One by one, negate the risks of plant factories and demonstrate their safety.

Hello everyone! I’m Shohei.

Recently, I’ve been hearing a lot about “plant factories,” haven’t I?

In news and magazines, they’re advertised as:

But some people feel a little uneasy.

Because our common sense is that vegetables grow in soil and under the sun.

I’ve been working in a plant factory for a long time, so I understand well that plant factory vegetables are highly safe.

However, I understand the feelings of people who are anxious, so in this article, I’ll negate all the risks that you might be thinking about.

After reading it, you should at least have no more doubts.

Before that, what exactly is a plant factory in the first place? If you’re wondering, please refer to the following article.

Risks lurking in vegetables produced in plant factories?

I can really understand that they seem artificial.

It’s understandable that you feel a risk to safety from that image.

Personally, I think the word “factory” isn’t good. I think the term “vertical farming,” which is mainstream overseas, would be better. For some reason, “plant factory” is mainstream in Japan.

But even if there’s an artificial image, the crops actually cultivated are highly safe.

So, I’ll list things that seem to be causing anxiety as risks of plant factories and negate them one by one.

Possible risks regarding plant factories

Microbiological risks

• It seems like bacteria and mold would be growing rampantly inside the factory…
  • The risk can be greatly reduced through thorough hygiene management and entry control, air purification by air conditioning, and early detection/isolation systems. Rather, the environment is cleaner than open-field cultivation.
• I feel like I’ll get food poisoning or an upset stomach…
  • The risk of food poisoning bacteria growth is low due to hygiene management that complies with food hygiene management standards, regular inspections, and appropriate temperature/humidity control.

Chemical risks

• The nutrient solution seems like a mysterious liquid that’s bad for the body…
  • The nutrient solution is strictly controlled in terms of composition, and it uses grades that meet food safety standards. The possibility of unknown impurities being mixed in is low.
• Strange metals might come out of the fertilizer…
  • Fertilizers are also quality-controlled, and heavy metal content is below standard values. Water quality is also managed, and the risk of heavy metal accumulation is low.
• The disinfectant used might remain on the vegetables…
  • Disinfectants approved as food additives are used, those with low residual properties are selected, and thorough washing is performed after use. Disinfection methods with confirmed safety for by-products are also adopted.
• Strange chemical substances might leach out of the factory’s building materials or equipment…
  • Safe building materials and equipment that comply with the Food Sanitation Act are selected. Safety is confirmed through elution tests, etc.
• Unknown chemical substances might get mixed in from somewhere…
  • Thorough cleaning of the work environment and measures to prevent contamination from outside (entry control, etc.) are implemented.
• They might be secretly using pesticides…
  • Cultivation methods that avoid pesticide use as much as possible are the basic principle. In fact, since it’s an isolated environment from the outside world, there’s no point in using them.

Physical risks

• The factory’s machinery might break down and parts might get mixed in with the vegetables…
  • Regular equipment inspections, management of parts’ lifespan, and measures to prevent falling off are implemented.
• Workers might bring in strange things and they might get mixed in…
  • Hygiene education for workers, restrictions on brought-in items, and thorough checks upon entry are implemented.
• It seems like they’re sterilizing with radiation, which is kind of scary…
  • As a general rule, radiation is not used for sterilizing crops in plant factories. Ultraviolet irradiation and alcohol disinfection are common. The risk of radiation exposure is unlikely.

Nutritional risks

• It seems like only certain nutrients are abundant, and the balance is poor…
  • The nutrient solution is optimized according to the type and growth stage of the crop, and it’s possible to intentionally control whether specific nutrients are excessive.
• It seems like there are few ingredients that are good for the body…
  • By controlling the light source and nutrient solution, it’s possible to achieve nutritional value equal to or greater than that of open-field cultivation.
• It’s scary that some unknown chemical substance might be created…
  • Although plant factories are closed environments, the basic environmental elements for plant growth (light, water, nutrients, air) are the same as in open-field cultivation. The possibility that unknown harmful metabolites are specifically generated is considered low.
• It seems like there’s little dietary fiber, which might cause constipation…?
  • Dietary fiber content varies depending on the variety, cultivation method, and growth stage. Just because it’s a plant factory doesn’t mean that dietary fiber is significantly lacking. It can be adjusted by selecting varieties and crop management.

Unknown risks and long-term effects

• It’s a new way of making things, so something bad might come out later…
  • Since cultivation in plant factories is still relatively new, continuous research is needed on long-term effects. However, at present, there is no scientific knowledge suggesting any particular risks.
• It’s scary that there might be effects that cross generations…
  • Effects that cross generations are not a risk of concern with food intake, except in special cases such as genotoxicity.
• It seems like they’re using genetically modified organisms, which I’m kind of resistant to…
  • Genetically modified crops are not cultivated in plant factories in Japan. If they are used, there is an obligation to label them as genetically modified foods, and consumers can choose. Allergies and effects on the ecosystem are risks specific to genetically modified crops, not risks specific to plant factories.

Equipment/environment-derived risks

• It seems like electromagnetic waves are coming out of the LED lights, which is bad for the body…
  • The electromagnetic waves from LED lighting are extremely weak. The effects of blue light are about the same as using general LED lighting, or plant-growing LEDs may even suppress blue light. The impact on light sensitivity is not particularly increased with plant factory vegetables.
• It seems like dirty air is coming out of the air conditioner…
  • Air conditioning equipment is regularly maintained and filters are replaced. The risk of releasing pollutants can be reduced through management.
• It seems like wastewater and garbage are bad for the environment, which is indirectly bad for the body…
  • Wastewater from plant factories is treated based on environmental standards. Waste is also separated and recycled to reduce environmental impact. Global warming may lead to indirect health effects, but it is not a direct health risk specific to plant factories.

Other risks

• It seems like allergens are mixed in, which might cause allergies…
  • Measures such as segregation management of cultivated items, thorough washing and disinfection, and mandatory labeling of allergens are necessary to prevent the mixing and cross-contamination of allergens.
• The labeling isn’t correct, so I might get deceived…
  • Appropriate labeling is required based on the Food Labeling Act.
• It’s not natural, so what about ethically…? I feel some resistance…
  • Ethical issues depend on individual values and ways of thinking and are different from scientific health hazards. Plant factories have the potential to contribute to stable food supply and reduce environmental impact, and ethical aspects need to be comprehensively evaluated.
• They say they can reduce food loss, but actually, a lot of garbage seems to come out, so isn’t it meaningless?
  • Plant factories have the potential to contribute to food loss reduction through planned production, but they cannot eliminate waste loss. Efforts to reduce loss in the production and distribution stages are important.

In the end, are plant factory crops safe?

Wow, I’ve slashed and slashed and slashed.

If I write as much as I did in the previous topic, the anxiety will be dispelled.

Some of them were a little absurd, weren’t they? However, I tried to comprehensively identify as many anxieties as readers might have.

I’ve also written the following articles related to this article. I’ve also written about “hydroponic vegetables” from a different perspective. Please take a look.

I’ll tell you the conclusion. Crops grown in properly managed plant factories are sufficiently safe compared to traditional cultivation methods.

Of course, the risk is not zero. Plant factories are not perfect either. Management is done by people. There is no absolute.

However, current Japanese plant factories are operated under high technical capabilities and strict quality control systems, and the overall level is very high.

Therefore, if you consider the actual management situation of plant factories, you should fully understand that there is no need for excessive worry.

Crops grown in plant factories are one of the safe food choices and can be recommended with confidence.