News file photo

ALPENA — District Health Department No. 4 (DHD4) leadership said that they must comply with state-level requirements when regulating vendors serving food and drink.

This includes minors with lemonade stands at farmer’s markets.

On Monday, Cam Cavitt, R-Cheboygan, criticized the health department for requiring children selling lemonade at a farmer’s market in Rogers City to purchase a temporary food permit. He followed up the press release with a video that also called out local health department officials.

“We need the health department to simply leave them alone,” Cavitt said in the release on Monday.

Chelsea Engle, DHD4 health administrative officer, told The News on Monday that the health department is required by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) to issue permits to vendors selling food and drinks to the public. She said that there are no expectations for age, unfortunately.

“Every local public health department’s job is keeping the community healthy,” Engle said in an email on Friday.

Cavitt told The News Wednesday that he would support any legislation that would waive permit fees for minors who want to make a few dollars by running things like a lemonade stand.

Engle explained that part of DHD4’s job is to oversee establishments that serve food and drinks. In doing so, the health department tries to mitigate illnesses that occur if the public consumes contaminated food or drinks.

“Anything you eat or drink can be contaminated if it is not sourced, handled, and prepared correctly,” Engle said. “Most people have, at some point in their lives, experienced what happens when they consume bad food or drink. Whether it was at home or at a restaurant or from a grocery store, it’s no fun at best, and potentially life-threatening at worst.”

Engle added that the responsibility to protect the public’s health falls on the health department no matter the location that food and drinks are served.

“Local public health’s responsibility includes making sure food and drink at public venues is handled, stored, and prepared according to set regulations,” she explained. “These are not local regulations – it is Michigan Food Law, overseen by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.”

Engle said that as the farmer’s market season returns, the health department will oversee vendors to ensure that goods are safe to eat.

“When our farm market season returns, everyone can go there confident that the food they buy has been sourced and handled properly, because every registered food and drink vendor is permitted and their operation inspected by food safety professionals,” Engle explained.

She stated that every vendor at the farmer’s market in Rogers City, where the children sold lemonade, has worked with the Rogers City Downtown Development Authority director to properly register their booth.

“Food and drink vendors can pay a one-time fee or, if they plan to attend all year, they can get a Transitory Food Permit, which costs much less, but it involves a conversation with health inspectors to review how to handle and store food safely,” Engle added. “That is our established program, and all the details about it are publicly available. The market doesn’t make exceptions to these laws for anyone. We take our job seriously, because nobody wants to get sick.”

Engle stated that certain safeguards must be put into place when selling food or drink to the public, even if children are the ones selling lemonade. She added that there are different standards between children selling lemonade from a stand at home to them selling lemonade at a market on city property.

“The difference between a lemonade stand at the end of someone’s driveway and a lemonade vendor at a farmer’s market on city property is one of them is a registered vendor at a community event and their operation has been inspected to make sure nobody is at risk from the product,” Engle explained. “We don’t mind minors working with food, but as with any commerce-based transaction in America, there must be an adult standing behind them, taking care of their legal responsibilities.”

Engle added that staff at DHD4 enjoy farmer’s markets and appreciate what they contribute to the community. However, as an agency regulated by state and federal governments, it must comply with its statutory obligations.

“We love farm markets. They’re a great place to find fresh local offerings, and they provide opportunities for entrepreneurs of all ages,” Engle said. “It’s a fun part of summer that our whole community gets excited about. But there is a serious side to these fun events, and it involves inspectors making sure everyone selling food and drink is following Michigan’s safe food laws.”

Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.