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Missouri Local Department of Health and Agriculture Contact Information

Missouri State Department of Health Contact Information

Most questions regarding food production, handling, sales and serving, including cottage food laws and regulations are handled by the state's local health depertment or department of agriculture, and sometimes by a city or county business registration office.

Missouri Health Department

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
912 Wildwood
P.O. Box 570
Jefferson City, Missouri 65102
Phone: 573-751-6400
Fax: 573-751-6010
Email: info@health.mo.gov.

Missouri Local Health Department Agencies and Services contacts:

Select a county or city:

[Adair] [Andrew] [Atchison] [Audrain] [Barry] [Barton] [Bates] [Benton] [Bollinger] [Boone] [Buchanan] [Butler] [Caldwell] [Callaway] [Camden] [Cape Girardeau] [Carroll] [Carter] [Cass] [Cedar] [Chariton] [Christian] [Clark] [Clay] [Clinton] [Cole] [Cooper] [Crawford] [Dade] [Dallas] [Daviess] [DeKalb-Tri-County] [Dent] [Douglas] [Dunklin] [Franklin] [Gasconade] [Gentry] [Greene] [Grundy] [Harrison] [Henry] [Hickory] [Holt] [Howard] [Howell] [Iron] [Jackson] [Jasper] [Jefferson] [Johnson] [Joplin] [Kansas City] [Knox] [Laclede] [Lafayette] [Lawrence] [Lewis] [Lincoln] [Linn] [Livingston] [Macon] [Madison] [Maries] [Marion] [McDonald] [Mercer] [Miller] [Mississippi] [Moniteau] [Monroe] [Montgomery] [Morgan] [New Madrid] [Newton] [Nodaway] [Oregon] [Osage] [Ozark] [Pemiscot] [Perry] [Pettis] [Phelps] [Pike] [Platte] [Polk] [Pulaski] [Putnam] [Ralls] [Randolph] [Ray] [Reynolds] [Ripley] [Saline] [Schuyler] [Scotland] [Scott] [Shannon] [Shelby] [St. Charles] [St. Clair] [St. Francois] [St. Louis City] [St. Louis County] [Ste. Genevieve] [Stoddard] [Stone] [Sullivan] [Taney] [Texas] [Vernon] [Warren] [Washington] [Wayne] [Webster] [Worth-Tri-County] [Wright]

Missouri Department of Agriculture

How is the Missouri Department of Agriculture involved in food safety?

Missouri's agricultural products, from raw ingredients to finished products ready for consumption, are key to food safety. The Missouri Department of Agriculture uses many tools, from outreach and training to inspections and regulations, to ensure that food is safe and wholesome.

• Dairy Programs - Missouri's State Milk Board oversees more than 1500 milk producers and processors within its authority to promulgate rules, permit, license and certify milk and milk product handlers, test facilities, vehicles and products and to condemn illegal dairy products.
• Farmers' Market Handbook - Farmers' market managers, vendors and visitors can use the Missouri Farmers' Market Handbook to learn about local and state food handling, safety and sale regulations.
• Feed and Seed Inspection Program - Through Missouri's program, facilities producing livestock feed are inspected in accordance with FDA Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) guidelines. Facilities producing food for humans and livestock are also reviewed in accordance with Good Management Practices (GMP) inspection guidelines.
• The Missouri Produce Safety Program is responsible for implementing federal requirements to reduce the incidence of foodborne illnesses. The program is a result of the federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) of 2011, which changed the focus of U.S. food supply safety efforts from a responsive to preventative approach.
• Missouri Egg Law - Under Missouri's Egg Law, the Department provides rules for the proper packing, storing and labeling eggs, including temperature requirements for transportation. Missouri also adopts USDA standards for grading and selling eggs, ensuring that producers and consumers can count on consistent marketing and quality throughout the state.
• Meat and Poultry Inspection Program - Missouri's program provides inspections and compliance reviews at a level equivalent to USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service reviews of processing facilities selling meat products within the state. The Department also provides assistance for facilities and individuals developing Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP) plans to improve their operations.
• Poultry Health & Improvement Program - Missouri participates in the National Poultry Improvement Program, providing inspections and guidance for producers on biosecurity, animal health, sanitation and assisting with consumer education efforts ranging from properly handling poultry at home to preventing disease on the farm.
• Training Opportunities - In cooperation with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and the Food and Drug Administration, the Missouri Department of Agriculture is working to make more training opportunities related to identifying and responding to food safety risks available for producers, processors, inspectors and emergency responders.

More Information

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, University of Missouri Cooperative Extension Service and federal agencies also offer great food safety resources.

• FoodSafety.gov - http://www.foodsafety.gov/
• USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service - Ask Karen! - http://www.fsis.usda.gov/ask_karen
• DHSS Food Safety Page - http://health.mo.gov/safety/foodsafety/index.php
• Missouri Food Recalls - http://health.mo.gov/safety/foodrecalls/index.php
• University of Missouri Extension Food Safety Resources - http://extension.missouri.edu/main/DisplayCategory.aspx?C=195
• Report Food Safety Concerns - https://ccms.fsis.usda.gov/

Federal - United States Department of Health & Human Services

If you are looking for the national US Department of Health, that's the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (click here for the website) and here is the mailing address and phone number:

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Hubert H. Humphrey Building
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
Toll Free Call Center: 1-877-696-6775
Note: Please be aware that mail sent to their Washington D.C. area offices takes an additional 3-4 days to process due to security precautions.