As part of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s commitment to food safety, seven grants for food safety education and training have been awarded.

Noting the importance of a safe food supply and the need to protect public health as well as helping to grow Michigan’s $104.7 billion food and agriculture economy, Tim Slawinski, MDARD director of the Food and Dairy Division, says, “This grant program puts funds into the hands of those who have direct contact with restaurant and retail grocery store workers who handle food, and with consumers, to assure a well-trained workforce and informed public.”

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 to $5 from each Michigan food establishment license. The grant program is designed to provide food safety training and education to consumers, and training and education to food service establishment employees and agents of the director who enforce Michigan’s food regulations.

The department received a total of 18 grant proposals, requesting funds totaling $684,025. Of those, MDARD awarded seven projects totaling $218,250. The 2019 Food Safety Education Fund grant recipients are:

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 michiganfoodsafety.com or michigan.gov/foodsafety. For more information, contact the MDARD Food and Dairy Division at 800-292-3939.

Source: MDARD, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.