First National Survey of State-Level Wild Mushroom Safety Training for Retail Establishments
Brandon P. Morrill
Sanitarian
Health Department of Northwest Michigan
International Food Protection Training Institute (IFPTI)
2015 Fellow in Applied Science, Law, and Policy: Fellowship in Food Protection
Author Note
Brandon Morrill, Sanitarian, Health Department of Northwest Michigan, Environmental Health.
This research was conducted as part of the International Food Protection Training Institute’s Fellowship in Food Protection, Cohort V.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Brandon Morrill, Health Department of Northwest Michigan, 220 W. Garfield, Charlevoix, MI 49720. Email: b.morrill@nwhealth.org
Abstract
This first national survey of the food safety training and requirements regulating the use of wild foraged mushrooms in retail establishments compared 49 states to Michigan’s new training and standards using telephone interviews during the fall of 2015. In 2014, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in collaboration with non-profit partners, created a “mushroom broker” certification that defined “approved sources” and the training required to be a “wild mushroom expert”; this survey was designed to place the Michigan training in a national context. The survey found limited common ground regarding definitions and regulations among the states. While 26 states perceived wild mushroom foraging as an increasing food safety risk, only 28 states had formal or informal partnerships with relevant non-profits or academic institutions to address mushroom harvesting and only 4 states provided training for either inspectors or harvesters. The study concluded that current food safety regulation is rudimentary, fragmented, and lags behind the increasing use and associated risk of wild mushrooms. The study recommends adoption of an Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) guidance document and increased state efforts to seek ideas and models for regulation from other states to identify possible resources within their own borders for training, such as the use of academic centers or non-profit organizations.
Keywords: wild foraged mushrooms, wild mushroom expert, AFDO, safety training, retail food
Background
Commercial mushroom production in the U.S. is increasing in terms of the value of sales, which reached $1.12 billion in 2014 (U. S. Department of Agriculture [USDA], 2014). Factors influencing food choices—such as farm- or harvest-to-fork marketing, an increase in imported food products, increased immigration, and consumer willingness to try new foods—are contributing to commercial mushroom production, which, in turn, has increased the interest in foraging and harvesting of wild mushrooms.
In response to the increased use of wild mushrooms, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) 2009 Food Code in §3-201.16 Wild Mushrooms required that the product being foraged or harvested be done so by an “approved mushroom identification expert” (U. S. Food and Drug Administration [FDA], 2009). Following the adoption of the 2009 Food Code, the Conference for Food Protection (CFP) recommended that additional requirements be added—similar to shellstock tags with shellfish—so as to allow traceback in the event of a foodborne illness. The CFP also recommended creation of a national guidance document. In turn, the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) in 2014 convened an ad hoc Wild Mushroom Subcommittee in response to the perceived increase in risk. That Subcommittee was tasked with drafting a national guidance document for AFDO review by the end of 2016.
There is limited epidemiological information regarding mushroom exposures due to a lack of national surveillance data (Kintziger et al., 2011). For example, in Michigan the state Poison Control Center has tracked an average of 370 cases per year since 2004, but no data is available regarding the number of cases involved in retail sale or consumption. However, the increased demand for wild mushrooms along with the perception of increased risk led the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) to establish a set of standard requirements that defines a “wild mushroom expert” and to specify the species approved for sale with the help of Midwest American Mycological Information (MAMI), the Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA), and the Institute for Sustainable Living, Art, and Natural Design (ISLAND). These groups also developed a training program including hands-on exercises and written examinations. Most participants to date have been mushroom brokers and market managers. The all-day class provided by MAMI costs $175. If participants pass the exam, they are recognized by MDARD as a “wild mushroom expert” for a period of five years. MDARD is in the final stages of adopting guidelines regarding the wild mushroom competency of local and state inspectors. These standards and practices will include guidance regarding the use of foraged wild mushrooms in the retail setting, both farmers markets and food service, in addition to the best practices for storing and labeling.
At the same time as Michigan was developing an approach focused on training, the FDA’s 2013 Food Code was released. The 2013 Code shifted focus from mushroom identification experts to approving individual food establishments to sell wild foraged mushrooms (FDA, 2013, 2014). Given the changes in the Food Code and the increased concern with retail mushroom sales, regulators in Michigan sought to better understand how wild mushroom food safety regulation was being carried out across the nation by examining the number of foodborne illnesses related to mushrooms in a retail setting; specific mushroom training; barriers and challenges to training; resources for regulators; and statewide directives regarding wild mushroom certification.
Problem Statement
At present, there is no national overview of training for food safety regulation regarding wild mushrooms foraged for retail sale or consumption.
Research Questions
1. What wild mushroom training is available to regulatory officials?
2. What are the barriers and challenges to providing wild mushroom training to regulatory officials?
3. What are the resources available for developing wild mushroom training for regulators?
Methodology
A telephone survey was conducted with all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Respondents were identified from the Directory of State and Local Officials (DSLO) (Association of Food and Drug Officials [AFDO], 2015) whose responsibilities included retail food. The survey consisted of nine questions: the first two questions identified level of management and knowledge; the remainder of the questions quantified the respondent’s experiences with wild mushrooms; training available to them or their staff; and resources available for developing and maintaining training. The survey was conducted between November 1, 2015 and March 18, 2016. All respondents received an informed consent notice by email, along with the questions, in advance of the interview.
Results
Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia responded to the initial telephone call (56.8%). Multiple attempts were required to obtain a complete national survey. All respondents described their position in the agency or department as supervisor, manager, or executive and all were located in state departments such as Agriculture, Health, or other agency. Most respondents had responsibility over food protection in the retail setting, and a few had policy responsibility.
The difficulty in obtaining responses from roughly half of the states was associated with a lack of familiarity with wild mushroom safety. In fact, respondents—who had responsibility in their state for retail food protection—considered their knowledge of wild mushrooms as either “basic” or “nonexistent.” Only 28 respondents could identify a local association or academic organization with expertise in wild mushrooms as an actual or potential resource; only eight had an identification expert; two relied on reference books; and eight were dependent on the Internet for their knowledge. On the other hand, 26 respondents perceived wild mushroom foraging as presenting an increasing food safety risk to the public and almost every respondent stated that they would like to improve their knowledge of this area.
Another difficulty in obtaining a national picture of wild mushroom training is the lack of standardization as illustrated by Table 1. Ten states allowed wild mushroom harvesting under the 2009 and prior versions of the Food Code. Those who were using the current (2013) version of the Food Code did not allow for wild mushroom harvesting. Previous versions of the Food Code, 2009 and prior, placed the responsibility of defining “approved mushroom expert” on the State. The current Food Code (2013), §3-201.16, simply states the food establishment must be approved in order to sell wild foraged mushrooms.
Only one state, Michigan, offered training to retail operators and only six states offered training to inspectors. In each, the training was developed in partnership with local non-profits that specialized in mushroom-related activities and with universities. The remaining states cited the lack of standardization or course availability as the main barrier to the training (eight states) and the second-most cited reason was the lack of a demand for training (seven states). Those respondents who cited no demand were located in regions unconducive to mushroom growth. The third-most cited reason (five states) was they did not view wild foraged mushrooms as an approved source of mushrooms.
Conclusion
The study found that training for regulatory officials regarding retail sale or consumption of wild mushrooms is extremely limited. Most states are only now becoming aware of the extent of foodborne illness risks associated with wild mushrooms.
One possible reason for the low level of knowledge and lack of resources devoted to mushroom safety is the lack of publicized mushroom poisoning incidents. For example, only two respondents could identify a foodborne illness resulting from retail sale or service of wild mushrooms. Another reason is that epidemiological tracking of mushroom incidents at retail is either limited or nonexistent throughout the country. Another possible contributing factor is a low level of senior management interest; only seven of the respondents could identify a statewide directive or memo of any type issued by senior agency officials regarding wild mushrooms.
The barriers and challenges to implementing training begin with the lack of national uniformity regarding wild mushroom regulation. Another concern in many states is potential liability related to allowing wild mushroom sales. In these states, there appears to be a “zero tolerance” approach to wild mushroom foraging. Another barrier occurs when states define “approved source” and “wild mushroom expert” in order to relieve themselves of the training requirement for regulators, which mirrors a concern brought forth by the CFP.
Most states had not sought assistance in dealing with wild mushrooms, despite the evidence of resources for designing and implementing training available from major universities, non-profits who work to educate the public on mushroom safety, and other sources.
Recommendations
States should support AFDO’s effort, supported by other organizations, to create a national guidance document in order to foster a more proactive and uniform regulatory approach to wild mushroom use at retail.
States should also seek out and identify possible approaches to addressing mushroom safety by examining efforts in other states. For example, Michigan pioneered the use of a collaborative approach involving a multi-stakeholder working group. Other approaches might include a multi-state working group, an initiative based at a land-grant university, and a convening of stakeholders by the Partnership for Food Protection.
States should work with those in their AFDO region and neighboring states as climate and geography encourage growth of certain types of mushrooms in specific regions that encompass multiple states. In addition, the specialized nature of mushroom identification lends itself to those neighboring states pooling resources for training.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Mike Jones and Scott Kendierski of the Health Department of Northwest Michigan for their encouragement, as well as Erik Bungo and the whole AFDO Wild Mushroom Subcommittee. Many thanks to the other Fellows of Cohort V and the entire staff of the International Food Protection Training Institute for the opportunity to participate in this Fellowship Program. I would also like to thank Dr. Paul Dezendorf for guidance and input throughout the Fellowship and my mentor Charlene Bruce for her constant encouragement. Last, but surely not least, I thank all the participants for their contributions to this research and their patience with me on the telephone.
References
Association of Food and Drug Officials. (2015). Directory of State and Local Officials. Retrieved from http://dslo.afdo.org/
Conference for Food Protection. Guidance document for a model wild-harvested mushroom program. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.foodprotect.org/guides-documents/guidance-document-for-a-model-wild-harvested-mushroom-program/
Kintziger, K. W., Mulay, P., Watkins, S., Schauben, J., Weisman, R., Lewis-Younger, C., & Blackmore, C. (2011). Wild mushroom exposures in Florida, 2003–2007. Public Health Reports, 126(6), 844–852.
Michigan Regional Poison Control System. (2016). Michigan Regional Poison Control System patient statistics, 2004-2014: Wild mushroom poisoning data.
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