A new article published in HortScience, “Factors Affecting Cadmium Accumulation and Mitigation: A Literature Review to Inform Spinach and Carrot Producers,” explores how cadmium (Cd), a nonessential element with potential adverse health consequences, can potentially enter the human food system predominantly through plant uptake from soils and the available agronomic practices used to reduce dietary exposure.
The publication builds on insights shared during a 2023 pilot workshop hosted by Western Growers, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which brought together growers, researchers and regulators to address Cd in spinach and carrots grown in California and Arizona.
The review highlights key considerations for these two crops and outlines available agronomic mitigation strategies to help growers evaluate their individual soils, crops and production conditions. The work supports the FDA’s Closer to Zero initiative, which aims to minimize dietary exposure to heavy metals in foods consumed by infants and young children.
The article was co-authored by De Ann Davis, PhD, SVP of Science at Western Growers, reflecting the organization’s ongoing commitment to advancing science-based understanding of food safety challenges and helping the industry apply new learning in the field.