How Michigan Ensures Food Safety

A vegetable and herb seller at a farmers market with a few customers.

The primary responsibility of the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD) is to assure the safety and wholesomeness of Michigan's food supply.

MDARD regularly monitors Michigan's food supply for pesticide residues, micro-organisms, and other substances that would compromise the quality and wholesomeness of the food we eat. That long-standing commitment to a safe food supply has earned Michigan a national reputation for strictly enforcing the state's food and dairy laws.

MDARD inspectors monitor Michigan's food supply at each step in the food chain and helps assure that food stays safe from the farm the farm gate to your dinner plate.

People in protective gear preparing crop duster chemicals.

Protecting Food as it Grows

Regulating Pesticides

MDARD regulates the state's pesticide industry and promotes the judicious use of pesticides on or near areas where food is grown.

People who apply pesticides must be trained, tested, and then approved by the department before they are allowed to apply the chemicals.

New rules further protect human, animal and environmental health by requiring posting and notification of pesticide spraying, safeguards, around schools and sharing more information with consumers.

Every pesticide used in Michigan must be registered and approved by MDARD. The department has denied the use of specific pesticides as being dangerous to human health.

Every complaint of pesticide misuse is investigated within 24 hours.

Protecting Soil and Water

MDARD works with Michigan's 82 Soil and Water Conservation Districts to encourage the development of "sustainable" farming programs designed to reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers.

MDARD works to protect groundwater from pesticide contamination through the Michigan Water Stewardship Program, a unique statewide partnership to provide information and assessment tools for pesticide and nitrogen fertilizer users to help them identify risks to groundwater.

Through programs like Michigan Clean Sweep, MDARD works to remove outdated pesticides and other agricultural chemicals from Michigan farms and dispose of them in licensed hazardous waste facilities. MDARD also sponsors a program to recycle used pesticide containers.

Caged chicken at a commercial poultry facility

Protecting Against Animal Diseases

Certain animal diseases, particularly those that can be passed on to humans through the food chain, such as tuberculosis, brucellosis, listerosis, and salmonellosis, by law, must be reported to MDARD's Animal Industry Division. That division operates programs that control and eliminate those diseases.

MDARD works cooperatively with USDA to eliminate Salmonella enteritidis in eggs, when it is discovered through a human outbreak confirmed by the health department or when the disease is diagnosed in a poultry flock.

Protecting Livestock

MDARD works to keep Michigan free of cattle tuberculosis as well as cattle and swine brucellosis through testing samples from slaughter plants and routine testing of bulk milk samples.

Licensing and inspection programs are conducted on all dairy farms in the state. Fluid milk plants, frozen dessert plants, milk haulers, and all others affiliated with the dairy industry are similarly regulated.

All reports of alleged toxicoses in livestock are investigated. Appropriate samples are taken for testing and, if warranted, quarantines and other measures are put in place to assure that the animals do not enter the food chain.

Food inspector staff in the prep area of a food establishment, checking items off a checklist.

Protecting Food at the Processing Plant and at the Store

MDARD's Food Safety and Inspection Program protects consumers and Michigan’s thriving food industry by ensuring that foods are safe and honestly presented through clear, consistent, and effective regulatory oversight. The team enforces the Michigan Food Law, FDA Food Code, and other federal regulations through routine inspections, complaint investigations, sample collection, and response to food emergencies.

MDARD’s Wholesale Food Section licenses and inspects 2,900 food manufacturing plants and warehouses where food is processed, stored, or distributed. This includes manufacturers of baked goods, snack foods, candy, cereal, flour, ice, beverages, fruits and vegetables, and more. On average, the inspection team conducts about 1,300 routine inspections and more than 1,000 new business inspections, follow-ups, investigations, consultations, and reviews annually.

MDARD’s Retail Food Section licenses and inspects over 17,800 food businesses including grocery stores, convenience stores, bakeries, fish and meat markets, state and county fairs, farmers markets, and other retail operations. During an average year, the retail team conducts about 7,700 routine inspections and 7,200 follow-ups, new business inspections, investigations, consultations, and reviews.

A special sampling and inspection program assures all frozen desserts and soft cheese products are free of pathogenic bacteria (e.g., Listeria, Yersinia, etc.) which can cause illness, especially in the elderly, young, and immuno-suppressed.

Dairy inspectors inspect and test all dairy products including infant formulas for detection of pesticide residues and heavy metal compounds.

Protecting Food Once It's Home

You and MDARD are partners in ensuring that your food is protected once it's at your home.

Call 800-292-3939 or e-mail us at MDARD-Info@Michigan.gov if you have a question or problem with your food when you get it home from the grocery store. MDARD will connect you with the expert you need to help you with your problem.

MDARD releases information to the media and on our website on issues that affect the food you bring home. To find out which foods have been recalled, go to Food Recalls.

Clean

Wash your hands and surfaces involved with food frequently.
Separate

Cross contamination is how bacteria can spread from one food to another. Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood and their juices away from ready-to-eat foods.
Cook

Cook food—particularly meats and eggs—to proper temperatures.
Chill

Refrigerate promptly. Set your refrigerator no higher than 40°F and the freezer unit at 0°F.

Protecting Food Throughout the Food Chain

The MDARD laboratory is one of the top pesticide and safety labs in the country and is part of a comprehensive pesticide residue testing program with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Laboratory equipment is regularly updated to permit technicians to analyze residues to minute trace amounts, including the ability to detect parts per million.

MDARD's laboratory tests fresh commodities and processed foods, including baby food, for pesticide residues.

In addition to the pesticide residue testing, MDARD's laboratory conducts microbiological and pathogen testing of food and dairy products; tests for antibiotic and other drug residues in milk; and mercury and other toxic elements in fish, dairy, and other food products.

Protecting Food as it Leaves the Farm Gate

Every year the department selects a number of fresh commodities to be tested for the presence of pesticide residues. Since the initiation of this program in 1990, results have shown that either no residues are present or if present, residues were at levels well below approved tolerance levels.

A general dairy sampling program monthly examines all dairy products for microbiological and chemical contaminants. Over 7,000 samples are processed every year.

Dairy inspectors stop drug residue-contaminated raw milk from being processed by sampling the product from each milk tanker. Dairy producers whose milk tests positive for drug residues are aggressively prosecuted.

How to Report a Food Safety Concern or Violation

If you have a question or concern about food you or your family have purchased or eaten, please contact the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development:

Are You Sick?

If you have become ill and suspect foodborne illness (sometimes called food poisoning), please seek medical attention. You can report the foodborne illness through the local health department in the county where you reside. The health department will ask you questions about your symptoms and meal history. They may find it useful to have access to leftover suspect food and its packaging. Keep it in a sealed plastic bag or container and store it in the freezer. If foodborne illness is confirmed, this food sample may be helpful in determining the source of contamination.

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