Consumers Urged to Use Caution with Door-to-Door Meat Sales

Agency: Agriculture and Rural Development

For immediate release: August 10, 2015

MEDIA CONTACT: Jennifer Holton, 517-284-5724 or holtonj@michigan.gov

LANSING - The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is urging consumers to
use caution when purchasing meat or poultry from a door-to-door salesperson, and to make sure the
products come from a reputable, approved source.
Although door-to-door meat sales can offer the ease of being able to shop at home, these types of
transactions can also provide an opportunity for some bad actors to take advantage of their
customers, said MDARD Director Jamie Clover Adams. Consumers should always do their
homework before making a purchase, to safeguard their health and their pocketbooks.
Consumers should follow these tips when buying meat or poultry from a door-to-door salesperson:
Be an informed buyer. Know exactly what you are buying and from whom.
Make sure all receipts and accompanying documentation are complete and include the
sellers name and address; keep a copy for your records.
Never buy meat from an unrefrigerated vehicle or from the trunk of a car.
All food must come from an approved source; have the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) seal of inspection; and include a complete and intact label identifying
the product and cut of meat, lists all ingredients, and provides the net weight of the product.
An MDARD issued decal must be conspicuously displayed on each side of the vehicle so as
to be visible when in transit and while serving the public. Decals are issued each licensing
year in different colors - BLUE for 2015.
The name and address of the business must be affixed to the exterior side of the vehicle in
letters not less than 3" high x 3/8" wide and in colors contrasting the background color of
the vehicle.
Many communities require a vendors permit to operate door to door. This is a business
license and is not a replacement for the required MDARD mobile food establishment
license.
Call your local Better Business Bureau to see if you are doing business with a reputable firm.
Door-to-door meat sales are also regulated by the Michigan Home Solicitation Sales Act,
Public Act 227 of 1971, which outlines your rights as a buyer and your right to cancel the
sale and return the product within three business days. Details of this law can be found
at http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?mcl-Act-227-of-1971.

For more information and tips regarding door-to-door meat sales, visit USDAs website
at:http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safetyfact-sheets/safe-food-handling/door-to-door-meat-sales/ct_index, call USDAs toll-free Meat and
Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854, or contact MDARDs Food and Dairy Division at 800-292-3939.