Feb 11, 2021

MDARD awards 2021 Food Safety Training and Education Grants

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development announced Feb. 11 funding for eight projects under the state’s Food Safety Education Fund grant program.

The grant program is designed to provide food safety training and education to food service establishment employees and agents of the director who enforce Michigan’s food regulations; and to increase consumer food safety awareness through outreach and educational materials.

The Food Safety Education Fund was established under the Michigan Food Law of 2000, as amended, Sec. 4117, and is funded through assessments of $3.00 to $5.00 from each Michigan food establishment license. These projects enable the development and implementation of foods safety educational resources and training curricula to help prevent foodborne illness.

A total of $265,000 was available for the 2021 grant cycle. The department received a total of 18 grant proposals, with funds requested totaling $488,121. Of the proposals received, MDARD awarded eight projects totaling $261,359. The 2021 Food Safety Education Fund grant recipients are:

• Michigan Environmental Health Association (food protection training for environmental health professionals), $31,000;
• Great Lakes Conference on Food Protection (training and scholarship funds for state and local food safety regulatory staff), $6,500;
• Michigan State University Extension (foodservice staff and buyers training on safe farm to institution purchasing choices) $22,526;
• Michigan Farmers Market Association (educate market managers and consumers on emerging safety measures), $39,200;
• Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association (target consumers / families on food safety core basics, includes matching funds), $31,000;
• Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association (resources and education for consumers and foodservice establishment employees, managers, and regulatory agents through the Michiganfoodsafety.com website, includes matching funds) $46,834;
• Michigan State University Extension (consumer awareness on purchasing hazardous illegal food sources through educational resources) $47,799; and,

• Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association (resources, PSA messaging and social media to empower consumers on food safety and take-out foods, includes matching funds), $36,500.

Food safety resources for consumers and food industry professionals, including materials developed from Food Safety Education Fund grants in previous years, can be found at www.MichiganFoodSafety.com or www.michigan.gov/foodsafety. For more information, contact the MDARD Food and Dairy Division at 800-292-3939.