Group: Detroit lacks healthy food

Detroit— Ninety-two percent of food options in the city come from party and liquor stores, forcing residents into making nutrition choices in unsafe and unsanitary conditions, according to a report released Thursday.

The report was issued by Metropolitan Organizing Strategy Enabling Strength, a group that advocates improving Detroit residents’ access to healthy food.

Its random surveys of 207 Detroit stores found 38 percent sold expired food and 22 percent sold expired meat. The study also found 22 percent of the stores sold decaying fruits and 18 percent sold poor-quality vegetables.

Those stores are often filthy, the report said, putting the most vulnerable Detroiters — the poor and children — at risk.

The group presented its findings Thursday to about 200 people, including residents and public officials. U.S. Rep. Hansen Clarke, D-Detroit, state Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, and Detroit City Council members Andre Spivey and Brenda Jones attended the session at the Colors-Detroit restaurant on E. Grand River Avenue.

“City residents are stuck between a rock and a hard place,” said Minsu Longiaru, who spearheaded research from September 2010 through May. “On one hand, people are being told to make healthy choices. But if you look at the food environment, those options are not available and not equally available to all.”

In 2008, the city’s last two Farmer Jack stores closed, leaving Detroit without a major chain grocery store. Independent stores such as Mike’s Fresh Market or Foodland are among the options some city residents use for groceries. Still, city residents spend nearly $200 million a year on groceries in stores outside the city, according to the report.

“It is a challenge because the assumption is we are not interested in the fresh foods that come from a marketplace or the type of range of food that you can find at some of the more suburban areas,” said George Davis, 43, who lives on the city’s west side.

City resident Quincy Jones says Detroiters need to know about the quality independent stores in their neighborhoods.

“The reason why gas stations are more convenient is because they are on every corner,” said Jones, head of the Osborn Neighborhood Alliance. “Once we start giving more awareness to independent stores, people will start shopping there.”

dnichols@detnews.com

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