Microgreens: Emerging functional food crop

Abstract

Microgreens are a new class of specialty food products that are gaining increasing popularity. They are delicate, young, cotyledonary leafy greens characterized by a wide range of colours, textures, and flavours. Microgreens are harvested at an early stage, when the cotyledonary leaves are fully developed but before the emergence of true leaves. Due to their suitability for small-scale and indoor
production, microgreens are widely cultivated under controlled environment agriculture. This indoor farming approach is particularly important for meeting the growing food demands of urban populations. Microgreens are gaining recognition as a novel culinary component and are commonly used in salads or as edible garnishes in a variety of dishes. They are valued for their higher concentrations of bioactive compounds, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, compared to mature greens, making them beneficial for human health. Research on microgreens is still in its early stages; however, their popularity has increased significantly over the past decade.