The Produce Safety for Indoor Agriculture program trains indoor agricultural growers on how to identify and implement proper produce safety measures to reduce the risk of food contamination in their operations.

The program is geared toward growers in hydroponic, aquaponic, and other indoor agricultural systems. Providing science-based training materials and educational resources, the trainings address topics such as worker hygiene, water quality, growth media, pest management, harvest and postharvest handling, cleaning and sanitation, food safety planning, and traceability.

How to Participate

Growers, Extension agents, educators, and other industry partners who are interested in training opportunities can contact a member of the project team for more information about upcoming trainings, educational materials, and collaboration opportunities.

Training Modules

Module 1—Introduction

Overview of produce safety risks, contamination sources, and why food safety matters in indoor agriculture.

Module 2a—Basics of Indoor Agriculture Practices

Introduction to hydroponic and aquaponic systems—including nutrient film technique, deep-water-culture, aeroponics, ebb-and-flow, drip, wick, and aquaponic production.

Module 2b—Risk Management Assessment

Guidance on evaluating facility design, layout, equipment, system type, workflow, and potential contamination points.

Module 3—Worker Health & Hygiene

Training requirements, visitor policies, illness reporting, handwashing, hygiene standard operating procedures, and recordkeeping.

Module 4—Growth Media & Raw Materials

Risks associated with growth media, seeds, fertilizers, nutrient solutions, supplier verification, storage, labeling, and traceability.

Module 5—Pests & Animals

Food-safety risks associated with insects, rodents, reptiles, amphibians, domesticated animals, and pest-control programs.

Module 6—Preharvest & Postharvest Water

Water source assessment, tank and line sanitation, recirculated water, water testing locations, treatment options, and documentation.

Module 7—Harvest & Postharvest Practices

Harvest handling, preventing cross contamination, washing, packaging, storing, cooling, transporting, and correcting actions.

Module 8—Cleaning & Sanitizing

Cleaning and sanitizing food-contact surfaces, equipment, containers, tools, tanks, channels, and production areas.

Module 9—Farm Food-Safety Plan & Traceability Program

Key components of a farm food-safety plan, recordkeeping, lot tracking, mock recalls, emergency response, and traceability.

Resources

• Produce Safety for Greenhouse Vegetable Production—Alabama Extension at Auburn University

Team Members

This program is a collaborative effort conducted by the following partners:

Camila Rodrigues (Program Coordinator)

Food Safety and Quality Specialist, Alabama Extension at Auburn University

• Email: crodrigues@auburn.edu
• Phone: 334-758-1107

Armitra Jackson-Davis

Associate Professor of Food Microbiology, Alabama A&M University

• Email: armitra.davis@aamu.edu

Laurel Dunn

Associate Professor and Extension Coordinator, University of Georgia

• Email: laurel.dunn@uga.edu

Rhuanito Ferrarezi

Professor of Controlled Environment Agriculture, University of Georgia

• Email: ferrarezi@uga.edu

Rebecca Catalena

Food Safety and Quality Agent, Alabama Extension at Auburn University

• Email: rjc0026@auburn.edu

Jessica Pizzo

Postdoctoral Fellow, Auburn University

• Email: jzd0148@auburn.edu

Project Funding

This project is supported by the US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) Food Safety Outreach Program grant no. 22022-70020-37574.