Ohio’s farmers and consumers are in good hands with
the regulatory programs of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. More
than 450 office staff and field inspectors carry out the department’s
mission of providing regulatory protection to producers, agribusinesses,
and the consuming public.
Of all of the department’s regulatory functions,
none is more important than making sure the food supply is wholesome
and safe. Most of the department’s budget is devoted to the awesome
task of making sure people don’t consume food with pathogenic
bacteria, antibiotics, pesticides or other dangerous contaminants. Read
on to find out how we are achieving this goal.
Agriculture has changed significantly over the last few
decades. Today’s agriculture is highly specialized and in many
cases, farms are becoming larger in order to capitalize on economies
of scale. But big does not automatically mean bad. Despite the high
profile of bad actors in any industry, Ohio’s livestock industry
boasts many properly managed large farms that are an asset to their
communities and good neighbors. In 2002, the Ohio Department of Agriculture
will be in charge of regulating farms with more than 1,000 animal units,
which are farms with more than 700 mature dairy cattle, 1,000 steers,
2,500 swine more than 55 pounds, or 100,000 chickens. (The Ohio Department
of Natural Resources is in charge of pollution abatement on farms with
less than 1,000 animal units.) New environmental rules that the department
is to enforce will, for the first time, require science-based, best
management practices and spell out criteria farmers must meet. This
benefits not only farmers but also neighbors and the community, who
will now know what farming practices must be followed.
For more information on the state’s new Livestock
Environmental Permitting Program, go to:
www.ohioagriculture.gov/lepp.
Since the terrorist attacks on our country, nothing has
been more important to local, state, and federal officials than safeguarding
against the new threat of terrorism. Our state’s livestock, animal
feed, and human food and water supply are all acknowledged by experts
as potential vehicles for biological attack. Some of the products used
for animal health, plant growth, pest control, and public health protection
can be misused as potential agents to attack people or places. Although
biosecurity has always been an important issue, its importance has become
paramount since the 9/11 attacks, as concerns moved from safeguarding
against an accidental biological incursion to protecting against an
intentional assault. The Ohio Department of Agriculture, the Ohio Department
of Health, and other state agencies, working together as the Ohio Security
Task Force under Lt. Governor Maureen O’Connor, labor diligently
to protect Ohio’s food supply and help prevent an accidental or
purposeful introduction of a foreign animal disease through testing,
education, training, and increased disease surveillance.
For more information on the state’s biosecurity
efforts, go to:
www.ohioagriculture.gov
and click on "Biosecurity Information."
Our farm to the table inspection approach helps assure
that the agriculture industry is held to the highest standards of integrity
and safety and enjoys the confidence of consumers in its products.
The Division of Animal Industry works closely with Ohio
veterinarians, livestock, and poultry producers and agribusinesses to
protect the health and safety of Ohio’s multi-billion dollar livestock
and poultry industries. The division is responsible for providing quick
response to an animal disease outbreak, on-going livestock and poultry
testing and inspecting to verify the absence of disease, and controlling
and eradicating animal disease in Ohio.
For more information, go to
www.ohioagriculture.gov/animal.
Animal disease diagnostics plays a crucial role in safeguarding
the public’s health and protecting Ohio’s multi-billion
dollar livestock and poultry industries. Pathology, virology, bacteriology,
and toxicology are the backbone of the animal disease diagnostic system
– and an integral part of our food safety system that starts with
healthy animals on the farm. Especially in light of the new threat of
bioterrorism, disease diagnostics is vital to the identification of
accidental – or intentional – introduction of animal diseases.
This task is handled through the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s
Animal Industry Division.
For more information, go to:
www.ohioagriculture.gov/addl.
The Consumer Analytical Laboratory (CAL) serves as the
state’s primary food safety and regulatory laboratory. CAL works
with the other ODA divisions; USDA, Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
and U.S. EPA to help assure the safety and wholesomeness of Ohio’s
food supply, as well as agricultural products for farm and home use.
For more information, go to
www.ohioagriculture.gov/cal.
The Dairy Division helps to ensure dairy products produced
and processed in Ohio remain wholesome and safe for consumption. Ohio’s
dairy farmers and processors reach millions of consumers each year with
a wide range of products, including milk, cheese, butter, cottage cheese,
sour cream, and a variety of dairy-based frozen novelties.
For more information, go to
www.ohioagriculture.gov/dairy.
The Enforcement Division provides investigative support
to ODA by conducting both criminal and administrative investigations
for all of the department’s regulatory divisions. If a business
or individual regulated by ODA fails to meet state laws or rules, the
Enforcement Division takes appropriate action through notices of violation,
letters of warning, administrative actions, and criminal prosecutions.
The division is also responsible for fleet services, maintenance, capital
projects on ODA’s campus, and oversight of the Ohio Auctioneer
Program.
For more information, go to
www.ohioagriculture.gov/enforcement.
The Division of Food Safety has consumer safety in mind.
Its primary role is to help assure a safe food supply and maintain consumer
confidence in food products processed or purchased in Ohio.
ODA food safety specialists inspect bakeries, frozen food
processors, food processors, canneries, candy manufacturers, fruit and
vegetable processors, and food warehouses across Ohio to help assure
regulations are followed. The division also responds to consumer questions
and complaints about food safety and quality.
For more information, go to:
www.ohioagriculture.gov/foodsafety.
The passage of Senate Bill 141 established the Livestock
Environmental Permitting Program within ODA. S.B. 141, signed into law
in December 2000 by Governor Taft, authorized ODA to write rules governing
construction standards for all new and existing large livestock and
poultry farms; all aspects of manure storage, handling, transportation,
and land-application by these farms; and the farms’ insect and
rodent control plans. Drafting rules was the program’s priority
for much of 2001. The rules will, for the first time, put nationally
recognized science-based best management practices in place and spell
out criteria the farmers must meet. This will benefit not only farmers,
but also neighbors who have questions and concerns about those farming
practices.
For more information, go to
www.ohioagriculture.gov/lepp.
The Division of Meat Inspection is responsible for oversight
of 209 state-inspected establishments under full inspection. The division
is also responsible for inspecting 74 "exempt-status" plants,
which provide custom processing services for individual animal owners.
All state-licensed plants are responsible for producing safe, wholesome,
and properly labeled products in a sanitary environment in accordance
with the applicable Ohio statutes and USDA regulations.
For more information, go to
www.ohioagricultue.gov/meatinspection.
The Division of Plant Industry houses the Apiary, Feed
and Fertilizer, Grain Warehouse and Seed, Pesticide Regulation, and
Plant Pest Control sections, which are responsible for many consumer-
and farmer-protection regulations, including inspecting honey bee colonies,
controlling the spread of gypsy moths and other pests, testing germination
of packaged seeds, verifying label statements on feed and fertilizers,
regulating nursery stock, and monitoring the financial stability of
grain elevators. Their goal is to hold businesses that produce, process,
and distribute plant-based agricultural products to high standards of
integrity and safety.
For more information, go to
www.ohioagriculture.gov/plant.
The Division of Weights & Measures helps assure equity
in the marketplace by administering and enforcing all laws pertaining
to true and uniform weights and measures standards. The division works
with county and city weights and measures programs to test devices ranging
from fuel meters and retail store scanners to vehicle and livestock
scales for consistent measuring standards.
For more information, go to
www.ohioagriculture.gov/weights.
Ohio is known for the quality and quantity of its amusement
parks. Ohio is also known for having one of the best ride inspection
programs in the country. The department’s Division of Amusement
Ride Safety regulates and helps to assure the safety of all rides in
Ohio.
For more information, go to
www.ohioagriculture.gov/rides.
