Key Takeaways:
- LettUs Grow, in collaboration with the John Innes Centre, Quadram Institute, and University of Bristol, has demonstrated that pea shoots grown via Advanced Aeroponics can deliver the full recommended daily allowance (RDA) of Vitamin B12 in a single 15-gram serving.
- The fortification adds less than one penny per bag in production costs, making it commercially viable for growers seeking to enter the premium produce market.
- An estimated 6% of the UK population is deficient in B12, with a further 44% having insufficient levels, representing a significant public health opportunity.
- The research, published in Communications Biology, confirms the B12 content persists through cold storage and is bioavailable after simulated human digestion.
- LettUs Grow is in active discussions with growers and retailers to bring B12-fortified pea shoots to supermarket shelves in 2026.
LettUs Grow Completes Multi-Year Research Into B12-Fortified Salad Crops
LettUs Grow, a Bristol-based agricultural technology company, has announced the successful completion of a multi-year research project enabling the commercial-scale production of Vitamin B12-fortified pea shoots using its Advanced Aeroponics™ technology.
The project was conducted in collaboration with the John Innes Centre, the Quadram Institute, and the University of Bristol, with findings published in Communications Biology.
How Advanced Aeroponics Makes B12 Fortification Possible
LettUs Grow’s patented ultrasonic aeroponic system delivers a nutrient-enriched mist directly to plant roots suspended in air. During an eight-day cultivation period, pea shoot plants absorbed cyanocobalamin — the most bioavailable form of Vitamin B12 — accumulating enough in their leaves to deliver the full RDA in a single 15-gram serving.
The fortification cost adds less than one penny per bag, and the research confirmed that nutrient levels are retained through cold storage and remain bioavailable after simulated digestion — key requirements for retail distribution.
LettUs Grow on the Commercial Case
Jack Farmer, Chief Scientific Officer at LettUs Grow, said: “The exciting thing about this project is that it is the first time the enhanced yield potential of aeroponics has been combined with the nutrition enhancement of B12 fortification in a way that can be scaled up to commercial volumes. For growers and retailers, this represents a genuinely unique market opportunity. The additional cost is minimal, less than 1p per bag, but the consumer value proposition is clear: a convenient, food-based source of an essential nutrient that millions of people struggle to get enough of.”
The Public Health Context
According to the press release, approximately 6% of the UK population is deficient in Vitamin B12, with a further 44% carrying insufficient levels. B12 deficiency is particularly prevalent among those following plant-based diets, as the vitamin is primarily found in animal-derived foods.
Researchers noted that current supplement solutions — primarily tablet-based — face barriers around consumer adoption, including compliance and lower effectiveness when taken without food.
Dr Bethany Eldridge, first author of the study, commented: “This method diversifies ways of getting B12 naturally into your diet, especially if you are not consuming meat and dairy as vegans or vegetarians, or if you are consuming them in smaller quantities as part of a flexitarian diet.”
Professor Martin Warren, Chief Scientific Officer at the Quadram Institute, added: “Vitamin B12 deficiency is often framed solely as a concern for people following vegetarian or vegan diets, but the reality is far broader. Developing practical ways to incorporate B12 into everyday foods offers an exciting route to improve nutritional resilience.”
Beyond Pea Shoots: LettUs Grow Eyes Broader Applications
While pea shoots were the focus of the initial research, LettUs Grow states the fortification technique is predicted to work across other salad crops grown in controlled environments, including microgreens, baby leaf salads, leafy greens such as lettuce and spinach, herbs, and specialty crops.
Professor Antony Dodd, Group Leader at the John Innes Centre and corresponding author of the study, noted: “This novel fortification method can be done at extremely low cost to growers as a way of providing consumers with a cost-effective way of supplementing their diet with Vitamin B12 in a form that their body can use.”
