John Baker’s passion for food began well before he became a chef or even attended culinary school. In fact, it started in a country where many people find deep passion for food.
“I think I fell in love with food when I was in the military and stationed in Italy,” said Baker, who was in the Navy for 20 years before retiring. “I had never really been to the Olive Garden or places like that, and after I came home, I took my family there, and was like … I can make better foods than this at home after seeing how they use fresh, simple ingredients in places like Sicily and all over there (Italy).”
Baker’s experience in the military eventually took him places all over the world, including several stops in Europe, Korea, the Middle East, and Japan. Those experiences gave him a strong understanding of international cuisine, which then helped inform his post-military career as a chef. The Chicago native has worked in restaurants and as a personal chef, but had more recently considered himself to be mostly retired.
A trip to Flint sparked a new mission for him, though. This one also was focused on his passion for food, but it was combined with something else: anger.
He had arrived in the city late at night and stopped at a gas station near downtown to grab something to eat and drink. He bought a drink, then after opening it and noticing it tasted bad, he saw the product was long past its expiration date. After bringing up the issue inside the store, he was further frustrated when they didn’t offer a refund or replacement product.
That interaction didn’t just leave a bad taste in his mouth, though. It sparked an interest in seeing how many residents in Flint deal with similarly bad products at local stores – and feel powerless to do anything about it.
Connecting in Flint
Baker began coming to Flint about three years ago through Flint Public Art Project board member Sandra Branch.
“She invited me to come and cook for the artists,” Baker said. “I’ve been doing that for about three years now.”
Along the way, Baker also became a property owner in Flint, living near the College Cultural Neighborhood. But he travels a lot, and estimates he’s only in Flint a week or so out of every month. His interaction at the gas station caused him to start visiting other stores throughout January, checking for expired food or food that looked like it wasn’t healthy to consume, and sharing what he found on his Facebook page.
At several stores in the city, he found and took photos of products, usually different types of meat, that had passed its expiration date, or if it was not expired, had discoloration or other issues that raised alarm bells for him as a chef from a food safety perspective. As he shared examples he found, he also began receiving messages from other residents who had similar experiences at stores. That’s what prompted him to try to do more.
“The thing is, I’m blessed to be retired from the military and to have had a civilian job where I also retired, and it’s still getting residual things,” Baker said. “I’ve done things that have made my life easier, so I can just go shopping somewhere else. But what about single moms out here that have children and have to go to these stores and they have to ride a bus, or they have to take an Uber, you know? You get there, you spend your money, you get home, and 20 percent of your food isn’t right. So even just to come and complain, just to bring your food back, you have to spend more money.”
Baker began combining his efforts to show instances of bad products on shelves with efforts to call attention to the issue. He reached out to people locally and even in his network beyond Flint to share on their personal platforms. He began speaking at Flint City Council Meetings and meeting individually with Council members.
“It is a very important issue, especially with seeing how the water crisis affected so many people, and there’s certain foods that you that you can eat that can help combat some of the pollutants or sicknesses caused by (lead in) the water,” said Michael Clack, a Flint resident and former School Board member who is running for state representative in the 70th district. “Being able to have access to healthy food is extremely important. I appreciate the fact and the way that John has come along and shined light on the situation.”
Baker’s efforts have, as a start, at least resulted in local elected officials having increased awareness of the issue.
“Everyone deserves safe food,” said Councilwoman Tonya Burns, who represents the city’s sixth ward, during a City Council meeting last month. “There are grocery stores (in Flint) I have never eaten from and never will.”
Baker also began contacting different government and regulatory agencies and sharing how to file complaints with residents. That persistence is something Clack said is vital to getting issues addressed in Flint.
“I think it’s extremely important for residents to take John’s initiative and use it as motivation,” Clack said. “Residents do have power. We are the voice, we are the tax-paying citizens. Your voice is important, and when there is an issue or a topic that you feel strongly about, voice your opinion and let people know.”
Fighting for Solutions
Awareness is one thing, but Baker also has been focused on providing the community with information to take action. The same burdens that some people have in being able to get to and from stores to advocate for what they need also exist within government. Baker found that same thing initially, getting referred between city, county, state, and federal agencies as the right places to address his concerns.
“I’m trying to cut out all the red tape,” Baker said. “It took me three weeks coming to the Mayor’s office, the health department, sending me to the Department of Agriculture where I finally found out how to make a complaint. I spoke three times at the City Council.”
What he eventually found, though, is a relatively simple process for residents to report suspected violations to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD). Part of MDARD’s role is inspecting retail food establishments. These inspections happen once per year, or once every couple of years based on risk, according to MDARD spokesperson Lynsey Mukomel.
Mukomel said that the first step if consumers notice a problem is to try and bring it to the attention of the store. Several of the stores in Flint that Baker visited are small businesses, so sometimes simply alerting a staff member can solve the issue. However, if those problems are not addressed, or if the issues are recurring, those can be reported to MDARD’s online complaint system and reporting form.
“We understand our inspection results are just a snapshot in time and problems may arise between inspections,” Mukomel said. “That’s why we rely on consumers to be advocates and report issues when they see them. Consumer complaints help make us aware of adverse conditions in stores.”
Through the form, MDARD collects information that includes the type of complaint, name and location of the establishment it occurred at, and date, time, and other specific details or photos if available (although photos don’t have to be submitted). People filing complaints can also leave their contact information if they wish to receive a follow-up call. Complaints can also be submitted by email to MDARD-Complaints@Michigan.gov or by phone to MDARD’s call center at (800) 292-3939, although using the submission form helps expedite the process.
People who do wish to be contacted for follow-up will be contacted by an inspector to let them know they have or are responding to a complaint, but not all details can be shared if an investigation is ongoing. Reports from closed retail inspections are available online through MDARD’s MI Safe system.
MDARD’s focus is on compliance assistance, to help or support establishments in addressing issues found during inspections, allowing follow-up time for corrective actions, and additional inspections as needed. Regulatory responses by the state vary by severity, risk to the public, and frequency of occurrence, among other factors.
“Violations are handled based on risk to public health,” Mukomel said. “Anything that poses an immediate health risk will be addressed immediately through seizure and destruction of adulterated products, placing a license limitation on the business to limit activities to what can be done safely, or similar responses. If problems persist, regulatory response follows a progressively more serious response, including fines, administrative hearings, and legal actions.”
Mukomel also shared some additional information that could be of use to consumers, including:
- It is not illegal to sell outdated foods, as long as they are wholesome and are identified as being past their expiration date.
- There are no federal regulations requiring date labels on food, with the exception of infant formula. However, it is mandatory to include expiration dates on certain food labels in Michigan.
- Food date labels can be confusing. Terms like “Best By,” “Use By,” and “Sell By” often leave consumers unsure of their meaning. Most date labels on food packages don’t indicate the safety of a food—rather they refer to quality, meaning the food’s best flavor and texture.
- You don’t have to throw away food just because it’s past the date on a label. Use caution with highly perishable foods like fresh meat, poultry, and fish. These foods will list a “Use by” or “Freeze by” date to guide you with the timeline for their use. Trust your judgment, and if uncertain, remember the golden rule: “when in doubt, throw it out!”
- The USDA’s FoodKeeper app provides information on long to store foods in the pantry, fridge, or freezer to maintain optimal quality and reduce food waste.
- Always, follow proper food handling, cooking and storage recommendations to ensure your food stays safe to eat. Keep your refrigerated foods safe by storing them at 40˚ F or lower. Use a thermometer to check that you’ve safely cooked your meats to the recommended safe minimum internal temperature.
- Check Packaging: Always inspect the packaging for any signs of spoilage, like bulging cans, damaged seals, leaky packaging, and mold regardless of the date.
- Use Sensory Cues: For items with a best before date, also use your sight, or smell to help determine if the food is still good.
Exploring Flint’s Food Scene
Baker’s social media feed has not just been about raising awareness of food safety issues he’s encountered in the city. He has also worked to lift up and promote other stores and restaurants in the city he’s found doing things well.
He visited the North Flint Food Market, a recently opened community-owned, full-service cooperative grocery store on the northside. It provides fresh, affordable produce, meat, and dairy, as well as freshly prepared meals. Baker was highly impressed.
“It was beautiful, a breath of fresh air,” he said, but also noted that transportation issues for people on fixed or low incomes in other parts of the city could also make accessing it difficult.
“People should be able to expect quality food (like at North Flint Food Market) in their neighborhood stores too,” Baker said.
Baker also visited Seoul Market, the only Asian grocery store in Flint, located on Corunna Road. He met the owners, the Park Family, and shared videos of learning differences between noodles on their shelves, preparing a traditional dish, and other authentic products and food they offer there.
In the Flint Farmers’ Market, he found “the best mac and cheese in Flint” at Say Cheese 810, and also loved Beirut Restaurant and Grocery Store.
His purpose in doing this work is simply to let Flint residents know they deserve good things, and that when food does not meet healthy or safe standards, they have the right to demand and expect better.
“People have adopted a kind of Stockholm syndrome, where they are used to what’s going on and don’t expect anything to change,” Baker said. “I have the time, I can come up here and make noise. I come here in peace and I don’t have any agenda, I don’t want any money, I don’t want anything, I just want to be able to go two minutes from my house and get a piece of fish that’s okay to eat. I’m not a politician. But whatever I gotta do to get the (bad) food out now, that’s my mission. Get the rotten food and the stuff that’s two weeks old out now.”
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