MDARD Announces FY25 Food Safety Education Fund Grant Program Recipients

LANSING, Mich. - Today, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Director Tim Boring announced recipients of the 2024-2025 Food Safety Education Fund (FSEF) grants. This year, nine recipients will receive more than $300,000 in grants as part of the competitive selection process.

"MDARD is committed to ensuring food safety and protecting our food supply chain for the health and well-being of all Michiganders," said Boring. "We're proud to provide ongoing investment in the state's food safety net thanks to the bipartisan budget support from the Governor and Legislature. Ensuring food safety and preventing foodborne illness is a multi-step process from farm to table, and everyone plays a role. Education, training and outreach are vital steps in that process."

The FSEF Grant Program empowers those who directly engage with restaurant and retail grocery workers, as well as consumers puts funds into the hands of those with direct contact with restaurant and retail grocery store workers who handle food, and with consumers. The 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 licensing fees paid by Michigan food establishments. 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.

MDARD received 15 grant proposals requesting funds totaling $464,344. The department awarded $312,203 to nine projects.

The 2024-2025 Food Safety Education Fund grant recipients are:

• Great Lakes Conference on Food Protection (Training and Scholarship Fund) - $35,500
• Michigan Dairy Industry Conference (Training Scholarship Fund) - $5,000
• Michigan Environmental Health Association (Food Protection Training for Environmental Health Professionals) - $35,000
• Michigan Farmers Market Association (2025 Food Safety Education at Michigan Community-driven Marketplaces) - $75,952
• Michigan Farmers Market Association (Providing Food Safety Education for Young People) - $38,124
• Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association (Multi-media with matching funds) - $47,000
• Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association (Food Truck Manager Guide - includes matching funds) - $22,000
• Michigan State University Extension (Safe Food + Healthy Kids 2.0) - $37,889
• Oakland County Health Department (New Owner Packet Translation) - $15,738

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.

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