Consumer practices and perceptions regarding the purchasing and handling of microgreens in the United States

Yeargin, Thomas A.; Lin, Zhihong; Prado, Isabelle do; Sirsat, Sujata A.; Gibson, Kristen E.

doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2022.109470

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Between each group of parabolas, an approximate 3-minute break at 1g was given, which allowed for resetting of hardware. (Yeargin et al, 2023), so for the purposes of spaceflight only microgreen shoots are to be eaten. To ensure astronauts will be able to harvest microgreens in microgravity with ease while avoiding the introduction of debris to the spacecraft cabin, multiple harvesting methods were developed by the Space Crop Production Team at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.…”

Section: Parabolic Flightmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design, Build and Testing of Hardware to Safely Harvest Microgreens in Microgravity

Boles,

Poulet,

Johnson

et al. 2023

Gravitational and Space Research

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In long-duration space missions, crops will supplement the astronaut diet. One proposed crop type is microgreens, the young seedlings of edible plants that are known for their high nutritional levels, intense flavors, colorful appearance, and variety of textures. While these characteristics make microgreens promising for space crop production, their small size presents a unique challenge within the microgravity environment. To address this challenge, a microgreen planting box was developed to improve microgreen harvest techniques both in 1 g and in microgravity without concern for contamination by roots. Using this microgreen planting box, three parabolic flights were conducted where two different bagging methods (attached and manual) and three different microgreen cutting methods (Guillotine, Pepper Grinder, Scissors) were tested. In flight, the microgreens were contained within a glovebox and footage of all microgreen harvests was recorded. Statistical and trade analyses revealed that the combination of Cutting & Bagging method that performed the best was the Pepper Grinder with attached bagging. This was based on the following criteria: (1) average execution time, (2) microgreen debris, (3) biomass yield, (4) root debris, (5) microgreens left on the hardware, (6) number of seedlings growing under the lids, (7) hardware failure, and (8) perceived ease of use. This process allowed us to identify weaknesses and strengths of all hardware types and helped us identify major points of improvement within the hardware design to harvest microgreens in microgravity. Future directions include microgreen harvests in analog environments and further development of microgreen Cutting & Bagging method.

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Section: Parabolic Flightmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design, Build and Testing of Hardware to Safely Harvest Microgreens in Microgravity

Boles,

Poulet,

Johnson

et al. 2023

Gravitational and Space Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Nevertheless, it is essential to ensure the safety of microgreens, as they, like other fresh produce, could be a potential source of foodborne illness (Riggio et al, 2019). While there have been no confirmed outbreaks associated with microgreens, there have been recalls due to the presence of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes in microgreens (Hamilton et al, 2023;Yeargin et al, 2023). Moreover, microgreens growers often face the microbiological quality issue such as damping-off (McGehee et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbiological quality of microgreen seeds purchased from online vendors and evaluating seed decontamination techniques available online

Ocho Bernal,

Lyttle,

Jung

2023

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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This study aimed to assess the microbiological quality of microgreen seeds purchased online, including the levels of total aerobic plate counts (APC), Escherichia coli/coliforms, mold & yeast, and the presence of Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes. Additionally, seed decontamination practices commonly found online were evaluated, involving soaking in water only (SDW), 3% hydrogen peroxide (H), and a “poor man's solution” (HV; a mixture of 3% hydrogen peroxide and 5% acidity white vinegar with water), with or without heat treatment at 50 and 60°C for 20 and 40 h. The effectiveness of these treatments was evaluated using Amaranth (AM), Borage (BO), and Carrot (CA) seeds in reducing Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms, and mold & yeast, along with examining the germination rate. A total of 102 samples composed of 14 species were purchased from online vendors, and the microbial levels tested were significantly different among the seed species (p < 0.05). Among the species, BO, CA, and Onion (ON) seeds exhibited the highest APC levels (4.99–5.37 log CFU/g), which was significantly higher than the APC of Arugula, Cabbage, Mustard, Kale, and Pea seeds (p < 0.05). The coliform population of BO (3.77 ± 0.68 log CFU/g) was significantly higher than in other species. The 10-min soaking of AM, BO, and CA in H significantly reduced the microbial levels (p < 0.05), and the subsequent heat treatment at 60°C for 20 h further enhanced microbial reduction (total 1.2–3.4 log reduction by heat and soaking). The germination rates were not significantly affected by the different treatment combinations (p > 0.05). This study provides scientifically-validated data for small-scale and home growers to ensure the safety and improve the quality of microgreens.

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Barriers to implementing risk management practices in microgreens growing operations in the United States: Thematic analysis of interviews and survey data

2023

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Consumer practices and perceptions regarding the purchasing and handling of microgreens in the United States

Cited by 5 publications

References 23 publications

Design, Build and Testing of Hardware to Safely Harvest Microgreens in Microgravity

Design, Build and Testing of Hardware to Safely Harvest Microgreens in Microgravity

Microbiological quality of microgreen seeds purchased from online vendors and evaluating seed decontamination techniques available online

Barriers to implementing risk management practices in microgreens growing operations in the United States: Thematic analysis of interviews and survey data

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