Food Safety and Technology

July 2009
FST-38

On-Farm Food Safety: Aquaponics

Jim Hollyer, Clyde Tamaru, Allen Riggs, RuthEllen Klinger-Bowen, Robert Howerton, Darren Okimoto,

Luisa Castro, Tetsuzan ‘Benny’ Ron, B. K. ‘Kai’ Fox, Vanessa Troegner, and Glenn Martinez

A quaponics is a food production system that uses

nutrient-rich water from fish culture to irrigate
and fertilize plants. After the plants have absorbed the
might exist for their operation and should maintain the
highest level of adherence to good agricultural practices
(GAPs).4
nutrients, the water is recirculated to the fish rearing
tanks. This combination of aquaculture and hydroponics How do you benefit from using GAPs?
recycles both water and nutrients, resulting in an efficient This publication presents practical information that
use of resources. However, when food plants are grown has been tested by experienced farmers. These farmers
in the presence of fish culture effluent, food safety con­ are often generous in sharing knowledge of their best
siderations become very important. practices to help you improve practices on your own
farm. From a business perspective, when you use good
Why do you need to consider food safety? agricultural practices you
While the American consumer enjoys one of the saf­ • spend less time and money making mistakes
est supplies of fresh produce in the world, outbreaks of • reduce your business risk of liability (when you start
foodborne illnesses, associated with both domestic and selling produce, you become a commercial provider,
imported fresh fruits and vegetables, have increased. In with certain responsibilities)
1997 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) • have a higher probability of keeping a customer that
published the Food Code1 to provide guidance based on may require an on-farm food safety certification
basic principles and practices associated with minimiz­ • improve chances that customers will feel justified in
ing microbial food safety. paying a higher price for your produce.
The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) 2005
Food Code states that foodborne diseases cause an es­ Good practices on aquaponics farms
timated 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, One of the most important principles of aquaponics
and 5000 deaths in the United States each year, and the systems is their reliance on beneficial bacteria. You
annual cost reaches between $10 and $83 billion, in terms might want to learn how these bacteria function in the
of pain and suffering, reduced productivity, and estimated
medical costs.2 Loss of consumer confidence negatively
impacts the agricultural community long after an illness
outbreak. Everyone who sells food, regardless of the (1[Link] 2[Link]
[Link]/Food/FoodSafety/RetailFoodProtection/FoodCode/default.
amount, has both an ethical and legal obligation to ensure htm and [Link]
that the food is safe.3 Aquaponics producers, therefore, 3
[Link]/oc/freepubs/pdf/[Link]; 4[Link]
must become aware of the food safety risk factors that [Link]/pubs/articles/[Link])

Published by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) and issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in coopera-
tion with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Andrew G. Hashimoto, Director/Dean, Cooperative Extension Service/CTAHR, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96822.
An equal opportunity/affirmative action institution providing programs and services to the people of Hawai‘i without regard to race, sex, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, dis-
ability, marital status, arrest and court record, sexual orientation, or status as a covered veteran. CTAHR publications can be found on the Web site <[Link]
UH–CTAHR On-Farm Food Safety: Aquaponics FST-38 — July 2009

conversion of ammonia to nitrate via the nitrogen cycle.5

Unfortunately, the mention of “bacteria” often conjures up
thoughts of “germs,” so we need to distinguish between
helpful microbes and the pathogens that can harm us. Both
in nature and in aquaculture, fish excrete ammonia from
their gills as part of their waste-elimination metabolism.
The ammonia is then converted into nitrite and then to
nitrate by beneficial bacteria (such as Nitrosomonas and
Nitrobacter species). When plant roots find nitrate in the
solution around their roots, it is taken up and converted
into amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.
In contrast to the beneficial bacteria that help turn fish
waste products into plant food, zoonoses are diseases of
animals, caused by bacteria and other organisms, that can
be transmitted to humans. Zoonotic pathogens represent
a health risk to people contacting the water used in an
aquaponic system6 or to people consuming food that has
zoonotic pathogens on them. If the water you are using
contains E. coli, salmonella, or other pathogens, you must
take immediate steps to address potential contamination
issues. You need to reduce or eliminate the risk of causing
a foodborne illness in someone consuming your produce.
By following some simple, basic sanitation procedures,
you can significantly minimize this risk. Key areas of
consideration include
• human sanitation
• harvesting produce safely
• managing warm-blooded animal feces
• water sources for fish and produce
• zoonoses prevention
• disposing of the system’s waste water.
Human sanitation
One of the biggest risks to fresh produce safety is our
hands, which are in continual contact with the environ­
ment. When you harvest produce, be mindful of what
you have touched before you touch the food product that
you will sell or serve to others. Before harvesting your
plant crops, wash your hands using liquid soap, rinse
them for at least 20 seconds with potable water, and dry
them with single-use paper towels. Wash hands every
time after using the bathroom, eating, smoking, petting
animals, shaking hands with someone, changing diapers,
handling fish, putting your hands into the system’s water,
touching your head (mouth, nose, ears, hair), etc.

(5[Link] Wash your hands and all harvesting tools and equipment
htm; 6[Link] with soap in potable water.

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UH–CTAHR On-Farm Food Safety: Aquaponics FST-38 — July 2009

Good HArvestinG tecHnique: DO NOT touch the raft or the water For the same reason, DON’T touch
W i t h was he d h a n d s , o r wa s h e d underneath the raft during harvesting. the root system or growing cup when
hands covered with clean disposable That contaminates your hands or harvesting.
gloves, touch only the produce when gloves with bacteria, which can then
harvesting. contaminate the produce.

Harvesting produce safely • covering all packing materials so that they don’t get
You need to keep harvest bins, cutting utensils, produce- contaminated by insect or rodent droppings
contact surfaces, and your hands clean, because you touch • having an appropriate and well maintained refrigerator
produce that someone might not wash before putting it (if required)
into their mouth. The basics of good on-farm food safety • not harvesting produce that has fecal material or pest
practices require damage, because of the possibility that pathogens are
• a toilet within 1 ⁄4 mile or five minutes walk of the left on the produce
operation • rinsing produce only in potable water (never aquaponic
• sink with potable water, single-use towels, pump
a system water or other irrigation water)
hand soap, and a covered trash can • not cutting produce into a salad mix or other seem­
• a first aid kit ingly “read-to-eat” product for sale (of any amount)
• prohibiting smoking, chewing, or eating around the unless your facility has been approved by the Hawai‘i
production or packing areas Department of Health
• sanitizing all harvest tools and bins before each har­ • labeling all your produce bags with your farm name,
vest, and keeping all harvest containers off the soil address, phone number, the product name, date and
surface location of harvest, and a statement advising consum­
• removing all pest-attracting trash from the farm and ers to “rinse before eating or serving.”
setting up a pest control system
• periodically testing fish and produce rinse water for More information on best commercial produce handling
human pathogens practices can be found at [Link]
• removing nests of birds or animals and excluding adap/FoodSafety/[Link].
livestock and pets from production and packing areas

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UH–CTAHR On-Farm Food Safety: Aquaponics FST-38 — July 2009

nets help keep this lettuce aquaponics system from using only potable water for Take a water sample from
contamination by pests and their feces. Photo: H. Ako your aquaponics system is the fish tank and have it
a good start toward food tested for E. coli and other
safety. human pathogens.

Managing warm-blooded animal feces

It is important to keep warm-blooded animals (birds,
dogs, cats, rats, sheep, goats, ducks, cattle, pigs, etc.)
away from your commercial produce, because they may
contain pathogens harmful to humans. Placing netting
over your produce operation will reduce animal-to-plant
contact. Keeping your production tanks off the ground
will also limit access by animals. Cull any plants soiled
with fecal droppings, such as from birds. After all An example of a laboratory report of an analysis of fish
harvested product has been safely removed, remove all culture water from an aquaponics farm. A produce-safe
aquaponics production system will have little or no E.
contaminated produce and dispose of it where it will not
coli bacteria in the system water. Typically, however, it
attract additional pests. will have various quantities of coliforms, which are not
a good indicator of a food safety risk in an aquaponics
Water sources for fish and produce system. The counts of E. coli are obtained during the test
Although there are no state or federal regulations about for total coliform, so both results are reported.
water quality for fish production, it is a best practice to
source aquaponic production water only from potable standards for the quality of irrigation water for land­
sources (city or well water). Streams, reservoirs, and based produce. Water quality standards for agriculture
roof-top rainwater catchment systems can have sig­ at this time are based on those set for recreational uses
nificant quantities of zoonotic pathogens introduced (any body of water where human activity occurs).
by domesticated or wild animals (e.g., rats, cats and Based on a statistically sufficient number of samples
other pets, livestock, birds), and thus it is best to never (generally not less than five samples equally spaced over
use water from these sources in your food production a 30-day period), the geometric mean of the indicated
system. For example, salmonella carried by amphibians bacterial densities should not exceed one or the other of
can contaminate non-potable water used in aquaponics the following: E. coli 126 per 100 ml; enterococci 33 per
production and wash waters. If catchment rainwater must 100 ml.8
be used, follow guidelines recommended for keeping the
catchment system free of contamination.7 (7[Link] 8http://
At present, there are no national or State of Hawai‘i [Link]/waterscience/beaches/local/[Link])

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UH–CTAHR On-Farm Food Safety: Aquaponics FST-38 — July 2009

in your home kitchen

To really grasp the potential risks of diseases caused
by food contamination, you can think of your aqua­
ponics farm as though it were your kitchen. This is
going to be the case with many small-scale farmers
that grow and eat the food produced on their farm.
As an aquaponics grower, you will be producing both
fish and produce, so you need to be aware of ways
to reduce cross-contamination when you consume
no your products.
(bare hands) (NOTE: This advice is for home kitchens and is not
intended to promote commercial processing of fish
or produce in the absence of a facility approved for
the purpose by the Hawai‘i Department of Health.)
It is a best sanitary practice in any kitchen to have
separate cutting boards for fresh produce and for meat.
The following steps are recommended when both
produce and meat (including fish) are on the menu:
• Wash cutting boards and knives with soap in hot
water before cutting produce. Rinse off all soap
under running water for at least 20 seconds and
dry as necessary with a single-use paper towel.
Cloth dishtowels, once used after laundering, can
hold and spread pathogens.
Yes • Pull apart produce as appropriate and rinse it in
(protective gloves) clean, cool water. Look very carefully for small
snails and slugs that might be stuck deep down in
the plant. Throw away any product that has snails,
Growing media, such as volcanic cinders, can be sharp
slugs or their slime on it as it could have come in
and cause cuts that can get infected. it is wise to wear contact with the rat
protective, waterproof gloves when digging into the lungworm pathogen.
media. This is especially important where youngsters • Cut up the cleaned
are assisting.
produce as desired.
• As with vegetables,
wash cutting boards
and knives with soap
in hot water before
cutting meats.
• After use, wash and Separate produce from
dry the cutting boards meat in your kitchen.
as described above.
• Store cutting boards and knives in a way that
animals (e.g., cats, geckos, mice) and insects (e.g.,
cockroaches, ants) cannot contact them.

For more information on food safety in the kitchen, see

[Link]
Wear protective gloves when handling fish.

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UH–CTAHR On-Farm Food Safety: Aquaponics FST-38 — July 2009

Zoonoses prevention tank water directly back into a stream, sewer, irrigation
Fish are cold-blooded animals whose body temperatures ditch, or reservoir, because you might be releasing small
are the same as the water in which they live. Humans are fish or other aquatic life forms into that stream or water
warm-blooded mammals that expend energy to maintain system, and in so doing you will be violating the U.S.
an internal body temperature of 98.6°F regardless of Clean Water Act and Hawai‘i State Regulation S4-71­
the environmental temperature. This physiological dif­ 6.5(g) relative to releasing exotic or non-native species
ference is the main reason that cultured aquatic species into the environment.
are not considered high-probability vectors of zoonotic
diseases to humans. However, a few fish pathogens can be Summary
problematic under certain circumstances. Most of these Growing fish and plants in an aquaponics system is a
are bacteria that infect humans through skin punctures novel and attractive idea. Many people are doing it suc­
made by fish spines during handling, or through open cessfully worldwide, using systems that may be ancient
wounds exposed to contaminated water. Humans with or may rely on the latest contemporary materials and
healthy immune systems rarely have serious or long­ technologies. Remember, however, that once you start
term problems associated with a superficial puncture. selling fish or plant produce from an aquaponics system,
However, immune-suppressed individuals should take you step into the realm of commercial responsibility,
extra precautions to avoid possible exposure, and if one regardless of the amount of your sales. Follow the advice
occurs, they should seek medical attention promptly. given above to reduce risks to your personal health and
Whether you have a fish-only (aquaculture) operation or the liability of your commercial operation.
an aquaponic (fish and produce) production system, the
following basic preventive guidelines should be followed resources on aquaponics
when touching the production water: Aquaponics and food safety. Gordon A. Chalmers, DVM.
• Before handling fish or fish system water, cover open Lethbridge, Alberta. April, 2004.
wounds to prevent exposure. The Backyard Aquaponics Magazine. Joel Malcolm.
• Wear pierce-proof waterproof gloves, boots, waders, Western Australia. [Link]
and other appropriate personal protective equipment. Fish: A potential source of bacterial pathogens for hu­
• Wash hands with clean water and anti-microbial soap man beings. L. Novotny, L. Dvorska, A. Lorencova,
(or waterless hand cleaner) after contact with the sys­ V. Beran, and I. Pavlik. Vet. Med. - Czech, 49, 2004
tem water. (9): 343-358 [Link]/docs/vetmed/[Link].
• Report sick fish to an aquatic animal health profes­ National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service,
sional immediately so that disease management rec­ [Link]
ommendations can be implemented. Recirculating aquaculture tank production systems:
Aquaponics—Integrating fish and plant culture.
If an injury occurs while handling fish or working in James E. Rakocy, Michale P. Masser, and Thomas
the system water, immediately wash the area with clean M. Losordo. Southern Regional Aquaculture Center.
water and anti-microbial soap. A tetanus booster shot November 2006 revision. SRAC publication no. 454.
is recommended if you have been more than five years Tilapia farms guidelines for BAP standards. Global
without one. Watch for any of the five signs or symptoms Aquaculture Alliance. 2009. [Link]
of inflammation: heat, redness, swelling, pain or loss of [Link]/[Link]?option=com_content&
function, and fever or chills. Any indication of infection task=view&id=105&Itemid=47.
requires immediate medical attention to avoid further
tissue damage or systemic disease development.

disposing of system waste water

It is best to apply “used” fish effluent water to soil. Use
it to irrigate and fertilize grassy areas, landscape plants,
or crops such as papaya and banana. Do not put fish

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UH–CTAHR On-Farm Food Safety: Aquaponics FST-38 — July 2009

Follow-up contacts On-farm food safety coaching

The following resource persons are available to help you (Note: these contacts are subject to change.)
improve your aquaponics production and food safety
practices. Hawai‘i island
Luisa Castro, CTAHR Educational Specialist
Aquaculture advising Hilo, Hawai‘i
Clyde S. Tamaru 808-981-5199 x 250; luisac@[Link]
Aquaculture Specialist, Dept. of Molecular Biosciences
and Bioengineering, College of Tropical Agriculture and Maui county
Human Resources (CTAHR), University of Hawai‘i at Lynn Nakamura-Tengan, CTAHR Extension Educator
Mānoa; 1955 East-West Road rm. 218, Honolulu, HI 96822 Kahului, Maui
808-342-1063; ctamaru@[Link] 808-244-3242, ext 233; lynnnaka@[Link]

Robert Howerton O‘ahu and Kaua‘i

Aquaculture Specialist, University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant Jim Hollyer, CTAHR/ADAP Program Manager
College Program, Maui Community College Honolulu, O‘ahu
310 Ka‘ahumanu Avenue, Kahului, HI 96732 808-956-9539; hollyer@[Link]
808-268-3246; howerton@[Link]
O‘ahu
Aquatic animal health Jari Sugano, CTAHR Extension Agent
Allen C. Riggs, DVM, MS Kāne‘ohe, O‘ahu
Veterinary Medical Officer III, Aquaculture Develop­ 808-247-0421; suganoj@[Link]
ment Program, Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture
1039 Sand Island Parkway, Honolulu, HI 96819
808-832-5005; acriggs@[Link]

Site inspections/permitting
Vernon K. Nakamoto
Invertebrate and Aquatic Biota Specialist, Plant Quar­
antine, Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture
1849 A‘uiki Street, Honolulu, HI 96819
808-832-0577; [Link]@[Link]

The authors
Of the authors not identified on this page as follow-up contacts or CTAHR food-safety coaches, Vanessa Troegner is
with CTAHR’s Agricultural Development in the American Pacific Project; Tetsuzan ‘Benny’ Ron is the Aquaculture
Program Coordinator, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education, University of Hawai‘i at
Mānoa; RuthEllen Klinger-Bowen is with the Aquaculture Development Program, Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture;
Darren Okimoto is with the Sea Grant College Program, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa; B. K. ‘Kai’ Fox is with the
Education Department of UH’s Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology; and Glenn Martinez is the proprietor of Olomana
Gardens in Waimānalo, O‘ahu.
Acknowledgments
Mahalo to Albert Louie, Robert Coffey, and Dr. James Rakocy for review and comment. Funding for the development
of this publication came from the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture and the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation.
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