on supermarket apples actually mean, as he urges people to avoid certain number combinations
With autumn officially being here, many will opt to add apples to their baked goods, as ’tis the season for it. However, if you’ve ever bought an apple, you’ll most likely have noticed that they all come with individual stickers.
What many might not know, though, is that these fruit stickers come with a secret number code that mean different things. The small sticker on an apple refers to a Price Look-Up (PLU) code, which identifies the fruit’s variety, size, and how it was grown (organic, conventional, or genetically modified). This code helps cashiers ring up the correct price and provides information to consumers about the product at the point of sale.
But one health influencer, named Zib Atkins has now urged people to pay attention to the numbers shown on the stickers, as it could mean you’re ingesting more than you might know.
Taking to TikTok, Zib was seen with a large range of different types of apples, all of which with different numbers on the stickers. He then went on to urge people to stay away from certain number variations.
“And this is why you wanna avoid anything that starts with a four or a three,” they said. “Instead you wanna start with a nine. Let me show you why.”
He went on to explain that most apples that you buy in the supermarket are coated in wax. However, he then added that if the number on the apple sticker starts with a three or a four, it means that it’s non-organic.
“Meaning the wax itself isn’t natural and can be toxic,” he explained. “And it’s concealing all the pesticides that have been sprayed over that apple.”
Zib went on to say in the caption of the video: “Did you know the first number on the sticker of your apples tells you a lot? If it starts with a 3 or 4 – it’s non-organic, coated in synthetic wax, and hiding pesticides. If it starts with a 9 – it’s organic and much safer.”
It’s worth to note that this wax is safe to consume and is applied after the apples are washed to remove the natural bloom and dirt. Loose apples from greengrocers or farmers’ markets are less likely to be waxed artificially.
According to British Wax, harvested fruit is washed thoroughly and the natural layer of wax is removed. A new coat of wax enhances the looks of the fruit, but it also helps the fruit retaining water, which in turn extends the lifespan of the fruit.
While all the wax have been approved to be used on foods, as they are considered safe to consume, there are also ways you can wash off the wax, if you so wish.
So what can you do to avoid this?
Zib went on say that you could buy organic apples in order to reduce the risk of getting artificial waxes and less pesticides on your fruit.. However, there’s also an easy way for you to clean away the wax yourself from the comfort of your home.
“Or, if you wanna minimise your risk and reduce some of those pesticides, get yourself a couple of litres of water,” he began, before saying to mix in a teaspoon of baking soda.
“Then soak your apples in it for 15 minutes,” he said. “Take them out, scrub them with a hard brush, and that should reduce about 90% of the surface pesticides, anyway.