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Food Safety Guidelines for Indoor Farming: Risk Assessment and Risk Management

July 24 @ 11:00 am
Digital EHS

Cultivating plants within a contained environment, thereby protected from the elements, has a long history. Previously, indoor farming meant using greenhouses to increase productivity and extending growing seasons. The advent of enabling technologies such as LED lighting, energy management, robotics, and environmental control systems has enabled indoor farming to become economically viable for staple crop production. This has led to an increase in indoor farming facilities across the globe to enhance food production through local supply that is more protected against extreme weather events compared to conventional farming, thereby enhancing food security. There is also the perception that indoor farmed crops are protected from contamination from pathogens (e.g. Salmonella, toxigenic Escherichia coli) and chemical hazards, such as excessive pesticide residues, by being within a contained environment. However, several outbreaks and recalls have been associated with indoor farmed crops. Consequently, there is a need for a greater understanding of the sources of contamination and what risk management options are available to growers. To address this need, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been developing a publication on the food safety insights for various indoor farming systems. The first part of the presentation will provide an overview of the FAO mission and how the publication has been prepared. The second part of the presentation will describe the different elements and systems encompassed under the indoor farming umbrella. The sources of contamination via the different inputs within farming operations will be described along with the fate of pathogens (STEC, Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes) when introduced on seed, growth substrate, and irrigation water. Interventions will be outlined to reduce contamination while maintaining plant growth performance and quality.

 

Details

Date:
July 24
Time:
11:00 am