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Post by pepperhead212 on Apr 21, 2018 22:41:27 GMT -5
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Post by Mumsey on Apr 22, 2018 5:56:55 GMT -5
pepperhead212 , it's funny you should post this. Just yesterday I was in Fareway grocery store. I was looking at zucchini/yellow squash. They were 2-3 in a pack but no PLU number to be found. I asked the employee in the area if they are GMO, what's the PLU number? He didn't know. After back and forth with the employee, he took me to the manager. The manager said, any fruit/veg we get is GMO if it doesn't say non-GMO on the box! I was dumbfounded. I again asked what the PLU is for the squash. He said he didn't have it, it could be found at the cash register. Somehow we got on tomatoes, he said all tomatoes are GMO. i tried to explain to him hybridization vs genetic engineering..... Dumbfounded again. These people need some education. I took a pkg of those squash to the register just to find out the PLU. The woman at the register didn't know what I was talking about. I pointed to the number on my organic bananas and said "a number like this". She said oh, yeah, then found it. It started with 3. I said OK, that's all I need to know. These are not GMO as the produce manager said. In the meantime a produce kid came to the register, I tried to explain the PLU thing to him, no clue. I didn't buy the squash, it looked old. I kindly explained to the kid that the beginning number on the PLU tells how the produce was grown. And I asked him to relay the information to his manager. Out to door I went. I think I will email corporate. Then on to HyVee. Found zucchini/yellow squash. It looked somewhat better than Fareway's. No organic available. I found the produce employee and asked the same questions. He went to get a fresh box of eggplant because I told him there weren't any on the shelf. He brought back a box of zucchini and said, here's the name of the company if you want to contact them about GMO. I said I only want to know the PLU, certainly you have that, and showed him on another veg what the PLU is. He said, oh, it's 4----. Education here, explained to him what that number means, that it was conventionally grown, not organic and not GMO. These people need to be able to answer consumer's questions, ya think? Here's a pretty good look at what is GMO in the US. It is 3 years old and there may be more by now. Tomatoes would definitely not be GMO. time.com/3840073/gmo-food-charts/Maybe I have found a retirement job......
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Post by desertwoman on Apr 22, 2018 9:21:31 GMT -5
These people need to be able to answer consumer's questions, ya think? Not only are they lacking knowledge to answer questions; many (most?) consumers don't even know to ask question, let alone what questions. (I've just learned about the PLU 8 from you and I'm fairly knowledgeable! Imagine others.)
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Post by Mumsey on Apr 22, 2018 9:30:28 GMT -5
desertwoman, I have never seen a PLU 8 but they must be out there. I'm sure it will invade us soon.
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Post by Mumsey on Apr 22, 2018 10:19:52 GMT -5
I sent emails to corporate of both stores. Explained my concern with staff that are not knowledgeable about this growing trend and shoppers slowly but surely becoming more informed regarding food choices. We'll see what they say.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Apr 22, 2018 10:54:52 GMT -5
That is so funny (more pathetic, actually) that the manager thought that EVERYTHING that didn't say "non GMO" was GMO! I also didn't know these numbers, until Mumsey enlightened us, but then, I'm not a produce manager!
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Post by Mumsey on Apr 22, 2018 19:13:34 GMT -5
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Post by desertwoman on Apr 22, 2018 22:27:19 GMT -5
Can't wait to hear what response you get! Mumsey,
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Post by Mumsey on Apr 26, 2018 4:27:03 GMT -5
pepperhead212, desertwoman, I got a phone call from upper management of Fareway Corporate. Very polite man and sincerely concerned with my experience. He agreed that the particular manager at the store I visited doesn't have a clue. He said he is very concerned and that training in the area of GMOs would be beefed up. He contacted some of his suppliers regarding GMOs prior to calling me back. He seemed genuinely appreciative that I brought this to their attention. We talked at length about hybridization vs GMO, the flooding of the market with GMOs, where govt agencies get lots of their money, etc. Nice conversation.
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Post by desertwoman on Apr 26, 2018 9:41:21 GMT -5
That's good news. Mumsey, Education is key and it's good to hear he was sincere with his concerns. I asked a produce worker at one of the stores I shop at and realized I was preaching to the choir. Santa Fe is a pretty enlightened town and most are pretty knowledgeable. I will ask at other stores too. You've inspired me!
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