The Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) Wants to Hear from You!
Important Notice: New License and Permit Surcharge
As part of our ongoing efforts to improve our services, the MDA is introducing a license and permit surcharge (MINN. STAT. 17.033). This surcharge is an application processing charge that will be added to all licensing and permitting applications and renewals beginning Jan. 1, 2025. The surcharge will be calculated as 5% of the license or permit fee, with a minimum charge of $5.
The surcharge is supporting the modernization of our technology systems, which will provide better online services and more efficient processing of applications. The collected funds will be dedicated to updating our electronic systems, making it easier for you to interact with us and access the services you need.
More information can be found on the MDA at: Food Licenses webpage.
Food Licensing Modernization & Potential Improvements
The MDA is evaluating potential improvements to our food licensing structure. Our goal is to update the food license categories and the related license fees. This may reduce the number of licenses a food business requires. We are not intending to change when a license is required, nor to modify exemptions or exclusions to food licensing. We are also not intending to change the food safety rules that apply to current food businesses.
Our desired outcomes include:
- Simplification
- Improved business access
- Capability for business innovation
- Flexibility for business adaptability and evolution
- Correlation to food safety risk
- Sustainability for program funding
As part of our consideration process, we have been gathering input from our partners, collaborators, and stakeholders throughout this year.
We have used this input to develop a potential model for MDA food licensing in Minnesota. We would like to continue to hear your input on this model before we plan on how to move forward with next steps in 2025.
Be sure to check this webpage often for additional updates and to read the Stakeholder Input of the Food Licensing Model Report (PDF) to learn more about the input shared during this process.
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Keep Food Safe During and After Flood Events
The MDA has resources available for businesses experiencing flooding. If your food business has been impacted by flooding, use these checklists as you work to recover:
Additional Resources
Questions
Food & Feed Safety Main Line
651-201-6027 MDA.FFSD.Info@state.mn.us
Emergency (Fire, Flood, Natural Disaster, etc.) or Complaints
Food complaints: 651-201-6064 or after hours 651-201-6027 Reporting Foodborne Illness: 1-877-FOOD-ILL Food Emergencies State Duty Officer: 1-800-422-0798
Grants Available to Minnesota’s Agricultural and Food Related Industries
Each year the MDA’s Agricultural Marketing and Development Division administers grants, including grants associated with the Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Program. The AGRI Program supports the advancement of Minnesota’s agricultural and renewable energy industries. AGRI has made significant economic impacts by increasing productivity, improving efficiency, and assisting the development of agricultural products. Grant opportunities open throughout the year and each grant has specific requirements for application. Check back throughout 2025 to find grant opportunities administered by AGRI, or view a list of all grants available from the MDA.
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Minnesota Grown Retailer of the Year Winners Announced
Eight Minnesota retailers who demonstrate excellence in locally grown and produced products have been named a 2025 Minnesota Grown Retailer of the Year by the MDA’s Minnesota Grown program, in partnership with the Minnesota Grocers Association (MGA). Along with awards given by region, a new beer, wine, and spirits award was given to recognize excellence in liquor stores.
This year’s winners include:
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Northwest: Hugo’s Family Marketplace, Thief River Falls
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Northeast: Super One Foods, Duluth Miller Hill
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Central: Chris’ Food Center, Sandstone
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Southwest: Jim’s Market, Canby
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Southeast: Rushford Foods, Rushford
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Twin Cities: Lunds & Byerlys, Apple Valley
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People’s Choice: Festival Foods, Andover
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Beer, Wine, & Spirits: Mackenthun’s Fine Foods, The Cove Wine & Spirits, Minnetrista
“We applaud these grocers and their employees for their leadership in offering Minnesota grown foods and products,” said MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen. “When shoppers have access to more foods grown and raised by their neighbors, it’s a win for everyone - Minnesota’s farmers, grocers, and communities alike.”
To read the full press release and information on the 2025 contest selection and next year’s contest visit the Minnesota Grown website.
Local and Regional Markets
Minnesota's agricultural landscape includes a vibrant mix of farms and agribusinesses that sell into local and regional markets, generating an estimated $184 million in economic activity each year.
According to the 2017 Census of Agriculture, we have about 3,500 farms that sell directly to consumers, while more than 630 sell directly to retail outlets like grocery stores, restaurants, schools, and other institutions. Some of these larger-scale buyers may buy directly from farmers, while others use a growing array of wholesalers, food hubs, and distributors.
The MDA helps farmers, consumers, and wholesale buyers connect with each other. We manage the Minnesota Grown licensing and promotion program, work with innovative producers to build and expand existing markets, and partner with communities and organizations to strengthen our local and regional food systems.
You can learn more about services the MDA offers to all entities along our local and regional value chains on our website.
The Retail Food Program Wraps up Another Year of COOL Reviews
The Retail Food Program has finished its 16th year conducting Country of Origin Label (COOL) retail surveillance reviews under agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Approximately 60 reviews throughout the State of Minnesota are conducted by five inspectors each year. The inspectors receive training for conducting COOL reviews and must pass a final exam before beginning the reviews. The location and number of reviews are assigned to the MDA by the USDA. The MDA is reimbursed for time spent conducting the reviews.
COOL is a labeling law that requires retailers, such as full-line grocery stores, supermarkets, and club warehouse stores, to notify their customers with information regarding the source of certain foods. Food products covered by the law include muscle cut and ground meats: lamb, goat, and chicken; wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish; fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables; peanuts, pecans, and macadamia nuts; and ginseng.
For fact sheets, frequently asked questions, or to obtain more information, please visit the USDA Country of Origin Labeling webpage.
Plan Review Customer Experience Enhancements
The MDA FFSD Review Team consists of members who specialize in knowledge about plan review and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) requirements. Members from each specialty have been learning about and applying the Agile concepts to make small incremental process improvements over the last nine months to enhance customer experiences. Customers from the private food industry have taken anonymous surveys or been directly interviewed to give us a better understanding of where we could make small improvements to the submittal and review process.
Completed projects since August 2023:
- Status notifications - based on the customer feedback, the team was able to develop push notifications that would let customers know the status of their plans during the review process. Customers who provide an active email address will receive these notifications.
- Continuous feedback loop - another new feature includes a three-question anonymous survey for customers to provide their overall feedback with the option of signing up for an in-depth one-on-one interview with the review team. The intent of the in-depth interview is to gather more specific feedback from customers and allow the review team to identify other areas of improving customer experiences that may not have been known. A survey is emailed with each completed plan review letter to the customers.
Project under construction:
- Based on customer feedback, the team is currently developing new webpages that are designed to provide customers more knowledge upfront about what food business operators would need to consider or address before a food license could be issued.
As we gather more feedback from stakeholders, we’ll continue to develop and refine our projects to improve the overall customer’s experience.
The Retail Food Program Wants to Hear about Your Inspection Experiences
The Retail Food Program requests a short voluntary survey be completed after routine inspections. An internet address is provided in the comments section on every routine inspection report, or an inspector may also present a QR code for mobile access to the survey. The Retail Food Program Inspection Survey takes approximately five minutes to complete and is used to evaluate the quality of your inspection experience to inform the Retail Food Program how we can improve our inspection services and resources provided to businesses.
Retail Food Program Staffing Update
You will be seeing some new names and faces in the Retail Food Program this year.
- Four Agricultural Specialist/Advisor (Retail Food Inspectors) positions have been filled in the past year throughout the State, two in southern Minnesota, and one each in central and northern Minnesota.
- The onboarding program that the new retail food inspectors undergo includes online studies, classroom work, and a series of Joint Training Inspections (JTI) with senior-level inspectors. As a result, you may have two or more retail food inspectors present during your inspections throughout the year.
- Two more Agricultural Specialist/Advisor (Retail Food Inspector) positions are vacant, check the State of Minnesota Careers website frequently for position openings.
- Ray Starin accepted the position as a Plan Review Compliance Officer in July 2024. Ray brings several years of retail experience to the Plan Review position, having been with the department for 11+ years as an inspector and specifically the Retail Food Program since 2016 as an Ag Consultant, and then a HACCP Consultant since May 2020.
Outreach Activities
AFDO Annual Educational Conference
Retail Food Program Manager Kim Carlton, Retail Food Standards Compliance Officer Raymond Starin, Produce Safety Manager Nicole Baysal and FFSD Director/AFDO President Katherine Simon presented at the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) Annual Educational Conference in Grand Rapids, MI. The conference is held each year and hosts workshops, training opportunities, and educational sessions presented by subject matter experts to provide continuing and advanced education in the areas of food safety, food manufacturing, produce cannabis, and body art.
Pictured Center Back Row: Raymond Starin with the AFDO Retail Specialized Process Mentorship Group that presented at the conference.
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MEHA Spring Educational Conference
Several inspection staff, supervisors and manager from the Retail Food Program attended the Minnesota Environmental Health Association’s (MEHA) Spring Education Conference in northern Minnesota. Retail Food Inspection Supervisor Ian Erickson presented at the conference covering the topic of edible mushrooms. The conference is held in spring each year and hosts educational sessions presented by subject matter experts to provide continuing education in the area of food safety, food manufacturing, produce, cannabis, and body art.
Star Tribune: Federal Funds Help Launch Halal Goat Meat Slaughterhouse in Central Minnesota
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For years, Greg Wierschke built up the nation's only mobile, federally approved poultry slaughter unit in the country, processing birds across rural Minnesota.
Now with a $1 million infusion, he's establishing a halal goat meat slaughterhouse in Willmar, Minnesota.
"We've learned there is a need for goat processing, especially halal [in Minnesota]," said Wierschke, who runs Elk River-based Clean Chickens and Co. with his wife, Rebecca.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday awarded him a $1,026,730 grant, which will provide 30 percent of the funds to establish a brick-and-mortar halal processing center in Willmar.
Read the full story
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More than 165K Pounds of Ground Beef Recalled Due to Possible E. coli Contamination
More than 165,000 pounds of ground beef has been recalled due to potential E. coli contamination.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Wednesday that the Detroit-based Wolverine Packing Co. had recalled approximately 167,277 pounds of ground beef products -- both fresh and frozen -- that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.
"The problem was discovered when FSIS was notified by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture of a group of ill persons who had reported that they consumed ground beef prior to their illness," the FSIS stated.
Read the full article
Lettuce Connect
Food & Feed Safety Main Line
651-201-6027 MDA.FFSD.Info@state.mn.us
Licensing & Registration Food & Feed Safety
651-201-6062 MDA.Licensing@state.mn.us
HACCP/Variance Questions & Plan Review
Retail HACCP and Variance: MDA.HACCP.Variance@state.mn.us
New Construction or Major Remodels: 651-201-6194 MDA.Plan.Review@state.mn.us
Licensing Questions New Business: 651-201-6081 MDA.FoodLicensingLiaison@state.mn.us
Emergency (Fire, Flood, Natural Disaster, etc.) or Complaints
Food complaints: 651-201-6064 or after hours 651-201-6027
Reporting Foodborne Illness: 1-877-FOOD-ILL
Food Emergencies State Duty Officer: 1-800-422-0798
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