2023-11-13 18:11:56
Discover what’s behind the idea that labels or stamps stuck on fruits are made of potato starch and they can be eaten. By the way, we will tell you more about the function they have and other curiosities.
Photo: iStock
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The Internet gives us many learnings and surprises. The other day I watched a video on Tik Tok about how to make compost and the importance of not throwing away fruit stamps In it, when in the comments (because who doesn’t check them out) I read something that “blew my mind”:fruit tags are made from potato starch and are eaten!
Obviously the first thing I thought was that I’ve done something wrong my whole life by leaving those labels stuck in the sink, but before I ran to eat one of those stickersI better decided to investigate, because I’m not going to get “guts stuck.”
Are fruit labels edible?
Among the comments on Tik Tok, as I already mentioned, there was an abundance of claims that the labels are made of potato starch, an ingredient used in cooking as thickener or to prepare bread, which would comestbles to these “stickers”, however, I did not find a reliable source that supports this idea.
What I did find is that the Food and Drog Administration (FDA) of the United States regulates the use of adhesives that have food contact (like fruits) to make them safe. This, because it is not strange that a little of that glue resist a not so deep wash (remember that it doesn’t hurt carve fruits and vegetables with a brush).
So, Can I eat the fruit labels? I would say that it is better not to, unless you are sure that it is made with potato starch guaranteed by the producer. Maybe they exist, but there is no certain information to support it, so it is better to avoid it or do the try with a little water.
I made it and it kept its shape and color, which means it most likely will on my body. Of course, for eat one or twoyou are not going to die, on more than one occasion we have accidentally bitten them, but it is not that they constitute a important nutrient For your body, eating paper or microplastics is not ideal. In fact, they could be dangerous, especially for children and older people due to safety issues. suffocation.
Remember that everything that comes into contact with food is rregulated by different organismsthat means they are safe and do not involve a risk to our health, since no component is toxic, but it is not an invitation to eat the labels either. If it cannot decompose in a compost, it is because it is not made for that, so it doesn’t hurt to remove it and, why not, make a collage.
Photo: iStock
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What are fruit labels for?
According to Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Prophecy), these little cards contain Product Information through the PLU code (Price Lookup), which beyond indicating the price, serves to facilitate the control of your inventory, determining some points of its production and origin.
Codes are assigned by the International Federation for Product Standards and can be 4 or 5 digits long. These are some points that you should take into account:
* Start with 8. A 5-digit code starting with 8 means you are genetically modified that fruit or vegetable.
* Starts with 9. If it has 5 digits and the initial is 9, it is an organic product grown without pesticides or fertilizers.
* It has 4 numbers…or 5 but starts with 0. It means that it was grown conventionally, including pesticides.
Lastly, these labels can also identify whether grown in some specific region.
Now you know, it is best to only eat the part of the fruit that we normally eat: the pulp and, in some casesthe shell. Of course, always remember to wash them very well not only to prevent bacteria and germs from entering your body, but also unwanted substances such as pesticides or other chemicals.
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