DETROIT (WXYZ) — Today, the Detroit Health Department invited 7 News Detroit along for an up-close look at food safety inspections and discussed the Dining with Confidence ordinance.

RELATED STORY: Dining with Confidence ordinance passed by Detroit City Council

Dining with Confidence ordinance passed by Detroit City Council

Andre Miller, a customer at The Burger Truck said, “Anywhere you dine out. You always want it to be a nice, clean, and safe environment.”

He was pleased to learn The Burger Truck on Cass Avenue was deemed all those things after it passed its food safety inspection just minutes before his visit.

Environmental health specialist Sebrina Johnson performed the inspection.

She said inspectors must wash their hands when entering the food prep area, and “it also gives you the opportunity to make sure they have hot and cold running water.” That’s a problem Johnson said some food trucks run into.

Passing an inspection falls in line with the city’s recently passed ordinance Dining with Confidence. Businesses will be required to display a placard showing their food is safe to eat.

The Burger Truck owner Kamal Alashkar said he’s all for the ordinance.

“I’m thrilled about it because I feel like there’s… an ideology that people think food trucks are dirty just because it’s not like a restaurant that you can’t see inside of it, when it’s honestly the completely opposite. I know a lot of food truck owners that have cleaner food trucks than most restaurants,” Alashkar explained.

Detroit city councilman Scott Benson, who introduced the Dining with Confidence explained, “What sparked this for me was Popeyes Chicken on 7 Mile and Gratiot. It was Church’s Chicken on 7 Mile and Conant where you had the owners of those locations purposely selling tainted rotten food.”

He said the ordinance officially takes effect in October. Establishments like Jolly Pumpkin and Avalon on Canfield are a part of the voluntary pilot program.

RELATED STORY: Popeyes shuts down Detroit location after viral video reports roaches, unsanitary conditions

Popeyes shuts down Detroit location after viral video reports roaches, unsanitary conditions

Jolly Pumpkin and Avalon also passed their inspection.

General manager Jason Vandereyk said, “I tell my staff us managers, we implement it but they’re the ones that execute it, and I’m very proud of every one of my staff that are here.”

So what exactly are inspectors looking for?

VIDEO: Here’s the ‘Dining with Confidence’ inspector checklist

VIDEO: Here’s the ‘Dining with Confidence’ inspector checklist

Environmental health specialist Paul Barry explained, “We have all of our inspectors focus on the risk factors that might lead to a foodborne illness. So, that is proper holding of hot and cold food, proper cooking temperatures, good hygienic practices, sanitizing all their contact surfaces and food from food sources.”

If a restaurant fails to pass inspection, the city says it will get a red placard. However, as Detroit’s chief public health officer Denise Fair Razo explains, that’s not what anyone wants.

“We’re not in the business of shutting down restaurants. That’s not what we enjoy doing. What we do like to do is sit down with the restaurant and foodstuff owner, let them know that they do have violations and we’ll do whatever we can to make sure that they correct those violations, and they’re up to code again,” she said.

Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal didn’t hit the panic button after one bad start.

It’s another sign of a true ace.

Skubal, the frontrunner to win the American League Cy Young Award, allowed five runs (four earned runs) across four innings in last Wednesday’s 7-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves. In his return to the mound Tuesday, he tossed seven scoreless innings with seven strikeouts in the 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

BEAST MODE: How Tigers’ Tarik Skubal matured into an Opening Day ace with Cy Young potential

What was the biggest difference in back-to-back starts against two of the best four teams in the National League?

“Just stay consistent and continue to go about my work and focus on executing pitches,” said Skubal, who allowed three hits and one walk to the Phillies. “I don’t think I did a good job of that in my last time out, but I did a much better job with that today.”

The matchup between the Tigers and Phillies on Tuesday featured the best left-handed pitchers in baseball — Skubal for the Tigers, Ranger Suárez for the Phillies — on the mound at Comerica Park. Facing Suárez, the Tigers scored four runs with five singles in the fifth inning, whereas the Phillies never scored against Skubal.

Suárez ranks first in MLB with a 2.01 ERA in 16 starts; Skubal ranks fourth in MLB with a 2.32 ERA in 16 starts, posting 19 walks and 112 strikeouts across 97 innings.

“You know runs are going to be at a premium,” Skubal said of Suárez. “It’s not going to change my approach, but you just know that going in. I’m going to pitch the same game and put my team in a position to win. It took five innings for us to break through, and we finally did in a big way.”

NEWSLETTER: How Tarik Skubal stacks up vs. AL Cy Young winners

To take down the Phillies, Skubal used his pitch mix creatively as catcher Jake Rogers called pitches.

“Same ol’ Skub to me,” Rogers said. “He was dominant. He kept the hitters off balance. That’s a good lineup to go through. Tip of the cap to him.”

The Phillies like to swing at the first pitch, just like the Braves, but Skubal continued to throw first-pitch strikes at an elite rate. (He ranks third in MLB with a 72.1% first-pitch strike rate.) This time, Skubal stayed unpredictable with his first-pitch offerings so the Phillies couldn’t ambush him early in counts.

Entering Tuesday’s start, Skubal averaged 52.4% fastballs — either his four-seamer or sinker — on the first pitch through his first four starts in June, but the first-pitch strategy wasn’t the same in his fifth start of the month.

He threw fastballs for 12 of 23 first pitches (52.2%) to the Braves, but one start later, Skubal threw fastballs for just 10 of his 26 first pitches (38.5%) to the Phillies.

“Coming out, I noticed that they were kind of late on heaters,” Rogers said, “so I figured we’d stay with (fastball) for the first pitch to get ahead. Second time through, they were getting behind in counts and getting 0-2, and no hitter really wants to be 0-2, so I knew after that, they were going to be a little bit more aggressive, so we went more soft (changeups, sliders) early and got some weak contact.”

BUDDIES: Tarik Skubal and Jake Rogers: Friends, crossword puzzle enthusiasts, batterymates

Five of the 10 first-pitch fastballs were in the first and second innings, but Skubal didn’t throw any first-pitch fastballs in the third and fourth innings. He threw the remaining five first-pitch fastballs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

It was a masterclass in pitch-calling from Rogers.

“He’s the one pressing the buttons,” Skubal said of Rogers. “Hats off to him. He does a great job back there. I think he’s pretty creative. He knows hitters. He knows what guys are doing, tendencies, how they look in the box. My job is to go out there and execute what he calls.”

Of Skubal’s seven strikeouts, he utilized finish fastballs to end four of those plate appearances. He got his other three strikeouts with two changeups and one curveball.

As for the fastballs, Skubal froze Nick Castellanos with a down-and-in 99.5 mph sinker, blew away Cristian Pache with an elevated 98.2 mph four-seamer, whiffed Kyle Schwarber with an up-and-away 100.7 mph four-seamer and froze Pache with a down-and-away 98.4 mph four-seamer.

The strikeout to Pache ended Skubal’s seven-inning masterpiece.

He flexed and screamed after his final out.

He was fired up.

Skubal bounced back from a bad start by flummoxing the Phillies — owners of the NL’s best record — with a creative pitch mix. More importantly, he put the Tigers in position to win against the NL’s best pitcher.

Just like a true ace is supposed to do.

“I think it’s just part of the daily grind of the big leagues,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “You’re going to run into some teams that have a good approach or have good success. He’s entitled to have a bad day, which is what he had in Atlanta. I don’t think there was a ton different. He’s a dude. Guys in big moments find a way.”

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.

This report is published in partnership with Metro Times and Outlier Media.

Tenitia Purple Rudolf has fished the Detroit, Huron, and Rouge rivers since she was nine. Fishing is important to her family, who migrated to Detroit from Mississippi before she was born.

She said she once made good money selling catfish and bluegill to Detroit seafood markets. But it’s been a few years since she sold her catch. She quit when she learned a family of chemicals, called PFAS, were likely in the fish she was catching. Rudolf didn’t want to expose her community to toxic substances and potential health problems.  

Last year, Rudolf participated in a study conducted by the nonprofit Ecology Center to understand the extent of PFAS contamination in the fish in area waterways. The study found PFAS compounds in every one of the 60 bluegills, catfish, rock bass, and other fish by six local anglers, including Rudolf, caught.

“I never really thought about fish being toxic,” Rudolf said. “So these tests are important to see exactly what we eat. It’s a huge concern for me and mine.”

But PFAS are present in far more places than just fish. You can’t see, smell, or taste them, but they are everywhere, possibly lurking in the water you drink, the air you breathe, and the consumer goods you use daily. 

Tony Spaniola, a metro Detroit-based attorney, became a PFAS advocate in 2012 after the chemicals were found to contaminate the fish, wildlife and water around Oscoda Lake in northern Michigan, where he has a cottage. The nearby Wurtsmith Air Force Base used PFAS foam for decades to fight fires and train firefighters. 

Spaniola is concerned that people in metro Detroit may not know about PFAS, or if they do, they may have a false sense of security or think it’s only a problem in Michigan’s rural areas. This is particularly true since the Great Lakes Water Authority, which supplies most metro Detroiters with drinking water, said its water is PFAS-free. 

Most peoples’ primary PFAS exposure risk comes from contaminated food and water. Companies that produce and use these compounds are often responsible for spills that persist in the environment and contaminate groundwater, wells, produce, and livestock. 

Food packaging and indoor air also pose risks, with the FDA banning PFAS in food packaging and states introducing bans on PFAS in consumer products. Despite widespread exposure is crucial, reducing future exposure, especially for pregnant women. 

One of the most well-known instances of PFAS contamination in Michigan includes Wolverine Worldwide, maker of Hush Puppies and Merrell shoes. The company’s irresponsible practices poisoned an entire town’s well water near Grand Rapids. 

Source: Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy

The contamination can feel inescapable — from polluted household wells to consumer products we all use daily. Spaniola points out that metro Detroit is also home to dozens of PFAS-contaminated sites.

“We have airports that are notorious for PFAS contamination. We also have landfills,” he said. “We have the exposure sites and pathways right here in metro Detroit.”

What are PFAS and how do they impact our health?

PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) are a group of man-made chemicals used in various industries worldwide since the 1940s. They persist in the environment and in our bodies, accumulating in tissues like the liver and kidneys. 

They’re found in various consumer products that resist grease, water, and oil, such as non-stick cookware, water-repellent clothing, stain-resistant fabrics and carpets, food wrappings, cosmetics, and firefighting foams. 

The compounds are implicated in a wide range of health issues — including metabolic syndrome, high cholesterol, liver damage, immune system impairment, and kidney and testicular cancers. They’ve also been linked to low birth weight, decreased growth, and developmental delays in infants and children. They’re suspected of disrupting hormones, impairing fertility, and even causing obesity. 

And unless you’ve been living on the moon, you’ve most likely been exposed. One study found PFAS in the blood of 97% of Americans. Those numbers have dropped since the early 2000s as industry and governments have stopped producing and using some of the chemicals. However new types of PFAS were created over that time period, making it challenging to track the true exposure level in the population.

One 2019 study showed Black women in Southeast Michigan aged 45-56 years had higher concentrations of PFOS (one particular type of PFAS) than white women. Another study found that PFAS exposure increased the risk for diabetes in middle-aged women, including in Southeast Michigan.

Jackie Goodrich, a research associate professor of environmental health sciences and toxicologist at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health, studies the impact of PFAS compounds on human health in Southeast Michigan. 

Her work has uncovered links between PFAS exposure and a higher risk for preeclampsia and other hypertension disorders during pregnancy, as well as adverse birth outcomes like lower birth weight. “That could impact babies’ health and development from that point onwards,” she said. 

Goodrich also studied the impact on firefighters exposed to PFAS in firefighting foam on the job and found increased risks for various cancers due to epigenetic changes (changes in how genes are expressed). She said the findings are not restricted to firefighters but apply to anyone with a high degree of PFAS exposure. 

“We have biological mechanisms that we need to operate in our body in a certain way, and when PFAS is throwing some of these things off, that can tip the balance towards impacting certain developmental processes in children or ultimately leading to cancer formation in adults,” she said.

The guidelines below outline actions you can take to protect yourself and your family against PFAS exposure in metro Detroit. But there’s only so much an individual can do without systemic action. Legislation to ban PFAS and legal action against chemical manufacturers is rising. To learn more about PFAS advocacy in Michigan, contact the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network.

Drinking water

What to know: Drinking water, alongside food, is a major route of PFAS exposure. State data reveals PFAS contamination in public drinking water supplies in Southeast Michigan, with significant contamination found in Ann Arbor, which spends $250,000 annually to remove PFAS from the Huron River. 

A Planet Detroit analysis of state data shows that public water systems in several metro Detroit communities have matched or exceeded new federal standards, necessitating further evaluation and potential future treatment. 

Private wells and municipal water supplies that use groundwater are also at risk, with more than 165,000 wells in metro Detroit potentially affected. Experts say removing PFAS from drinking water nationwide will cost tens of billions of dollars. 

What to do if you’re on a public water supply: The first step is determining whether the water you drink regularly contains PFAS. One place to start is with your local municipal drinking water report, which you can access on your municipality’s or water utility’s website. 

These reports contain a wealth of information about all aspects of drinking water quality. However, the state does not require all public water suppliers to regularly test for PFAS — for example, schools or workplaces that are part of community water supplies need not perform their own sampling. 

State officials are quick to point out, however, that they have conducted their own tests. Scott Dean, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, notes that Michigan was the first state in the nation to test every public water system — from the Great Lakes Water Authority to schools and mobile home parks with 25 customers. That data is available online in map and table form.

What to do if you’re on well water: The EPA and experts recommend annual well testing for those with private drinking water wells to ensure there is no contamination. For guidance on how to get your well tested for PFAS, check EGLE’s website. The department emphasizes that people should use filters or alternative water sources if PFAS levels exceed recommended limits. You can find Michigan’s standards on the state’s website. 

If your water contains PFAS: If you are concerned about PFAS in your tap water, you can filter your water using point-of-use or whole-house systems; however, the latter can be expensive. NSF International — an independent, accredited organization — tests and certifies products to ensure they meet public health and safety standards. 

It certifies water filters for their effectiveness in reducing PFAS, specifically PFOS and PFOA (another form of PFAS), to below EPA health advisory levels. 

Some pitcher filters can effectively reduce PFAS. You can find NSF-certified filters on the organization’s website. 

Unfortunately, switching to bottled water may not be a safer alternative to your faucet; recent consumer testing has found PFAS in 39 of 101 unique bottled water brands sampled. 

Unfortunately, switching to bottled water may not be a safer alternative to your faucet; recent consumer testing has found PFAS in 39 of 101 unique bottled water brands sampled. 

Where are PFAS in Metro Detroit?

PFAS in Metro Detroit can be found just about everywhere. Here’s what you should know and what you can do about PFAS in fish, drinking water, air, and consumer products.

Fish

What to know: The state’s guidance said it’s safe to eat fish from the Detroit River and does not include a PFOS-related fish consumption advisory in its guidelines. But you don’t have to travel far from the city to find fishing spots with contamination. 

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has issued “do not eat” fish consumption advisories for most fish species on a major portion of the Huron River downstream of North Wixom Road to where the river crosses I-275 in Wayne County due to PFAS concerns. 

Local industries, including Tribar Manufacturing, contaminated the river. Tribar has been cited for multiple violations of Michigan air and water regulations. These restrictions apply to Baseline Lake in Livingston County; Portage Lake, Barton Pond, Geddes Pond, Argo Pond in Washtenaw County; and Ford Lake in Wayne County. 

Authorities have issued “do not eat” advisories for multiple fish species in other lakes, including Kent Lake in Oakland County, Gallagher Lake in Livingston County and Belleville Lake in Wayne County. Sunfish on the lower and main branches of the Rouge River are off-limits in Wayne County. Other bodies of water have limited consumption advisories, meaning you should not eat the fish more often than advised to avoid high exposure. 

The Ecology Center’s study, led last year by anglers like Tenitia Purple Rudolf, found high levels of PFAS in fish across the Huron and Rouge rivers. Most of the six fish caught by community anglers exceeded daily consumption limits for PFOS, one of the many PFAS compounds.

Daniel Brown, a watershed planner for the Huron River Watershed Council, said PFAS is changing how people in and around Detroit eat and catch fish, especially for communities that rely on fish from local rivers for sustenance. 

“In most places in Southeast Michigan, people rely on fish as a vital source of nutrition,” Brown said. “And those are typically people who live on the margins. They don’t have really any disposable income. They don’t have a lot of options not to eat fish if they’re going to get the nutrition that fish provide.” 

What to do: Anglers should regularly check the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) fish consumption guidelines. These guidelines provide updated information on which fish species and water bodies have been found to have high PFAS levels. Adhere to the recommended limits on fish consumption provided by MDHHS. These advisories consider the type of fish and the water body it comes from, offering specific guidelines to minimize PFAS exposure.

Some fish species tend to accumulate fewer PFAS. Opt for fish known to have lower PFAS levels, such as rainbow trout and sunfish (unless there is a specific advisory for that species in a particular body of water). Avoid fish that are more likely to be contaminated, such as carp and bass from certain water bodies.

When preparing fish, remove the skin, trim the fat, and cook it in ways that allow the fat to drip away, such as grilling or broiling. Since PFAS tends to accumulate in the fatty tissues, these steps can help reduce your exposure.

Diversifying your diet is also important. Incorporating a variety of protein sources into your diet, reducing the frequency of fish consumption, and including other healthy sources of proteins and fats like poultry, beans, oils, seeds, and nuts can help limit your overall PFAS intake.

Air

What to know: PFAS in Metro Detroit also lurk in the air, where they are carried to the ground via rain. The compounds have been found across the Great Lakes and in remote areas of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

The Ecology Center sampled rainwater in October 2023 in Southwest Detroit, Dearborn and Ann Arbor, and found a range of PFAS compounds, including high levels of the PFAS compound trifluoroacetic acid, a product of common air conditioning refrigerants. The compound is considered an ultra-short-chain PFAS that can cause skin, eye and lung irritation. 

What to do: According to Rainer Lohmann, a professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island who studies PFAS in the atmosphere, rain and air are not the exposure pathway most people should be worried about. 

“Of all the concerns for PFAS, [air] is not the one I would lose sleep over,” Lohmann said. “For a typical average human, drinking water is roughly 20% of the exposure to PFAS. That leaves 80% left and most of that is basically through food choices you make.”

Lohmann said absorption through the skin from cosmetics and inhaling indoor air pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds from plastics and consumer products are likely more significant exposure routes than outdoor air. 

“Indoor air exposure is much, much worse than outdoor, so I wouldn’t stop breathing in Detroit, and same for any other big city,” Lohmann said. 

EGLE has developed health-based standards for PFAS compounds in outdoor air and implemented a PFAS air monitoring study across the state in cooperation with Lohmann. The study detected PFAS in the air across dozens of sites, including in Dearborn, Ypsilanti Detroit, and Port Huron. 

Very little official guidance exists about protecting yourself from PFAS in the air. Strategies like increasing indoor air circulation and using an air filter while avoiding tracking dirt and dust indoors may help. 

Consumer products

What to know: Since PFAS are everywhere, you may not be able to completely avoid them in consumer products. With some vigilance, you may be able to reduce your exposure. . Look for labels that indicate products are PFAS-free. 

Many manufacturers now offer alternatives in categories such as cookware, clothing and cosmetics. Read labels and research products. Avoid items that do not clearly state they are free of PFAS or related chemicals. Support companies and brands that are committed to eliminating PFAS from their products. Encourage others to do the same and promote consumer awareness. 

Beyond these individual actions, consumers can advocate for laws to remove PFAS from consumer products. In addition to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s ban on PFAS in food packaging, more states are taking action to ban PFAS in various consumer products. In April, Michigan lawmakers introduced a bill that would ban PFAS compounds in household products and firefighting foam. 

Reporting contributed by Britny Cordera.