FY24 Food Safety Education Grant Recipients Announced

By Andi Anderson

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) has unveiled the recipients of the 2023-2024 Food Safety Education Fund (FSEF) grants. These grants are intended to bolster food safety training for the food industry and its regulators while also focusing on educating consumers about food safety.

The FSEF Grant Program allocates competitive grants in line with the state's fiscal year, running from October 1 to September 30. For the FY24 grant cycle, additional one-time funds from the Dairy and Food Safety Fund were utilized to supplement the FY24 FSEF grants awarded to industry stakeholders.

The FSEF Grant Program places funds into the hands of those directly involved with food safety, including restaurant and retail grocery store workers who handle food and consumers. The fund's establishment is rooted in the Michigan Food Law of 2000, as amended, Sec. 4117, and is sustained through assessments of $3.00 to $5.00 from licensing fees paid by Michigan food establishments.

MDARD received a total of 14 grant proposals, seeking funds totaling $481,443. Out of these proposals, nine projects were selected for funding, amounting to $301,475, with $237,475 from the FSEF and an additional $64,000 from the Dairy and Food Safety Fund. Of the awarded amount, $129,979 is allocated for consumer food safety education, and $171,496 is designated for food service employees and regulatory staff from MDARD and local health departments responsible for enforcing Michigan's food regulations.

The 2023-2024 Food Safety Education Fund grant recipients include:

• Great Lakes Conference on Food Protection: Funding for training and scholarship programs for state and local food safety regulatory staff - $26,000.
• Michigan Dairy Industry Conference: Support for milk safety training and education for dairy industry and regulatory staff - $5,000.
• Michigan Environmental Health Association: Allocation for food protection training for environmental health professionals - $33,000.
• Michigan Farmers Market Association: Support for food safety education at Michigan community-driven marketplaces in 2024 - $63,479.
• Michigan Farmers Market Association: Funding for comprehensive, accessible licensing and food safety education for Michigan farmers market managers - $32,596.
• Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association: Development of policies for handling vomit and diarrhea, including a $9,000 in-kind match - $22,200.
• Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association: Support for food processing, including a $14,500 in-kind match - $30,500.
• Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association: Implementation of a multi-media food safety education campaign for consumers, industry, and regulators, including a $32,500 in-kind match - $66,500.
• Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association: Allocation for sesame allergen awareness, including a $6,000 in-kind match - $22,200.

For valuable food safety resources for both consumers and food industry professionals, including materials developed from previous Food Safety Education Fund grants, please visit or

For more information or inquiries, please contact the MDARD Food and Dairy Division at 800-292-3939.

Photo Credit: gettyimages-songdech17