LANSING – State Representative Kate Ebli (D-Monroe) today announced that Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm has signed into law a plan tightening rules on food preparation and establishing certification requirements that would help prevent the spread of food-borne illnesses.
"This law is important to Michigan because it brings our state's regulations in line with federal requirements," Ebli said. "By putting this law in place, we are performing one of the most important services we can, and that is to protect public health."
When the Michigan Food Law was enacted in 2000, it marked the most significant overhaul of the state's food safety measures in 35 years. At the time, the law adopted the 1999 version of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Food Code as the standard for grocery and food service establishments. This law adopts the 2005 federal Food Code to bolster Michigan's Food Law.
"High-risk practices can result in a wave of illnesses, such as norovirus, with hundreds of people at a time becoming sick and missing valuable work time – which is not only a public health threat, but a drain on the economy," Ebli said. "By averting future outbreaks of food-borne illnesses, we will strengthen our workforce, boost our economy and protect jobs. Michigan needs this food safety law."
The legislation has received support from many organizations, including the Association of Food and Petroleum Dealers, Michigan Grocers Association and Michigan Restaurant Association.
The proposed measures include:
- Requiring that all food service establishments employ managers who are certified as having passed an accredited food safety exam.
- Clarifying when to restrict an ill employee from work and when to allow an employee to return to work.
- Requiring food managers to demonstrate knowledge of the control of food allergens.
- Tightening controls of bare-hand contact with food to prevent the spread of disease.