Small but powerful: microgreens go from trendy vegetables to functional foods
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa .– Starting decades ago as a trendy and high-value gourmet green veggie, today’s microgreens have grown in popularity with consumers for their nutritional profile and high content of antioxidant compounds. . Now, a new study suggests that tiny plants have the potential to help ensure global nutrition security.
As part of a project titled “Food Resilience in the Face of Global Catastrophic Events”, an international team of researchers discovered that these vegetables can be grown in a variety of soilless production systems in small indoor spaces, with or without artificial lighting. The findings are particularly relevant in the midst of a pandemic that has disrupted food supply chains.
With microgreens, people can produce fresh, nutritious vegetables even in areas considered food deserts, according to team leader Francesco Di Gioia, assistant professor of vegetable science, College of Agricultural Sciences, Penn State.
“The current COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of our food system and the need to address issues of malnutrition and nutritional security inequalities, which could be exacerbated by future emergencies or potential disasters,” he said. -he declares. “Nutrient-rich microgreens have great potential as an effective resource for food resilience. “
Microgreens such as these pea sprouts provide essential nutrients and antioxidants.
The nutritional profile of microgreens is associated with the rich variety of colors, shapes, textural properties and flavors obtained from the germination of a multitude of edible plant species, including herbs, herbaceous plants and species. wild edible.
With a short growth cycle requiring only a minimal input of fertilizer, microgreens have great potential to provide essential nutrients and antioxidants, Di Gioia noted. Using simple agronomic techniques, it is possible to produce micro-vegetables that could meet specific dietary needs or micronutrient deficiencies, as well as nutritional security concerns in emergency situations or under environmental conditions. difficult.
Harvesting microgreens grown in a kitchen. Nutrient-rich microgreens have great potential as an effective resource for food resilience
Consumers could produce microgreens at home using simple tools available in a kitchen, Di Gioia said. A grower would also need seeds, grow trays, and a growing medium, which could be a mixture of peat or peat and perlite.
Considering all the characteristics of microgreens, scientists at NASA and the European Space Agency have also proposed them as a source of fresh food and essential nutrients for astronauts engaged in long-term space missions. And because microgreens can be used as functional foods to improve nutritional security under current conditions and in future emergencies or disasters, Di Gioia suggested that microgreens production kits including seeds can be prepared and stored, then made available when needed.
“Under such circumstances, a variety of fresh, nutrient-rich microgreens could be grown, providing a source of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants in a relatively short time,” he said. “Or, kits could be distributed to vulnerable segments of the population as a short-term nutrition security resource. “
Pea microgreens grown in a bin ready for harvest. With microgreens, people can produce fresh and nutritious vegetables even in areas considered food deserts.
Di Gioia presented the study virtually at the International Soiless and Hydroponics Symposium sponsored by the International Society of Horticultural Sciences last spring. Originally scheduled to be held in Lemesos, Cyprus, the symposium was held online due to concerns over COVID. The research paper was recently published in Acta Horticulturae, the journal of the International Society of Horticultural Sciences.
The research team also included Spyridon Petropoulos, Department of Agriculture, University of Thessaly, Magnissia, Greece; Isabel CFR Ferreira, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Centro de Investigaçã o de Montanha, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Bragança, Portugal; and Erin Rosskopf, Horticultural Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Pierce, Florida.
Open Philanthropy and the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture supported this research.
Simple kitchen utensils and materials needed to start a microgreens grow at home include 1) microgreens seeds, 2) small cups or containers for soaking the seeds in water, 3) growth trays, 4) growing medium (in this case is a peat moss and perlite mixture), 5) measuring cups / spoons to measure the correct amount of seeds per tray, 6) a small colander, 7) a pitcher and 8) a spray bottle.
