MDARD outlines food-safety work, describes avian influenza response and public-data limits

LANSING — Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development officials told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development and the Department of Natural Resources on Tuesday that the agency’s Bureau of Food Safety and Animal Health focuses on preventing foodborne illness, responding to animal-disease outbreaks and preserving market access for Michigan producers.

The agency described recent work on two large highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks in the past 12 months, retail sampling that removed suspect products from shelves, and routine inspections and training for local health departments, officials said.

Tim Slowinski, director of MDARD’s Bureau of Food Safety and Animal Health, said the bureau responds to outbreaks to contain virus spread and help affected operations recover. "We’ve had, not 2 years, the last 12 months, we’ve had 2 very large outbreaks," Slowinski said. He added that the bureau works with affected facilities "to get them on a track to recovery."

Slowinski and legislative liaison Mikaela Heffernan described several recent interventions: MDARD quickly removed an applesauce product targeted at young children from more than 325 retail locations after discovering elevated lead levels; diverted routine retail sampling to test cucumbers during a suspected outbreak and helped trace contaminated product to an out-of-state operator; and conducts routine visits to convenience stores, grocery stores and manufacturing facilities to check safety practices.

The bureau also oversees animal-disease responses beyond avian influenza. Slowinski said MDARD tested all dairy and beef operations within a 10-mile radius after a wild deer tested positive for bovine tuberculosis; the cattle tests returned negative and helped preserve the state’s split accreditation status for tuberculosis, which limits movement restrictions for most of the state while a four-county area remains a modified accredited zone.

Representative Kara DeSena asked for counts of birds that died from disease versus birds euthanized during depopulation. Slowinski said he did not have exact statewide numbers in the hearing and explained that some federal rules and Michigan law limit disclosure of location-identifying information. He told the committee he would follow up with the office to provide what can be released. "Due to the confidentiality nature ... we can’t say, ‘oh, well, it was 2,000,000 birds’ because then we’re going to know that it’s that specific flock," Slowinski said.

Heffernan pointed committee members to MDARD’s public bird-flu webpage for available totals and materials (michigan.gov/birdflu) and said the agency works with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to release as much data as lawfully possible.

Committee members also asked about baby-formula and other products for young children. Slowinski said MDARD inspects facilities and partners with federal regulators on formula testing and noted federal inspection resources typically go deeper than state inspections.

The presentation emphasized market-access work: MDARD’s dairy program supports participation in the Interstate Milk Shippers program, which states must meet to allow Grade A milk shipments across state lines, and food-safety inspections and phytosanitary work that support exports.

The subcommittee did not take formal action related to the bureau’s programs during the hearing; it received the presentations and asked for follow-up on data access and the department’s organizational chart.

A related subcommittee request: Slowinski and Heffernan agreed to follow up with members who requested more detailed data and to provide the committee the department’s reorganized chart, per a chair request.

Less critical details: Slowinski described routine sampling and accreditation work the bureau performs for local public-health partners. Heffernan and Slowinski both said MDARD aims to protect consumers and support industry through timely response and partnerships with federal and state agencies.