A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Arkansas (U of A) provides new insight into the microbial food safety risks of microgreens production. The project aimed to close the existing knowledge gaps about microgreens production and controlled environment agriculture, which is an area that the researchers say has not yet been characterized. The results point to microgreen variety and soil type as key factors in the crop’s illness-causing potential.
Microgreens, which are often confused with sprouts, are the “immature seedlings of edible plants,” according to the researchers. Microgreens differ from sprouts in that they grow for a longer period of time, allowing the plant to develop a second set of leaves. Additionally, unlike sprouts, microgreens have not yet been attributed to any recorded foodborne illness outbreaks, although there have been six to eight recalls of microgreens within the last three years due to possible Listeria monocytogenes or Salmonella contamination. The researchers assert that the recall history of microgreens indicates that the product—or the environment the product is grown in—can be contaminated with hazardous microbes.