Mission:  Through partnering and information transfer, BMP demonstration and case study development, more food processing companies, agricultural commodity organizations and producers will be encouraged to improve their environmental management activities.  Project objectives include increased environmental protection through source reduction, reuse and recycling and promotion of environmental marketing incentives. 

On-farm processing has surfaced as a value added opportunity through producers.  New partnerships are underway to meet and assist with this demand. 

Through the Pollution Prevention (P2) Community Grants program, DEQ has awarded a Food Processors grant to reduce Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) in the wastewater.

Overview of Food Processing Industry:  Food processing and agribusiness in Michigan is a $37 billion industry, the state's second largest, representing every phase from growing and processing to packaging, retailing, and distribution. The state has the second most diverse selection of crops in the nation producing more than 125 commodities, and leading the nation in seven commercial crops.  The target audience defined in this P2/E2 program is limited to the food processing products industry that is a manufacturing industry that processes raw or prepared animal, marine, and vegetable materials into intermediate foods or edible products.

SIC/NAICS Codes and Waste Analysis for the Food Processing Industry

P2 Definition:  Pollution prevention (p2) encompasses source reduction, reuse and recycling. 

• P2 Guide for the Food Processing Industry