Organic VS Conventional VS GMO

I ran across a great explanation of how to use the PLU on produce to figure out exactly how it was grown.  The article also goes on to explain how many conventionally grown fruits and vegetables are just fine as long as they are thoroughly cleaned before eating.  Of course there are some forms of produce which you are better off going organic for, other forms, as long as they are non GMO can be grown conventionally, want to know how you can tell if your local produce is grown organically, conventionally or genetically modified?  Tonawanda News shared the following info:

All produce will have a four- or five-digit code, as well as a barcode. If the produce has a four-digit code, it is conventionally grown but not organic. Sometimes this is just fine, but more on that later. 

If your produce has a five-digit code beginning with “9,” this identifies an organically grown product. Be wary of the number “8,” as this identifies genetically altered foods. Our bodies do not recognize genetically altered foods. These foods are making us sick more than they are helping us. This is a very hot topic in our country right now.

Buying organic is not always necessary if you know which foods tend to be clean or considered safe. The following is a list of “clean” choices that do not have to be bought organically: asparagus, avocado, cabbage, corn (non-GMO), eggplant, grapefruit, kiwi, mango, mushrooms, onion, papaya, sweet peas (frozen included) and sweet potatoes.

The following foods are best when bought organically. These include: apples, celery, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, blueberries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, potatoes, spinach, strawberries, sweet and hot peppers, kale and zucchini. These tend to be more contaminated during the growing process from the use of pesticides.