Podcasts

Hi. I'm State Representative Terry Brown. Welcome to my weekly update, "Talking With Terry."

Today I want to talk about an important way to help keep your family safe and healthy.  September marks the 14th annual National Food Safety Education Month. As part of this public awareness campaign, the Michigan Department of Agriculture has launched a new e-mail alert system to notify consumers when food-related recalls and warnings are issued.

Although the exact number of foodborne illness in the United States is unknown, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates as many as 5,000 deaths and 76 million illnesses each year are directly linked to foodborne illnesses. The e-mail alerts will tell consumers about Class I food recalls, which are situations where the food has been deemed unsafe or unfit for human consumption. In these recalls, the food may cause serious adverse health consequences or death if consumed. The number of Class I food recalls affecting Michigan is on the rise. Between fiscal year 2006 and 2007, the number of these recalls increased from 62 recalls to 97.

To subscribe to the email alert messaging system, visit Michigan.gov/ mdatextalerts. You can have the alert sent to your phone or PDA or to your e-mail account.

Michigan's food safety program is unique and comprehensive because all of its programs covering food regulations from farm to table are housed in one agency:  the Michigan Department of Agriculture;

Ag Department employees enforce Michigan's comprehensive food safety laws and regulate the food supply at the state's almost 18,000  food-processing plants, retail grocery stores, convenience stores, markets, and fair concessions. In partnership with local health departments, MDA staff ensures the 31,000 state licensed restaurants are serving safe food to Michigan's consumers and visitors.

I will continue working hard to make sure that the Department of Agriculture has the resources it needs to inspect our food processing and restaurant facilities and keep them safe. I am also proud to have supported laws that State Representative John Espinoza spearheaded this year that updated Michigan's milk laws. These new laws are protecting our consumers while making sure that our milk producers can remain competitive in the industry. If you would like to learn more about the milk industry legislation or my other work at the Capitol, please visit my Web site. The address is house.mi.gov/tbrown.

While you are there, I encourage you to sign up for my e-newsletter so that I can keep you informed of my work at our State Capitol.

Don't hesitate to contact me with any concerns or questions that you have. You can call me, toll-free, at (888) 254-5284. Or, you can e-mail me at terrybrown@house.mi.gov.

Thank you for listening to "Talking with Terry." Make it a great day!