An article recently published in the Journal of Food Protection has highlighted the food safety gaps and needs that must be addressed in the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) sector, as identified by academic, industry, and regulatory stakeholders at the Strategizing to Advance Future Extension and Research (S.A.F.E.R.) CEA conference, which was held in April 2023 at Ohio State University’s Ohio CEA Research Center. Themes included supply chain control, foodborne pathogen contamination preventive measures, research, training and education, and collaboration and partnerships.
The stakeholders addressed the need for comprehensive risk assessments tailored to specific crops, cultivars, and CEA systems, as well as several intrinsic and extrinsic factors like pH, nutrients, temperature, humidity, and lighting systems. Also underlined was the need to better understand the diversity of the CEA industry, as well as funding for further research about: