AVOIDING CROP CONTAMINATION

FROM THE FEBRUARY 2024 ISSUE OF INSIDE GROWER MAGAZINE

WRITTEN BY DAVID KUACK

NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS

EXCERPT: While food crop production in greenhouses or indoor farms might be considered safer than outdoor field production, plants can experience the same exposure to human pathogens regardless of where they’re produced.

The CDC reports many kinds of produce, including organic leafy greens, can be contaminated with human pathogens. According to the CDC, leafy greens produced with hydroponic or greenhouse-grown methods can also be contaminated with these pathogens at any point from farm to fork.

“Greenhouse and indoor farm growers think they are growing a safe product because they are growing in a controlled environment structure,” said Melanie Lewis Ivey, associate professor, Fruit Pathology & Fresh Produce Safety, and extension experience coordinator at The Ohio State University. “There is a difference between a controlled environment and a closed environment.”

RESOURCE:

The Ohio State University’s Fruit and Vegetable Safety Team offers an online course called “Good Agricultural Practices for Food Safety of Hydroponic Crops.” This self-paced course provides controlled environment food growers with the information and tools needed to implement best management practices to reduce microbial food safety hazards.

Read the digital edition of Inside Grower Magazine—February 2024: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/ig_24_02/index.aspx