By Don Koivisto, director, Michigan Department of Agriculture

September 15, 2008

Foodborne illnesses such as this summer’s Salmonella and e.Coli outbreaks are a serious public health threat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates as many as 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths each year are directly linked to foodborne illnesses.

As part of National Food Safety Education Month, MDA recently launched a new email alert system to warn consumers almost instantly to avoid or discard recalled food products - ensuring public health is protected and maintaining the viability of the state’s food safety net.

National Food Safety Education Month is an annual consumer awareness campaign created by the food industry in 1995 to educate the public about the potential for foodborne illness. This new email service is part of a cooperative project by the departments of Agriculture and Information Technology as a way to utilize emerging technologies to better inform consumers when a Class I food recall is issued.

A Class I food recall is a situation where the food has been deemed unsafe or unfit for human consumption and if consumed may cause serious adverse health consequences or death. The number of Class I food recalls affecting Michigan continues to rise. From fiscal year (FY) 06 to FY07, MDA noted a 56 percent increase in the number of Class I food recalls affecting Michigan consumers (FY06= 62 recalls; FY07=97 recalls).

MDA employees enforce Michigan’s comprehensive food safety laws and regulate the food supply at the state’s 17,900 food-processing plants, retail grocery stores, convenience stores, markets, and fair concessions. In partnership with local health departments (LHDs), MDA staff ensures the 31,000 state licensed restaurants are serving safe food to Michigan’s consumers and visitors. Additionally, MDA and LHDs investigate foodborne illness outbreaks and other food emergencies.

Ensuring the safety of Michigan’s food supply from farm to fork is a serious responsibility in today’s global marketplace. If we’re not vigilant, food safety problems of every type can impact our food - whether it was produced here or across the globe.

To subscribe to the email alert messaging system, visit www.michigan.gov/mdatextalerts or for more information on food safety visit,
www.michigan.gov/foodsafety.