Vertical Farm Basics and Overview

Safety and risks of vertical farms: a field-level review, point by point

Vegetables from vertical farms carry a lingering impression of being “artificial.” It is not unusual for people to feel an instinctive discomfort at the idea of crops grown in an environment cut off from soil and sunlight.

However, safety should not be judged by impression but by the types of risk involved and how they are managed. Separating the discussion into microbial, chemical, physical, labeling, and environmental aspects makes it much easier to evaluate.

In this article, I lay out the concerns people tend to have about vegetables from vertical farms, one category at a time, and examine whether each is a realistic risk or a risk that can be kept in check through proper management.

If you first want to confirm how a vertical farm actually works, the following article is a good companion piece.

The complete guide to how vertical farms work: everything you need in one article

Are there hidden risks in vegetables from vertical farms?

Vegetables from vertical farms feel kind of artificial…
Are they really safe?

The “artificial” feeling is completely understandable.

It is only natural to feel unsure about safety when something gives off an “artificial” impression.

Personally, I feel that the sterile image carried by the Japanese word for “plant factory” amplifies this unease. The term “vertical farming,” more common overseas, may actually be closer to the reality. In Japan, however, the name “plant factory” is the one in general use.

But even so, while the image may feel artificial, the crops that are actually grown are in fact highly safe.

From here, I will pick up the concerns most often raised about vertical farms, one at a time, and examine whether each of those concerns is realistic.

Conceivable risks in connection with vertical farms

Microbiological risks

• Germs and mold might be multiplying inside the factory…
  • With thorough hygiene management, strict entry control, air purification through HVAC systems, and a framework for early detection and isolation, the risk can be reduced substantially. In fact, the environment is cleaner than open-field farming.
• I might get food poisoning, or an upset stomach…
  • Hygiene management aligned with Japan’s food hygiene standards, together with regular testing and proper temperature and humidity control, keeps the risk of food-poisoning bacteria proliferating low.

Chemical risks

• That nutrient solution is some mystery liquid, it seems bad for you…
  • The nutrient solution uses ingredients graded to food safety standards, and the formulation is strictly managed. The chance of unknown impurities being mixed in is low.
• Weird metals might come out of the fertilizer…
  • Fertilizer is also quality-controlled, with heavy metal content kept below regulatory limits. Water quality is managed as well, so the risk of heavy metal accumulation is low.
• The disinfectant they use might stay on the vegetables…
  • Disinfectants approved as food additives are selected from those with low residual properties, and washing after use is thorough. Disinfection methods whose by-products have also been confirmed safe are adopted.
• Weird chemicals might leach out from the factory’s building materials and equipment…
  • Safe building materials and equipment that comply with the Japanese Food Sanitation Act are selected. Safety is confirmed through elution tests and similar checks.
• Unknown chemicals might get mixed in from somewhere…
  • The working environment is kept clean, and measures to prevent contamination from outside (entry control, etc.) are thoroughly implemented.
• They might be secretly using pesticides…
  • The basic approach is a cultivation method that avoids pesticides as much as possible. In fact, since the space is isolated from the outside environment, there is little point in using them.

Physical risks

• A machine in the factory might break and bits of it end up in the vegetables…
  • Regular equipment inspections, management of component service life, and measures to prevent parts from coming loose are all in place.
• A worker might bring in something weird and it gets mixed in…
  • Hygiene training for staff, restrictions on items brought in, and checks at entry are strictly enforced.
• Radiation? Maybe they are sterilizing with it, which feels kind of scary…
  • As a rule, ionizing radiation is not used in the cultivation and shipment processes of vertical farms to sterilize crops. UV irradiation and alcohol disinfection are the norm. Risks from ionizing irradiation (gamma or X-ray) are hard to imagine here.

Nutritional risks

• Only certain nutrients might be high, so the balance seems off…
  • By designing the nutrient solution, the levels of specific nutrients can be kept from becoming excessive.
• Good-for-you nutrients might be low…
  • By controlling the light source and the nutrient solution, nutritional value can be brought to the same level as, or higher than, open-field farming.
• Some unknown chemical compound might be forming, which is scary…
  • Vertical farms operate as closed environments, but the basic elements plants need to grow (light, water, nutrients, air) are the same as in open-field farming. The likelihood of unknown harmful metabolites being generated in a way specific to vertical farms is considered low.
• Dietary fiber might be low, so maybe I’ll get constipated…?
  • Dietary fiber content varies with variety, cultivation method, and growth stage. Vertical farming does not lead to a notable shortfall in dietary fiber. It can be adjusted through variety selection and crop management.

Unknown risks and long-term effects

• It’s still a new way of growing, so something bad might show up later…
  • Because vertical farming has a relatively short history, ongoing research is needed on the long-term health effects of consuming crops grown this way. At present, however, there is no scientific evidence suggesting any particular risk.
• Effects across generations might appear, which sounds possible and scary…
  • Apart from special cases such as genotoxicity, effects across generations are not a risk generally associated with food intake.
• They might be using genetically modified crops, which I’m not comfortable with…
  • In typical Japanese vertical farms, genetically modified (GM) crops are not grown. If they were, Japan requires GM labeling, so consumers can make an informed choice (regulations vary by country). Allergy and ecosystem concerns are risks specific to GM crops, not risks specific to vertical farms.

Equipment- and environment-related risks

• LED lights might give off electromagnetic radiation, which seems bad for you…
  • LED lighting emits only extremely weak electromagnetic radiation. Any health effects from blue light are considered on par with ordinary LED lighting use. LEDs designed for plant growth are also available with reduced blue light output. The impact on photosensitivity is not elevated in any particular way by vertical farm vegetables.
• Dirty air might come out of the HVAC system…
  • HVAC equipment is regularly maintained, with filter replacements and so on. The risk of releasing contaminants can be reduced through proper management.
• Wastewater and garbage might be bad for the environment, and indirectly bad for your health…
  • Wastewater from vertical farms is treated in line with environmental standards. Vertical farm operators promote waste separation and recycling and work to reduce environmental impact.
• They probably use a ton of electricity, so global warming might get worse…
  • It is true that vertical farms have high energy consumption, but operators are working to reduce environmental impact through energy-saving technologies and the use of renewable energy. Global warming itself can lead to indirect health effects, but that is not a direct health risk specific to crops grown in vertical farms.

Other risks

• Allergens might get mixed in, and I could have a reaction…
  • To prevent contamination and cross-contamination by allergens, separate management of cultivated items and thorough washing and disinfection are required. For items subject to mandatory allergen labeling, labeling in line with the law must be carried out without fail.
• The labeling might be wrong and I’ll be misled…
  • Under the Japanese Food Labeling Act, appropriate labeling is mandatory.
• It feels unnatural, so ethically how should I see it…? Something about it bothers me…
  • Ethical questions come from personal values and views and are distinct from scientifically established health harms. Vertical farms have the potential to contribute to stable food supply and reduced environmental impact, and the ethical aspect needs to be evaluated in the round.
• They say they can reduce food waste, but a lot of garbage is probably produced anyway — isn’t it pointless?
  • Vertical farms can contribute to reducing food loss through planned production, but they cannot bring food loss to zero. Efforts to reduce loss at the production and distribution stages remain important.

So, in the end, are crops from vertical farms safe?

So far I have examined, one by one, the concerns raised about vegetables from vertical farms: microbes, chemicals, physical contamination, nutrition, environmental load, and labeling.

I deliberately covered concerns that are not particularly realistic as well, because the aim was to dissolve the “scary because I don’t know” state.

Related to this article, I have also written the following.
It looks at “hydroponic vegetables” from a different angle. Please read it alongside this one.

How do vegetables change when grown hydroponically? A clear look at the risks

So, in the end, are crops from vertical farms safe?

Here is my conclusion.
Crops produced in a properly managed vertical farm have ample safety, even compared with conventional cultivation methods.

Of course, no food has zero risk. Vertical farms are no exception, and since management is carried out by people, nothing is absolute.

However, today’s Japanese vertical farms operate with external contamination eliminated through a closed environment, standards-based control across the nutrient solution, building materials, and disinfectants, and a strict quality control regime based on the Food Sanitation Act. Compared with open-field farming or general agricultural facilities, they have genuine strengths in the thoroughness of management.

Overall, the level of safety management can be said to be very high.

Given the actual management situation at vertical farms, excessive worry is unnecessary.

Crops produced in vertical farms can be recommended with confidence as one of the safe options for food.