We know you have questions about lettuce right now. With reports of Cyclospora linked to lettuce making headlines across the country, it’s understandable to wonder where your food comes from and how it’s grown. We want to take this opportunity to share exactly where the lettuce in our salads comes from, why we love our partnership with Fresh ‘n Crisp Farms, and the many steps they take to provide the clean, safe, nutrient-dense lettuce we’re proud to serve every day!
Meet the Farm Behind Our Lettuce
Health has always been at the heart of what we do, so you can be sure our vendors share the same values. Fresh ‘n Crisp Farms is an Ohio-based greenhouse founded on the belief that everyone deserves access to fresh, healthy, and long-lasting produce. For nearly a decade, Fresh ‘n’ Crisp has focused on doing things differently than standard growers.
Like us, they put food safety, quality, and consumer health first. Their practices are designed to create the cleanest possible environment for lettuce from seed to harvest, helping reduce the risks commonly associated with traditional field-grown produce.
What Makes This Lettuce Different?
Most lettuce is grown outdoors, exposed to changing weather, soil conditions, wildlife, and environmental contaminants. Fresh ‘n Crisp takes a different approach. Their lettuce is grown indoors in a carefully controlled greenhouse environment that is:
- Free from dirt and soil
- Grown without pesticides, preservatives, or GMOs
- Protected from outside pollution and contaminants
- Produced using highly automated systems that minimize human handling.
One of the most important safety features of their operation is water quality. All water used in the facility comes from on-site wells and is purified through reverse osmosis. This advanced process helps remove impurities and contaminants.
Additionally, because much of the growing, harvesting, and packaging process is automated, the lettuce has very limited contact with workers before being packaged. Combined with strict sanitation and hygiene practices throughout the facility, these safeguards help maintain exceptionally high food safety standards.
Good for You, Good for Our Environment
Fresh ‘n Crisp Farms’ growing methods help preserve freshness, nutrition, and sustainability.
Nutritient-Dense
The fresher the produce is when it is harvested and delivered, the more nutrients it can retain. Because Fresn ‘n Crisp carefully controls growing and harvesting conditions, their lettuce helps preserve important water-soluble nutrients like Vitamins B and C.
Naturally Clean
Unlike many conventionally grown greens, their lettuce is grown in such a pristine environment that it doesn’t require chlorine baths, pesticides, or preservatives.
Better for the Environment
Their hydroponic growing process:
- Uses significantly less land than traditional farming
- Uses up to 90% less water by filtering and reusing water throughout the facility
- Controls pests without harmful pesticides
- Produces lettuce that stays fresh longer, often maintaining peak quality for more than 21 days
Lettuce Quick Facts
Is the lettuce at Aladdin’s connected to the current Cyclospora concerns?
No. Our lettuce comes from Fresh ‘n Crisp Farms, an indoor greenhouse operation with multiple safeguards in place, including controlled growing conditions, advanced water filtration, and strict sanitation practices. Learn more about Fresh ‘n Crisp Farms here.
Why is indoor-grown lettuce different?
Indoor growing removes many of the variables associated with outdoor agriculture, including exposure to soil, wildlife, and environmental contaminants. The controlled environment allows for greater consistency and food safety.
Why does the water filtration matter?
All water used by Fresh ‘n Crisp is filtered through reverse osmosis systems, which are designed to remove extremely small contaminants and impurities before the water ever reaches the lettuce.
Why is limited human handling important?
The fewer times produce is handled, the fewer opportunities there are for contamination. Fresh ‘n Crisp uses automation throughout much of the growing, harvesting, and packaging process to help maintain cleanliness.
When it comes to serving fresh salads, we’re committed to knowing exactly where our ingredients come from and how they’re grown. That’s why we’re proud to serve Fresh ‘n Crisp lettuce, and why you can feel confident choosing your favorite salad at Aladdin’s today.