Michigan is allowing restaurants to sell packaged food at retail to help them cope with the drop in business caused by the coronavirus.
The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development announced March 30 that they are partnering to advise restaurants on how to label food and other products to allow them to be sold directly to consumers.
“Having restaurants sell typical grocery items will help support the extremely taxed grocery stores and provide customers with access to the essential food supplies they need during the Stay Home, Stay Safe executive order issued by Gov. [Gretchen] Whitmer,” Justin Winslow, CEO of the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association, said in a statement.
The MRLA is making available a labeling guide and other documents showing how retail food products must be labeled.
On a national level, the FDA has announced that it won’t object to restaurants selling food products at retail that do not have a Nutrition Facts panel on the packaging, as long as it has certain other information, including name and location of manufacturer, ingredients and allergen information.
Some Michigan restaurateurs were dubious about the value of being able to sell products to consumers.
“This may make sense for a restaurant in an urban setting with high traffic and individuals not wanting to travel to a grocery store where they can get something locally, but for us I don’t think it makes sense,” Zan Lamkin, owner of Friesian Gastro Pub in Grand Rapids, told WOOD-TV.
