Photo via Google Maps
Moor Herbs.
Detroit health food store Moor Herbs is facing civil action from Michigan's attorney general for ignoring a cease-and-desist order, among other violations, according to the Detroit Free Press.
On Feb. 11, Attorney General Dana Nessel and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) filed a complaint against The Moorish Science Temple, The Divine and National Movement of North America, Inc. No. 13, which operates the wellness store.
"Michigan's Food Law ensures that every food establishment-regardless of what community it is located in-meets minimum standards to ensure food safety," Nessel said in a press release. "We will continue to partner with MDARD to ensure every community has access to safe, healthy food, and will not hesitate to take action in instances where businesses ignore sanitation and food safety standards."
Moor Herbs, located in Detroit at 16140 W. Seven Mile Rd., is known for carrying items such as alkaline water, sea moss, herbal remedies, fresh juices, and more.
In June 2017, Moor Herbs acquired a food establishment license, but failed to renew that license in May 2020. According to the cease-and-desist, in July 2021, 225 packages of herbal teas and powders were seized from the store for misbranding. One week after the seizure on Aug. 4, Moor Herbs violated that seizure by selling embargoed products to an MDARD supervisor.
Last month, Moor Herbs had to recall their infant formula, Angel Formula. Testing of the formula conducted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that the iron, sodium, and potassium levels exceeded the maximum allowed, and the formula also lacked vitamin D.
Nessel and MDARD say that while the storefront is currently closed and the website is shut down, Moor Herbs has made social media posts about reopening and shipping orders.
Maria Lemay-Bey, Moor Herbs' owner, told the Free Press that despite what things appear on social media, she is not selling anything.
"She's making a lot of assumptions based on my DoorDash account, which is down and closed," Lemay-Bey told the Free Press.
Lemay-Bey also told the Free Press that after Moor Herbs' initial inspection, they corrected everything they were cited for, and she says there was not a second inspection.
According to the complaint filed in Wayne County Circuit Court, the attorney general's office and MDARD seeks to permanently bar Moor Herbs from:
- Holding, selling, or offering food for sale without a license.
- Selling food that was obtained from a source that does not comply with federal, state, and local laws.
- Manufacturing, selling, delivering, holding, or offering for sale any food that has not been made in accordance with the Food Law.
- Manufacturing, selling, delivering, holding, or offering for sale adulterated or misbranded food.
- Offering for sale food that, in violation of the law, includes claims that it is intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease.
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