Microgreens World
The weekly digest for growers, researchers and entrepreneurs
Three Seed Sellers Have Now Recalled Broccoli Seed From the Same Supplier Lot, and One Notice Tells Buyers Not to Use It for Microgreens
Three companies that sell broccoli seed have recalled it within a week, and their notices point to one supplier lot, W4105. EAK Distribution of Casper, Wyoming recalled its Home Grown Green Sprouting Calabrese Broccoli Seeds on October 2. Eden Brothers recalled its Calabrese broccoli seeds on October 7. Gardeners Basics of Spanish Fork, Utah recalled its Waltham 29 Broccoli Sprouting Seeds on October 8. All three cite possible Salmonella contamination, and each says no illnesses have been reported with its product.
The EAK product is an 8 oz cream-colored pouch, UPC 850056627443, production lot code AUG172026, sold nationwide on Amazon from August 20 to September 18. The Eden Brothers recall covers a packet, a 1 oz bag and a 1 lb bag under lots 1022067 and 1022068, with a use-by year of 2026. Those were sold on EdenBrothers.com and Amazon between July 8 and September 28, depending on size. EAK says it halted sales on September 17. Eden Brothers says it stopped sales of the affected lots.
The Gardeners Basics recall covers a one-pound (454 g) white and green resealable pouch of Waltham 29 Broccoli Sprouting Seeds, UPC 848137042889, marked “Packed for 2027.” The notice lists no finished-product lot code. It names bulk broccoli seed lot W4105, recalled by the seed supplier, and says the company was notified on September 26. The seed was sold nationwide, online only, through Amazon, gardenersbasics.com, TikTok Shop, Walmart, eBay and Etsy, with no sales date range given. The FDA says a broccoli seed sample it collected tested positive for Salmonella and that the seed was linked to a sprout grower whose finished product was part of a multistate outbreak investigation. The notice tells customers to stop using the seed and not to eat it or any sprouts grown from it, to seal it in a bag and discard it, and to contact the company for a refund. It does not mention microgreens by name.
The EAK notice gives the outbreak connection in one sentence: its supplier learned that a sprout grower had used these seeds, and that grower’s finished products were part of an FDA investigation into a multistate outbreak. The notice does not name the outbreak, the grower or a case count. The supplier first flagged a possible problem with lot W4105 on September 16, and on September 28 told EAK that the FDA had detected Salmonella in a broccoli seed sample. Food Safety News, on October 8, ties the recalls to the Evergreen Fresh Sprouts broccoli sprout outbreak, reports that whole genome sequencing matched the FDA’s seed sample to the outbreak strain, and says the FDA has not named the supplier and is working to identify other companies that received its seed. The FDA’s own outbreak page, which I read, still shows the September 24 figures of 32 cases in six states and does not mention seed.
The Eden Brothers notice is the more direct one for this readership. It tells customers to stop using the seed and not to plant, sprout, eat, share or use it for microgreens. It asks them to seal it in a bag and put it in household trash, not compost, to wash hands and any surface or container that touched it, and to tell anyone they shared it with. Retailers and distributors are told to stop distribution, set aside and destroy remaining stock, and notify their customers.
Editor’s read, and only that: last week’s outbreak notice named one patient who ate a mix containing broccoli microgreens, and this week a recall notice names microgreens as a use for the seed. A grower who bought broccoli seed this summer from any of the three sellers, or from any seller that does not publish its supplier lot, has a short list of jobs: check the packet against the lot numbers above, pull any matching seed from production, and record the seed lot for every batch sold. The FDA recall pages for each company carry the full details.
U.S. FDA (EAK Distribution) · October 2, 2026 | U.S. FDA (Eden Brothers) · October 7, 2026 | U.S. FDA (Gardeners Basics) · October 8, 2026 | Food Safety News · October 8, 2026 | U.S. FDA (outbreak page) · updated September 24, 2026
A Broccoli-Derived Seed Treatment Cut Salmonella on Seed by Up to 2.15 Log. Grown Microgreens Still Carried Some.
A research team tested two preharvest seed treatments against Salmonella enterica on five Brassicaceae microgreens: daikon radish, broccoli, mustard, red cabbage and red Russian kale. One was a benzyl isothiocyanate (BIT) nanoemulsion at 1 per cent. The other was Sporan, a botanical fungicide formulation, at 2 per cent. Seed was inoculated with a Salmonella cocktail at about 4 log CFU per mL, treated, then grown in organic soil for 14 days.
On the seed itself, BIT cut Salmonella by up to 2.15 log CFU per gram and Sporan by up to 1.74. In the grown microgreens, recovery from BIT-treated seed was lower than from untreated seed, with the largest drops in red Russian kale (1.78 log) and red cabbage (1.21 log). Soil Salmonella did not differ between treatments. Germination stayed above 60 per cent in most species without a significant yield change, except for BIT-treated daikon radish. The authors frame both treatments as one layer in a multi-hurdle plan, not a stand-alone fix. I read the open-access abstract only. A reduction of one to two log leaves live bacteria on the seed.
Journal of Agriculture and Food Research · October 2026
Plasma-Activated Water Stored for 72 Hours Beat Tap Water on Pea Microgreen Yield. The 60-Minute Batch Gained 19.7 Per Cent.
Saha and Di Gioia at Penn State made plasma-activated water, or PAW, with an air gliding-arc discharge, activating it for 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes. They applied it to pea microgreens either right after it was made or after 72 hours in storage, and compared it with tap water. Fresh PAW carried more reactive oxygen and nitrogen species at a lower pH. After storage, nitrate had built up and the short-lived oxidants had decayed.
Applied fresh, 30 to 90 minutes of activation raised fresh yield and dry biomass by 5 to 13 per cent. The 120-minute batch cut yield while raising water use efficiency, which the authors read as lower water uptake rather than better growth. Every stored batch beat tap water. The 60-minute batch gave the most biomass, up 19.7 per cent, and the best water use efficiency, up 21.5 per cent. Stored PAW also raised calcium, magnesium, carotenoids, phenolics and flavonoids. I read the abstract and PubMed record only. The full text was not available to me, so cultivar, tray counts and replication are not reported here.
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture · October 2, 2026
Red and Blue LEDs Raised Growth and Antioxidants in Four Brassica Microgreens. Blue Gave Broccoli 73.80 Per Cent DPPH Scavenging.
Gunjal, Singh, Kaur and colleagues grew broccoli, cabbage, pak choi and radish sango microgreens under red, blue, yellow and green LEDs and measured growth, pigments and antioxidant activity. Red and blue light significantly raised fresh weight, shoot height, leaf area, total phenols, anthocyanin, ascorbic acid, glucosinolates and FRAP activity. Blue light had the largest effect on overall growth.
Across all crops and colors, total phenols ran from 246.16 to 365.07 mg GAE per 100 g, glucosinolates from 17.60 to 39.25 µmol per gram and anthocyanins from 3.07 to 66.36 µmol per 100 g. The best light differed by crop and by assay: broccoli under blue had the highest DPPH scavenging at 73.80 per cent, and radish sango under yellow had the highest FRAP at 27.15 µmol TE per gram. Caution: the page I could read is an early-access abstract that the journal says is subject to edits. It gives ranges, not per-crop values, and does not state light intensity, photoperiod, growing medium, duration or replicates.
Scientific Reports (Nature) · October 5, 2026
Only 107 of 552 Recent Microgreen Lighting Papers Reported All Four Basic Light Settings, a New Review Finds
A Brazilian team that includes researchers at the Goiano Federal Institute merged records from Web of Science and Scopus on microgreens research. They started with 1,391 records, removed 604 duplicates, and analyzed 787 unique articles. Output rose sharply after 2015. Brassica, Raphanus and Ocimum were the most frequent genera.
The authors then looked at the 552 papers published from 2022 to 2025 and asked whether each one reported four lighting details together: the crop, the photoperiod, the light intensity as PPFD, and the spectrum. Only 107 of them, 19.4 per cent, did. Among papers that reported them, 16 hours was the most common photoperiod, and the most common PPFD band was 200 to 299 micromoles per square meter per second, mostly under white, red, blue or mixed LEDs in indoor and vertical systems. The review calls for standard reporting of PPFD, daily light integral and spectra, and for energy, water and automation numbers alongside yield. It counts papers and does not rank light recipes.
Horticulturae (MDPI) · October 2, 2026
Soaking Radish Seed in a Mild Hydrogen Peroxide Solution Lifted Germination 22.6 Per Cent. The Strongest Doses Did Worse.
A Thammasat University team primed Thai rat-tailed radish seed (Raphanus sativus var. caudatus) in hydrogen peroxide at 100, 200, 400 and 800 millimolar, then measured germination, seed stress markers, microgreen growth and phytochemicals. At 100 mM, which is about 0.34 per cent by weight per volume on my conversion, germination rose 22.6 per cent, germination index 36.5 per cent and germination after accelerated aging 62.1 per cent, while mean germination time fell 32 per cent, all against non-primed seed.
The two highest doses raised hydrogen peroxide and a lipid-damage marker (malondialdehyde) in the seed. The 100 and 200 mM doses gave higher phenolics and antioxidant capacity in the microgreens, but did not significantly change growth or biomass. Caution: the seed lot germinated at only 68 per cent to begin with, which leaves more room to improve, and the authors say high-quality commercial seed needs testing. They also say the higher doses were not consistently worse than untreated seed, and that 100 mM is a practical dose in this study, not a universal best. Hydrogen peroxide is a strong oxidizer, so treat this as a result to follow, not a protocol. The paper was published September 28, 2026.
Seeds (MDPI) · September 28, 2026
A 0.5 Per Cent Ascorbic Acid Treatment Kept 79 Per Cent of Chickpea Microgreen Weight and Appearance for 15 Days
Researchers at Sharda University compared five post-harvest treatments on chickpea microgreens of one genotype, HK-4: aloe vera gel, glycerol, chlorine water, ascorbic acid and citric acid. In storage, the 0.5 per cent ascorbic acid treatment kept the most fresh weight, 79 per cent, and held visual appeal for up to 15 days. Later tests used 5 °C in zip-lock pouches.
The team then grew chickpea microgreens in plain vermiculite or in vermiculite amended with iron (Fe-EDTA), and applied the ascorbic acid after harvest. Weight fell in every group, but less after the ascorbic acid treatment. Ascorbic acid content, antioxidant activity and total soluble solids all dropped during storage. Iron-amended growth plus the treatment held the most ascorbic acid, 70.6 mg per 100 g. Tannins rose 5.7 times and phytic acid fell by 0.7-fold, with the largest changes in the water-treated controls. Sensory scores declined in storage, though the treatment helped. This is one genotype under one storage setup, and the abstract does not report microbial counts, so it says nothing about food safety. Test any post-harvest treatment on your own crop and check labeling rules first. Published August 30, 2026.
Plant Science Today · August 30, 2026
New SNAP Stocking Standards Start November 4. Farmers and Markets That Qualify on Staple-Food Sales Are Mostly Unaffected.
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) published an explainer on October 5 for USDA’s revised SNAP retailer stocking standards. Any farmer, retailer or farmers market that wants to accept SNAP benefits must apply to USDA, and there are two ways to qualify. NSAC reports that the new standards take effect on November 4, 2026.
Criterion A is an inventory test, and it is the one the rule changes. For operations that sell a lot of prepared, value-added or non-food items, NSAC describes seven varieties in each of four staple categories, at least three units of each, and one perishable item in three of the four categories. Criterion B is a sales test: staple foods must be more than 50 per cent of total sales. NSAC says most farmers and farmers markets use B and should see little change. In its examples, a farm selling vegetables and pork qualifies, and a farm stand where ice cream is 57 per cent of sales does not. NSAC says the examples are informational only. USDA’s own eligibility page still shows the older inventory numbers and says it will be updated, so confirm the date and the test with USDA.
USDA’s Rural Energy Grant Rule Now Wants Projects Built and Running Before They Apply
USDA issued a final rule with a comment period on October 2 for the Rural Energy for America Program, which provides guaranteed loan and grant funding for energy systems and energy efficiency improvements. Agricultural producers and rural small businesses are eligible. USDA says the rule is meant to simplify the application process.
The release lists these changes: solar photovoltaic and wind systems on cropland are disincentivized; projects must be fully built, operational and showing performance before an application is filed; multilocation projects and certain technologies become ineligible; applications move to a single national competition; and an online portal is planned. Applications with a Form 1940-1 signed by the applicant and the agency before the effective date continue to be processed if the project still meets its terms. The release does not say which technologies are excluded, give a comment deadline or set the application window, and says annual program notices will announce the dates. The rule appeared in the Federal Register on October 1. A grower pricing lighting or other efficiency work should read the rule itself, since the release does not say whether those items qualify.
U.S. Department of Agriculture · October 2, 2026
Tray-Drying Pea Shoots at 70 °C Took 1.9 Hours and Matched Freeze-Drying on Phytochemicals. The Beany, Green Aroma Faded Either Way.
A University College Dublin team dried pea shoot microgreens three ways: tray-drying at 30, 50 and 70 °C, fluidised bed drying, and freeze-drying, which took 48 hours. Raising the tray temperature from 30 to 70 °C cut the average drying time from 3.9 hours to 1.9. Every method gave a powder under 100 g/kg moisture and below 0.44 water activity.
The 70 °C powder was greener and had a higher total phenolic content than the 30 °C powder, 17.23 against 13.28 g GAE per kg, and its phytochemicals and antioxidant activity did not differ significantly from freeze-dried powder. Drying cut the compounds linked to fresh, green and beany aromas, and produced Strecker aldehydes and sulfur compounds that come from heat. Limits the authors state: lab scale only, no pilot trial or cost analysis, shelf life inferred from moisture and water activity rather than tested, and no taste panel, which leaves the aroma shift untested on people. The shoots came from one Irish farm in three batches. Published online October 3, 2026, open access.
LWT · October 3, 2026
A Sponge Cake With 5 Per Cent Rice Microgreen Powder Won on Overall Acceptability. At 7.5 Per Cent, Tasters Noticed Grassy Notes.
Researchers replaced 0, 2.5, 5 or 7.5 per cent of the wheat flour in a sponge cake with rice microgreen powder, with or without 0.15 per cent microbial transglutaminase, an enzyme used to improve structure. The powder raised mineral content, dietary fiber, total phenolics and antioxidant activity. The enzyme improved microstructure and volume.
On sensory scores, the mix of 5 per cent powder and 0.15 per cent enzyme gave the best overall acceptability. At 7.5 per cent powder, scores fell because of grassy off-flavors. Scores also declined over seven days of storage, though every formulation stayed in the acceptable range. I read only the abstract. It does not give the panel size, powder source, drying method or cost. This is a food science study, not a market test. For a grower weighing a powder side line, the practical figure is the ceiling: taste started to suffer between 5 and 7.5 per cent.
Applied Food Research · 2026
A West Virginia Farmers Market Warns Vendors About a Fake Application That Ends With a Request to Wire Money to Canada
The Bridgeport Farmers & Makers Market in Bridgeport, West Virginia posted a warning on Facebook on Friday, October 2, about a scam aimed at vendors who want to sell there. WBOY reports that the scam starts with a fake vendor application that may look legitimate. After the vendor completes it, a follow-up approval email arrives, and then a request to wire money to a bank in Canada.
The market says an email from bridgeportfarmersmrkt@gmail.com is a scam and has no connection to the market. Its advice is plain: do not send money or personal or banking information in response. A vendor who is unsure whether a message is real should contact the market directly through its official Facebook page before paying anything. The market also asked vendors and small businesses to share the warning. WVNews carried the same story.
Editor’s read, and only that: this is one market and one scam, and I have no count of how many other markets have seen it. The pattern is easy to check anyway. If you are applying to a market for next season, confirm the application link and the payment instructions through a contact you found yourself, not through the email you were sent.
A Northeast Farm Fund Takes Applications Until October 14 for Equipment, Processing and Marketing Costs
Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture and the Environment launched the Northeast Farmers Fund in summer 2026 to give farmers money and technical help to produce and market regenerative agricultural products. The first application period closes October 14. Funding can go to equipment, infrastructure and tools to expand the scale and range of products; certification and verification; post-harvest handling and value-added processing; and marketing, branding, packaging and distribution changes that open new or higher-value markets.
The fund focuses on small and mid-sized farms that are using, or moving toward, regenerative or sustainable production. Applications are taken on a rolling basis, and one that misses this period may be considered in a later one, depending on funding. The fund draws on USDA’s Advancing Markets for Producers program along with supply chain and philanthropic partners. A pilot began in July with more than 50 farms, and the center aims to reach 385 farmers by early 2028. Caution: this is a press release carried by a local newsletter. It gives no award sizes or match rules, does not list the states covered, and does not say whether indoor growers qualify. Read the fund’s own page before planning around it.
Colorado Will Reimburse Up to Half the Cost of an Intern, to $5,000, for 2027. Applications Close November 2.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture is taking applications for its Agricultural Workforce Development Program for the 2027 growing season. Grants go up to $5,000 per internship and reimburse up to 50 per cent of employment costs, including wages and workers’ compensation insurance. Any agricultural business operating in Colorado can apply, with preference for those working with crops, livestock, dairy, timber, and greenhouse and nursery products. Applications opened October 1 and close at 5 p.m. on November 2.
Since 2018 the program has granted more than $1.25 million to support over 280 internships. The department will award at least $300,000 for 2027 and aims to fund 60 or more internships, according to program manager Sam Hahn. He told The Aspen Times that some interns have gone on to start their own businesses and come back as mentors. Applications are on the program’s website, ag.colorado.gov/awdp. Caution: this is for Colorado operations only, and the article does not say whether an indoor microgreens farm would count as a greenhouse and nursery producer, so ask the department before you plan around it.
The Aspen Times · 2026
A Maryland Microgreens Farm Grew From One Shelf to Five and Now Fills Up to 100 Trays a Week. Teaching Buyers Took Longer Than Growing.
The BayNet profiles My Mustard Seed, a microgreens farm at a farmstand on Route 4 in Owings, in Calvert County, Maryland. Founder Tresor Thomas says it started with one shelf and seven varieties. It now has five shelves and can fill up to 100 trays a week for farmers markets, restaurants and the farm’s own store, across more than 30 varieties. She grows indoors so she can control the environment, and calls it an urban farm on one acre.
The business point is in her account of the market. Microgreens were hardly available in rural Calvert County before she started, and she says it took two or three years of educating customers before it became about selling. After COVID the farm held its first market and partnered with other farms to deliver produce to customers. Caution: this is a single interview. The 100-trays figure is the founder’s own statement of what the farm can produce, and the piece gives no sales, price or cost figures, so it cannot say whether the model is profitable. It also describes the farm’s wellness programs, which I have left out.
The BayNet · 2026
