The CEA Food Safety Coalition has created the first-ever food safety certification program for leafy greens grown indoors. Members of the coalition can now choose to be assessed for the CEA Leafy Greens Module and, upon successful completion, will be allowed to use the CEA food-safe seal on certified product packaging.
This module is measured against science-based criteria and is an add-on to existing compliance with an underlying Global Food Safety Initiative recognized food safety standard.
“Current food safety standards were written for the field, and many do not address the unique attributes of controlled, indoor environments,” said Marni Karlin, executive director of the Coalition, in a statement. “This new certification process and the accompanying on-pack seal helps to unify CEA growers while also differentiating them from traditional field agriculture. It also better informs consumers and provides a quick-glance image to know when produce has been grown safely indoors, with a high standard of quality and without some of the hazards of the field, such as potential contamination from animal byproducts.”
CEA growers will be assessed across four key areas: hazard analysis; water contact with the plant and other surfaces; site control, infrastructure, and system design; and pesticide use and testing.
Related: Kroger, Albertsons Source More Produce Farmed Indoors; AppHarvest Rolls Out First Harvest to Grocery Stores.
Image: CEA