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Urban Cultivator | 1-877-352-0490 | www.urbancultivator.net
At Urban Cultivator your health and safety is our number one
concern. We want to ensure that a healthy lifestyle is available
for everyone. Please read the information below regarding
sanitation, growing, and food safety.
People have been concerned about food safety—and
naturally so, considering recent reports of food poisoning in
Europe. Many people are hesitant to eat uncooked sprouts as
they seem to have been the source of the outbreak. You will
be happy to know that microgreens are a safe alternative to
sprouts.
Microgreens are not sprouts, but rather, baby plants that
are intensely flavorful and loaded with nutrients. There are
differences in growing and harvesting microgreens that make
them much safer than sprouts.
Starting with Seeds
Make sure that all seeds you buy have been handled as a
food crop and not a farm planting seed crop. Seeds that
have been in contact with animals or animal waste could be
contaminated with salmonella or E. coli O157 H7, leading to
food poisoning. Reputable sprouting seed suppliers test all
lots of seed for contamination.
At Urban Cultivator, we follow the steps for all of our seed,
as recommended by the CFIA’s Code of Practice for the
Hygienic Production of Sprouted Seeds1:
“We insist that our seed producers adopt GAP (Good
Agricultural Practice) and provide evidence that the
product was grown according to section 3 of this Code.”
We have obtained certificates of analysis for microbial
pathogens of concern from our seed producers or distributors
for each incoming lot.
We maintain a documented history of our seed suppliers’
adherence to specifications (e.g. analytical results, GAP
records, etc.)
Each bag of seed is labelled with the name of the seed
producer or distributor, the lot number, and the country of
origin.
Records are kept to facilitate trace-back and recall
procedures.
Sanitation
Always use clean seed (as stated above) and soil, tested for
salmonella and E. coli contamination.
Sanitize equipment; regularly clean and sanitize all trays,
machine and
reservoir with the hydrogen peroxide rate
recommended below. We recommend a thorough cleaning/
disinfecting weekly, or when new trays are planted.
Don’t let sprouts or seed come in contact with manure, etc.
that may have bacterial contamination.
Hands and equipment must be clean at all times for handling
microgreens.
Water in your reservoir should be clean, potable water, tested
for bacterial contamination.
The small black filter at rear of the grow drawer must be
soaked in Hydrogen Peroxide solution once a month.
CFIA has approved 2% chlorine from Calcium Hypochlorite
as a seed sanitation method before sprouting; this is not
necessary for microgreens, but can be done as an extra
precaution. Ensure that there are no residual remains on
finished sprouts or greens.
Rate: 85 mL Calcium Hypochlorite in 3.75 L of warm water.
Mix thoroughly, and soak the seed for 20 minutes. Rinse seed
thoroughly in clean water, then finish soaking time in clean
water. Avoid breathing the fumes of chlorine. Masks should
be worn to filter out the fumes if you choose this method.
This method is extensive for the home owner growing
microgreens and not necessary; it is instead recommended
for sprout growers.
Alternative to using Calcium Hypochlorite:
Soak seeds in hydrogen peroxide. Add 140 mL of 5%
hydrogen peroxide (20 mL if using 35% peroxide) and 20
mL of vinegar to 1L of room temperature water. Pour the
solution over the seed, and let stand for 5 minutes. Make
sure all of the seed is in contact with the solution. Drain and
rinse the seeds several times to ensure that all of the solution
has been removed. Next, plant seed as usual. This again is
recommended for sanitizing seed before sprouting, and not
necessary for microgreens.
Growing Conditions
The environment in which the E. coli and salmonella
pathogens thrive is warm and moist. Most commercial
sprouts are grown in large tanks of water, which tumble the
seeds much like a washing machine tumbles clothes. In these
conditions, if one sprout becomes contaminated, it will be
spread to all the other sprouts in the water bath.
Microgreens are not grown in water. We recommend growing
them in sterile soil or another sterile media. While a sprout
bath spreads pathogens from one sprout to another, soil acts
like a filter, actually removing the source of contamination.
Harvesting
While a sprout is consumed with the whole root system, seed
and all, microgreens are new, small plants, just like you would
find in your garden very early after seed germination. All
microgreens should be harvested with clean hands, clipped
at least 4 cm away from the root system and away from soil
using clean, disinfected scissors (a simple wipe with hydrogen
peroxide will disinfect them). Ensure all visible debris is
removed from microgreens and cleaned thoroughly before
consumption.
Refrigerate cut microgreens. Treat microgreens and foods
containing them as you would any nutritious food.
If you love sprouts, consider microgreens. Their bright and
intense flavor profiles will be much more enjoyable now that
you have confidence over the fact that they are also safe to
enjoy.
Sanitation and Food Safety Recommendations
