By: Don Koivisto, director, Michigan Department of Agriculture

The Michigan Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) top priority is ensuring the safety of the state’s food supply from farm to fork. A key component of this priority is the agricultural product programs, especially at the farm input level. Through the inspections of feed, seed, fertilizer, liming materials, and animal remedies, MDA assures that agricultural products and commodities are marketed fairly and are safe for their intended uses.

Michigan farmers and the agriculture industry rely on the fertilizer and seed quality assurance programs, valued at over $2.4 billion annually, to ensure high crop yields. Feed inspections are important in guaranteeing that rations for food producing animals are properly labeled and effective for their intended use; thus resulting in wholesome meat, eggs, and dairy products.

Last year, MDA staff conducted over 2,100 agricultural product inspections, investigated complaints alleging fertilizer fraud and feed-related animal deaths or illnesses, submitted 1,666 samples for laboratory analysis, and issued over 450 violation notices to ensure label guarantees and a wholesome food supply. The inspection not only involves the products, but also the processes used to create them. MDA inspectors inspect all relevant equipment, finished and unfinished ingredients, containers, and labeling.

The agricultural product programs protect Michigan farmers and the agriculture industry, while also protecting some of our best friends, our pets. In March 2007, several brands of pet food were found to be contaminated with melamine and caused illness and death in hundreds of cats and dogs nationwide. This discovery prompted the largest pet food recall in U.S. history. In response to the nationwide pet food recall, MDA conducted recall effectiveness inspections at pet food retailers and distributors throughout the state. These inspections helped ensure that all of the recalled pet food was removed from store shelves and properly disposed.

MDA inspectors may be found anywhere that feed, seed, and fertilizers are manufactured or sold, including feed mills, grocery stores, pharmacies, pet stores, and wholesale distributors.

Through its inspection and product sampling program activities, MDA helps:

• prevent adulterated grain, animal feeds, and fertilizers from entering commerce.
• prevent livestock illness and death due to adulterated or misbranded feed or animal remedies.
• prevent animal feed establishments and grain storage facilities from operating under unsanitary conditions that could endanger human and animal health.
• prevent deceptive labeling practices involving the sale of feeds, remedies, seeds, and fertilizers.
• investigate reports of animal deaths or illnesses where feed has been implicated or may be involved.
• assure that feeds, remedies, seeds, and fertilizers are properly labeled.
• guide industry relative to proper practices that assure food safety and protect consumers.
• maintain a level playing field of commerce of which wholesalers and retailers can fairly compete to sell their products.

The basic agricultural inputs of feed, seed, and fertilizer are an extremely important, but often overlooked, area of Michigan agriculture. Whether it’s inspecting pet food, vegetable seed, or fertilizer to grow corn, everyone benefits from MDA’s agricultural product enforcement programs.

To learn more about MDA’s agricultural products programs, visit our website at www.michigan.gov/mda-feed; www.michigan.gov/mda-seed; or www.michigan.gov/mda-fertilizer.