May 20, 2009

LANSING - With the Memorial Day holiday right around the corner and warm summer months fast approaching, thoughts of hot dogs and burgers fresh from the grill have Michiganders heading outside for food and family fun. Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) Director Don Koivisto reminds consumers to make it a Michigan meal and support Michigan’s food and agriculture businesses.

“I encourage all consumers to get a taste of Michigan this summer. Selecting Michigan-grown and processed products helps boost our economy while supporting homegrown Michigan businesses,” said Koivisto. “So, when you are packing your picnic look for the Select Michigan™ logo in the grocery aisle, ask your local retailer, or visit an area farmers market.”

Here are a few examples of how to make it a “Select Michigan” meal:

Hot Dogs: Ball Park, Koegel, Kowalski’s Hamburger: Smithfield Beef Turkey: Michigan Turkey Producers Cooperative Brats: Alexander & Hornung Cheese: Serra Cheese, Grassfield’s Buns & Bread: Zingerman’s Bakehouse, Cole’s garlic bread, Brown’s Bun Baking Co. Vegetables: Grilled asparagus Soft Drinks and bottled water: Faygo, Vernors, Absopure Chips and snacks: Better Made, Uncle Ray’s, Kars Salsa/Sauces/Seasonings: Garden Fresh Salsa, Billy Bones BBQ sauce, DeYoung’s Fore Seasons, Mucky Duck Mustard Ice Cream: Prairie Farms Dairy, Hudsonville Ice Cream Baked goods: Grand Traverse Pie Company, Keebler, Archway

“For every dollar spent locally, three to seven different local businesses are impacted before that dollar leaves the local economy,” said Koivisto. “If every household spends just $10 per week of their current grocery budget on local foods, we’d keep more than $37 million each week circulating within Michigan. That’s not small change in today’s challenged economy.”

Thanks to modern storage techniques, delicious Michigan apples, potatoes, and onions from last year’s crop are still available at most grocery stores. Look for Michigan fruits and vegetables in your grocer’s produce section, or visit a farm market or community farmers’ market near you. For farm market locations, visit www.MichiganFarmFun.com.

MDA encourages consumers to include Michigan food products in traditional family recipes and family meals. Ingredients for those dishes are among the 200 agricultural products grown in Michigan, all of which are integral to the state’s growing agri-business sector which contributes $71.3 billion each year to the state’s economic base.

Additionally, MDA reminds consumers to follow basic food safety guidelines when making your Michigan meals to help keep family and friends healthy.

General guidelines

• Start with the basics - always wash hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before, during, and after handling food.
• Use separate utensils, cutting boards and serving dishes for raw and cooked foods, and wash thoroughly with warm, soapy water before re-using. Never serve grilled food on the same dish that held raw meat, poultry or fish.

Meat thermometer guidelines

• Use a meat thermometer to ensure foods reach safe internal temperatures because cooking by checking the color of the meat is not enough. For example, hamburgers should be cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit (F), poultry to 165 degrees F, pork to 160 degrees F and large cuts of beef to 145 degrees F for medium rare, and 160 degrees F for medium.
• Insert a meat thermometer horizontally into the center of the burger, steak or poultry for 10-15 seconds to register the internal temperature.

Additional food safety guidelines

• Carry food in a cooler with a cold pack and keep it in the shade with the lid on.
• Never leave perishable food out of the refrigerator for more than two hours. When outdoor temperatures reach 90 degrees F, food shouldn’t be left out for more than an hour.
• Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot.

For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/mda or www.foodsafety.gov, call the U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry toll-free hotline at 800-535-4555, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Information Line at 888-SAFE-FOOD or call a Michigan State University Extension office.

For information on Select Michigan agriculture promotions, go to www.selectmichigan.org, www.michigan.gov/mdamarketplace. For more information on Michigan Wines, go to www.michiganwines.com.

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(Editor’s note: This is not a complete list of all Michigan foods or companies nor does it imply an endorsement of the product.)