Key Takeaways
- Nutritional Breakthrough: The John Innes Centre partnership has produced pea shoots providing 100% of the Vitamin B12 RDA in a single 15-gram serving.
- Cost-Efficient Method: The fortification process is estimated to cost growers less than one penny (1p) per bag of salad.
- Proven Bioavailability: Specialized digestion experiments confirmed that the Vitamin B12 in the plants is accessible for human absorption.
- Aeroponic Innovation: The team utilized ultrasonic aeroponics to deliver B12 directly to the roots via a nutrient-rich mist.
- Commercial Stability: The fortified crops maintained their nutrient levels and shelf-life throughout standard cold storage and supply chain simulations.
John Innes Centre Leads Multi-Institutional B12 Research
A pioneering research-industry partnership led by the John Innes Centre has utilized indoor farming advances to grow Vitamin B12-fortified pea shoots. This collaboration, which includes the Quadram Institute, the University of Bristol, and specialists LettUs Grow, addresses a significant public health need by creating a plant-based source of a nutrient typically found only in animal products.
The research, published in Communications Biology, demonstrates a commercially viable route for farmers to supplement salad crops. By addressing “hidden hunger”—where caloric intake is sufficient but micronutrients are lacking—the John Innes Centre project offers a sustainable solution for those on plant-rich or restricted diets.
Harnessing Aeroponics for Nutrient Delivery
The team utilized aeroponic technology to supply a Vitamin B12-fortified solution to the roots of the plants. During an eight-day cultivation period, a thin film of nutrients formed on the roots, allowing the John Innes Centre researchers to exploit the plant's natural transport system to accumulate the vitamin in the leaves.
