LUBBOCK, TEXAS (RFD NEWS) — Cyclospora concerns are strengthening interest in controlled-environment lettuce production as growers and retailers look for ways to reduce contamination risks. Cox Farms President Steve Bradley says greenhouse systems limit exposure to untreated surface water, wildlife, and other outdoor variables that can introduce pathogens.
The company operates more than 700 acres of hydroponic greenhouses across North America. Water comes from municipal systems or wells and then undergoes additional monitoring, reverse-osmosis filtration, and ultraviolet treatment before entering production.
Unused irrigation water is captured, sterilized, adjusted for nutrients, and returned to the crop through a closed-loop system. Bradley says the approach improves water efficiency while creating more control over what reaches plant surfaces.
Lettuce moves through the greenhouse in about 21 days with limited human handling. Automated systems plant, germinate, move, and harvest the crop, reducing contact before packaging and shipment.
The model does not eliminate every food-safety risk, but it can reduce several common exposure pathways. Producers and buyers will watch whether concerns about the outbreak accelerate investment in protected agriculture.
