We are all familiar with decorative stickers, customized or personalized stickers. But there is another type we see in our daily lives: fruit stickers.
These stickers usually come into your mind each time you swallow a fruit (an apple for instance), and realize the little sticker is still stuck to its skin. Got scared? Want to know is it safe to eat fruit stickers? Can you eat the sticker on an apple?
It happens to all of us, but don’t worry, because in this blog, we’ll instantly learn about what could happen when we eat fruit stickers, determining “is it safe to eat fruit stickers” by discovering what these stickers are made of. Plus, there are 4 easy tips to handle fruit stickers. By the end, you’ll know exactly “Is It Safe to Eat Fruit Stickers” and what to do the next time you spot a sticker on your fruit.
What are Fruit Stickers?
Before learning about “Is it safe to eat fruit stickers”, let’s take an overview about these sticker types.
About Fruit Stickers
Fruit stickers are small adhesive pieces easily found on fruits and vegetables. The products commonly come with these stickers including apples, bananas, avocados, etc. Fruit stickers are also called produce labels or PLU (Price Look-Up) stickers.
How do you know it is a PLU sticker?
You can easily recognize a fruit sticker or a PLU sticker by seeing where they are placed. They are on the fruit – of course.
Besides, consider their shape and the information printed on them. Specifically, these stickers are small, often round or oval in shape. They typically feature numbers, codes and sometimes a logo. They often have a shiny or slightly glossy appearance.
You may like: “Glossy vs matte sticker“
What are Fruit Stickers made of?
Fruit stickers are usually made from a combination of paper, plastic, or vinyl, and they use food-grade adhesive to stick to fruits. They are food grade stickers.
What Do Numbers, Lines, or Codes on Fruit Stickers Mean?
The numbers on fruit stickers are PLU codes, which help cashiers and customers identify the type and price of the produce. These codes can also indicate how the fruit was grown. For instance:
- A four-digit code starting with a 3 or 4 means it was conventionally grown
- A five-digit code starting with a 9 means it was organically grown.
- A five-digit code starting with an 8, although less common, would indicate genetically modified produce.
Thus, stickers put on fruits or vegetables are necessary because they allow us to choose the right fruits and vegetables we want.
Ate a Fruit Sticker? Here’s what could happen
If you accidentally ate a fruit with the sticker still on it, you will ask “is it safe to eat fruit stickers?”. Alright, let’s see what could happen to you.
Tasting
Anyone who ever accidentally ate a fruit sticker, probably noticed that it doesn’t have any taste. These stickers are made from materials that are safe for food contact, so while they may not add flavor to your fruit, they also shouldn’t harm you.
So, let’s check “is it safe to eat fruit stickers” based on the age of the person who ate it.
Adults
For adults, is it safe to eat fruit stickers? Actually, eating a fruit sticker isn’t usually a big deal for us.
Why?
Because the materials used to make fruit stickers are typically non-toxic and food-grade. These substances pass through your digestive system without being absorbed. Your body will treat the sticker like any other non-digestible material, and it will eventually pass through your system naturally.
Kids
When it comes to kids, Is It Safe to Eat Fruit Stickers? While adults generally don’t need to worry about swallowing a fruit sticker, it can be a different story for children.
In rare cases, a fruit sticker could pose a choking hazard, especially for younger kids who might not chew their food thoroughly. It’s important to check fruits and vegetables for stickers and remove them before giving them to children to avoid any potential risks.
Is It Safe to Eat Fruit Stickers
So, are the stickers on apples safe to eat? Are banana stickers edible? As we just said, fruit stickers can be unsafe for kids, not because of their chemicals, but due to the choking hazard they may pose. For adults, accidentally eating a fruit sticker isn’t likely to cause any harm.
Although they don’t have much effect on our health, there’s no reason to eat them.
Based on the fact that eating fruit stickers offers no nutritional value, and it will not help you enjoy your fruit, we can conclude that it’s best to remove them before eating.
How to remove Fruit Stickers
Now that we know “is it safe to eat fruit stickers”, let’s move to the next part – removing them.
Removing fruit stickers is necessary. The most important reason is to protect children from choking, or to ensure an enjoyable eating experience for all of us. Besides, removing them also means a lot for garbage classification because these stickers and the fruit peels certainly are not in the same category.
For Fruits That Do Not Eat the Skin
If you’re eating fruits like bananas or oranges, just peel its skin along with the sticker. This way, you don’t have to worry about removing the sticker separately.
For Fruits Whose Peels Can Be Eaten
For fruits like apples, pears, or cucumbers, which you can eat the peel, you should remove the fruit stickers on them. There are some recommended removing methods, which can be useful for all types of fruits in case you need to remove stickers for proper disposal.
Peel Off the Stickers by Hand:
- Gently use your fingernail to lift one edge of the sticker.
- Slowly peel it away from the fruit, being careful not to damage the skin.
Remove fruit stickers using Water:
- Wet a cloth or paper towel and dab it onto the sticker to moisten it.
- Let it sit for a few seconds to loosen the adhesive.
- Gently peel off the sticker with your fingers.
Try Vinegar or Oil:
- Apply a small amount of vinegar or cooking oil (you can use olive or vegetable oil) to the sticker.
- Let it sit for 1-2 minutes. The oil will work its magic to help dissolve sticker’s adhesive.
- Carefully peel off or wipe off the sticker.
- Clean it with water to wipe away any residue or oil.
Last words
So, is it safe to eat fruit stickers? While these stickers are generally harmless if we accidentally chew and swallow, it’s better to avoid eating them because they don’t provide any nutritional value. Additionally, it’s important to remove them before serving fruit to kids.
Removing fruit stickers ensures you avoid any minor risks and keeps your fruit-eating experience enjoyable. Remember these our removing tips and enjoy your fruit without any worries.
For more tips on using or removing stickers, check out other blog post on our website here.
Fruit Stickers FAQs
1. Are apple stickers edible?
Yes, apple stickers are generally considered edible. It also answers the question “are the stickers on fruit edible”; “are stickers on fruit edible”; “are fruit stickers edible” or “are produce stickers edible”. These stickers are made from materials that are FDA-approved for food contact. It means there’s nothing to worry about if we accidentally eat them.
2. What to do if I accidentally eat Fruit Stickers?
If you eat a fruit sticker, you don’t need to do anything except for remembering to remove them next time.
3. Are Fruit Stickers compostable?
Not all fruit stickers are compostable. Some newer stickers are designed to break down in composting environments, but many traditional stickers are not. It’s best to check the packaging or label to see if they are marked as compostable.
4. Are Fruit Stickers biodegradable?
Most fruit stickers are not biodegradable. This means they won’t break down naturally and should be removed from the fruit peel before disposal. To keep your compost or waste stream clean, always peel off the stickers and throw them in the trash.
5. Do Fruit Stickers affect the quality of the fruit?
Is it safe to eat fruit stickers? – Yes. But are there any impacts on the fruit quality? – No. Fruit stickers generally do not affect the quality of the fruit itself. They are designed to be easily removable and don’t impact the fruit’s taste or freshness.
