Is SNAP Hydroponics safe? Marco Enrico of Happy Grower’s Channel‘s response to the frequently asked question regarding the safety of vegetables grown in hydroponics and hydroponics in general.
Eating hydroponically grown food is not dangerous to your health.
ORGANIC/CHEMICAL MISCONCEPTION
There are some of us that has this misconception that “organic” = “chemical free” and anything with chemicals is bad. This is incorrect because everything around us, even our very own body are made of chemicals. This also means that not all chemicals are bad. If what it means to be organic is to be chemical free, then nothing is organic.
This is reinforced excessively by false advertising that says “organic and chemical free.” If they understand what they are saying they will not say that or maybe they say it anyway because many are often misled. Think about it: why do they give oxygen to patients in hospitals? That is a chemical made by humans in factories. Why do we put IV on patients. It’s a chemical known as dextrose. Why don’t we give them “organic” oxygen or IV since some people claim that they are more effective.
At the same time, not all that is organic or natural is good. In fact, the most poisonous substances are created by nature. For example, ricin from the castor plant and tetrodetoxin from puffer fish (thats why so many die from eating that Japanese delicacy made from puffer fish).
NUTRIENTS IN NUTRIENT SOLUTION
SNAP is composed of chemicals. Chemicals that are required by plants in order to grow. This is the same chemicals that plants get from the soil. What are these chemicals?
| Chemical Symbol | Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| C | carbon | from air (carbon dioxide) |
| H | hydrogen | from water (dihydrogen oxide) |
| O | oxygen | from water and air (oxygen/water) |
| P | phosphorus | from soil |
| K | potassium | from soil |
| N | nitrogen | from soil (not air) |
| S | sulfur | from soil |
| Trace minerals | manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), molybdenum (Mo), calcium (Ca) etc. from soil | |
These chemicals are nutrients that are required by plants. These nutrients are what is in a hydroponics nutrient solution. What ever chemicals a plant gets from soil through their roots, those are the same chemicals a plant’s root get from hydroponics. No more, no less.
SNAP HYDROPONICS IS SAFE, HYDROPONICS IS SAFER
SNAP Hydroponics is safe. In fact, hydroponically grown plants are safer in general. This is because plants grown in soil can possibly take on toxic chemical contaminants from soil like lead, arsenic, aluminum and mercury. This doesn’t happen in hydroponically grown plants because the nutrient solution doesn’t contain chemical contaminants, only chemicals that plants require.
In addition, hydroponically grown plants never touch the soil. Therefore they cannot pickup soil borne diseases like Salmonella or E. colli. Also, hydroponic farms can be built close to where to produce goes. Handling is minimal. Cleaner compared to vegetables grown in conventional farms. Chemical pesticides are not applied to them unlike soil grown plants.
SNAP has been in use in the Philippines for over twenty years. It has a flawless safety record. People from Western countries have been eating hydroponically grown produce for much longer. In fact, there are countries whose population will go hungry if they stop using hydroponics. Even in ancient times hydroponics has been in use. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon was believed to be powered by hydroponic system. The Chinampas (floating gardens) of South America cultivated ancient civilizations in that region. In conclusion, hydroponics has a long history and it has a proven safety record. The same goes for SNAP Hydroponics.