Illinois Food License Requirements



If you are thinking about opening a food business, there are many regulatory requirements that you will need to meet. Some of these requirements apply to all food businesses, and some are specific to the particular food product, such as low-acid canned food, seafood, or juice.

Sesame Labeling HB2123/Public Act 101-0129 effective July 26, 2019. Effective August 19, 2018, PA100-0954 amends the Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act to allow the use of an existing Illinois Food Service Sanitation Manager Certification (FSSMC) issued by the Department that is still valid to meet the requirement of the Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) certification required. Illinois Licenses and Permits: Illinois Food-Beverage-License File for Illinois Business Licenses and Illinois Permits at an affordable price.Don't waste your time, run your small business - avoid the paperwork, the hassle and the delays by filing for licenses and permits online.

Effective August 19, 2018, PA100-0954 amends the Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act to allow the use of an existing Illinois Food Service Sanitation Manager Certification (FSSMC) issued by the Department that is still valid to meet the requirement of the Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) certification required by the Illinois Food Code. This course is approved for restaurant and non-restaurant employees by the Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Food, Drugs and Dairies. If you are a non-restaurant employee and change jobs, your food handler certificate may transfer to your new job only if the new facility will accept it.

This information provides a cursory overview of regulatory requirements that relate to starting a food business. In addition to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) requirements, your food business will be subject to other federal, state, and local requirements. These will vary depending on the your product and the type of facility you operate. If you are planning to operate a food business, you may want to discuss your specific product and facility with the FDA District Office and the state and local regulatory agencies that have jurisdiction. These discussions will help you identify what state and local regulations must be met related to operating a food business.

On this page:

  • Additional Information

Food Businesses Subject to FDA Regulation

FDA regulates all foods and food ingredients introduced into or offered for sale in interstate commerce, with the exception of meat, poultry, and certain processed egg products regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFAN), works with FDA field offices to ensure that the nations' food supply (except meat, poultry and some egg products, which are regulated by USDA) is safe, sanitary, wholesome, and honestly labeled and that cosmetic products are safe and properly labeled.

Examples of Food businesses NOT regulated by FDA:

  • Retail food establishments (i.e. grocery stores, restaurants, cafeterias, and food trucks), which are regulated by state and local governments.
  • Farmers markets

Home-Based Business

If you are starting a home-based food business, you will need to understand the regulations of FDA and your state and local health department. Local and county health agencies inspect food service and food retail establishments, provide technical assistance to food facilities and educate consumers about food safety.

Under federal regulations at Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), section 1.227 (21 CFR 1.227), a private residence is not a “facility” and thus, is not required to be registered with FDA.

A private residence must meet customary expectations for a private home and does not otherwise include commercial facilities in which a person also happens to reside. Thus, a private residence (domestic or foreign) that meets customary expectations for a private residence that is also used to manufacture, process, pack, or hold food need not be registered.

Game 2: may 29, 2014the initials game. Feb 22, 2015 Initials: J.G. Host: Cory Cove Players: Chris Hawkey, Paul Lambert, Justin Gaard.

Be sure to carefully review the regulations to understand how they apply to your unique set of circumstances.

Requirements governing what FDA regulates:

  • Public Health Service Act (several provisions of this act provide FDA with important statutory authority, such as the authority to issue regulations for the control of communicable diseases)

Food Facility Registration

Facilities that manufacture, process, pack, or hold food that is intended for human or animal consumption in the United States must register with FDA before beginning these activities. The registration requirement applies to any facility that conducts these activities, unless a facility is specifically exempt under 21 CFR 1.226. For example, farms, retail food establishments, and restaurants are exempt from food facility registration requirements.

For a full list of exempted facilities please visit the links below.

Facility Registration:

Requirements governing food facility registration:

  • Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (Bioterrorism Act)

Food Imports

Food imported into the United States must meet the same laws and regulations as food produced in the United States. It must be safe and contain no prohibited ingredients, and all labeling and packaging must be informative and truthful, with the labeling information in English (or Spanish in Puerto Rico).

All imported food is considered to be interstate commerce.

Prior Notice

As of December 12, 2003, FDA must be notified in advance of any shipments of food for humans and other animals that are imported into the U.S., unless the food is exempt from Prior Notice.

Prior Notice of imported food shipments provide FDA with an opportunity to, review and evaluate information before a food product arrives in the U.S., inspect and intercept contaminated food products

Recordkeeping

Food manufacturers, processors, packers, transporters, distributors, receivers, holders, and importers are required to establish, maintain, and make available to FDA upon request certain records that will allow the agency to identify all food products handled by the facility.

For instance, if your business is required to register under the Bioterrorism Act and makes cookie dough that is subsequently baked and packaged by another facility, your records must include the names and addresses of the facilities from which you get your ingredients, plus the names and addresses of the facilities where you send your dough to be baked and packaged. This is also known as 'one up, one down' in the distribution chain.

Depending on the type of food business you operate, your food business may have to keep records in addition to those required under the Bioterrorism Act and to make them available to FDA. You may want to consult Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations to determine what records are required for a specific type of facility and operation. Requirements may vary depending on the food commodity and the type of food processing in your business.

Requirements governing recordkeeping:

  • Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (Bioterrorism Act)

Resources:

License

Good Manufacturing Practice Requirements

Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) regulations require that food offered for sale or introduced into interstate commerce be produced under safe and sanitary conditions.

Certain food commodities have additional requirements because of inherent hazards, particular attributes, or specific manufacturing processes. For instance, certain egg producers must follow the Egg Safety Final Rule in order to reduce the spread of Salmonella Enteritidis, a known pathogen of eggs.

Requirements governing cGMP:

Resources:

  • Commodity Specific Information (Eggs, Milk, Seafood, and more)

Labeling

Food manufacturers are responsible for developing labels (including nutrition information) that meet legal food labeling requirements. All labeling of FDA-regulated food products must be truthful and not misleading. Proper labeling, including nutrition labeling and labeling for the major food allergens, is required for most prepared foods.

Note: The labels of food products sold in U.S. interstate commerce must be in English. However, foods distributed solely in Puerto Rico may bear labels in Spanish instead of English. See Compliance Policy Guide Sec. 562.750 Labeling of Food Articles Distributed Solely in Puerto Rico.

Aboutgamegita for all made easy. Requirements governing the labeling of foods:

Resources:

Developing Labels:

  • Manufacturers may choose to hire a commercial laboratory to perform analyses of foods to determine nutrient content. FDA cannot recommend any particular laboratory.
  • The United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Nutrient Database can be used to develop appropriate nutrient information for products. This information may be used in conjunction with food product recipes to calculate nutrition information required for food labels.
  • FDA's Nutrition Labeling Manual provides technical instructions to manufacturers about how to develop and use nutrition databases for food products.

Reporting

Registered facilities must report when there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, an article of food will cause serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals. Information is available about how to report these situations to FDA's Reportable Food Registry.

FDA allows conventional food manufacturers, processors, packers, transporters, distributors, receivers, holders, and importers to forward reports of serious adverse events in connection with their products to FDA by filing Form 3500.

FDA requires reporting of serious adverse events involving dietary supplements. See Dietary Supplements - Reporting an Adverse Event and Guidance for Industry: Questions and Answers Regarding Adverse Event Reporting and Recordkeeping for Dietary Supplements as Required by the Dietary Supplement and Nonprescription Drug Consumer Protection Act for additional information.

Preventive Controls

The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), signed into law in January 2011, enables FDA to focus more on preventing food safety problems rather than relying primarily on reacting to problems after they occur. See Preventive Standards Under the Food Safety Modernization Act for more information.

Unless specifically exempted by FSMA, the owner, operator, or agent in charge of a facility will be required to:

  • Evaluate the hazards that could affect food manufactured, processed, packed, or held by the facility;
  • Identify and implement preventive controls to significantly minimize or prevent the occurrence of such hazards;
  • Provide assurances that such food is not adulterated under section 402 or misbranded under section 403(w) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act;
  • Monitor the performance of those controls; and
  • Routinely maintain records of this monitoring.

Note: FDA is currently developing proposed regulations to implement requirements under the FSMA. Information about FSMA implementation is posted on the FDA website. You can sign up for FSMA updates to receive updates on implementation and progress via e-mail.

Inspections'>Inspections

Investigators with FDA's Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA) inspect FDA-regulated facilities. Alternatively, FDA may arrange for state regulatory officials to conduct inspections on behalf of the agency. ORA offices are located throughout the country. A list of local ORA offices provides a point of contact for manufacturers and distributors located within each jurisdiction. State regulatory agencies can provide information about their state and local agencies' contacts, requirements, and inspections.

FDA inspects food facilities on a varying schedule based upon the risk level of the product, time elapsed since previous inspection, and compliance history, as well as other factors. For instance, infant formula facilities are inspected annually.

Dietary Supplements

FDA regulates both finished dietary supplement products and dietary supplement ingredients. Dietary supplements are regulated under a different set of regulations than those covering 'conventional' foods and drug products.

Dietary supplements are regulated under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). However, dietary supplement manufacturers and distributors are not required to obtain approval from FDA before marketing dietary supplements. Before a firm markets a dietary supplement, the firm is responsible for ensuring that the products it manufactures or distributes are safe; any claims made about the products are not false or misleading; and that the products comply with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and FDA regulations in all other respects.

Resources:

Additional Information

Responsibility of a Food Facility

Henry stickmin seriesgaming potatoes. Under provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFD&C Act), and FDA's implementing regulations found in Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations, food manufacturers, processors, and distributors are responsible for ensuring that their products that are intended for distribution in U.S. interstate commerce are safe, sanitary, and labeled according to federal requirements.

Specific Food Product Requirements

Certain foods, such as low-acid canned foods, milk, eggs, juices, seafood, and infant formula, have additional product-specific regulatory requirements to ensure that they are healthful and free of contamination.

Resources

  • Local Health Department: Please speak with your local health department to determine if you will be required to meet state and local laws.
  • Advertising: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) primarily regulates advertising. See Advertising FAQs: A Guide for Small Business for additional information on advertising regulations.
  • Business Development: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) can assist you with developing a business plan for your food or beverage company.

Wisconsin Food License Requirements

The information provided on this webpage is an informal communication that is not intended to be guidance. FDA's good guidance practices, its policies and procedures for developing, issuing, and using guidance documents, are set forth in 21 CFR 10.115.

CFSAN's intent in posting this information is to provide an overview of the subject matter, with links to more detailed information such as federal laws, regulations, guidance documents, and other federal agency websites. Additional information about state and local laws, regulations, requirements, and guidance may be available from state and local agencies and resources.

  • Regulated Product(s)

    Topic(s)

In the state of Illinois, getting a food handler certificate (also known as a food handlers card) can be quite the headache.

But that’s where we come in…

We want to make the Illinois food handler certificate process simple – getting you in the restaurant as soon as possible. Don’t bother scanning through outdated government or deceiving course-provider websites. Here, you’ll find accurate, updated and important information needed to efficiently to earn yourself an Illinois food handler certification.

Apron up, let’s dive in. 👩‍🍳

Who is required to receive a food handlers card?

In the state of Illinois, EVERY county requires paid food-related employees (part-time or full-time) to obtain a food handler certification. Although some states in the U.S. don’t have this requirement, the Illinois food and safety laws are a little more strict than most.

Simply put, everyone who handles food for a food establishment and/or restaurant in the state of Illinois MUST complete a state-approved food safety course. After successful completion of the course and examination, you will then be granted a food handlers certification by the course provider.

Important: To save you some time, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite Illinois state-approved food handler course providers in the section below.

All new Illinois food handler employees are given 30 days from the date of hire to earn a food handlers certification. For an example of what that official certification should look like at the end of the day, click here (pdf).

It’s also important to keep in mind that all Illinois food employee certifications expire three years from the issue date!

What type of employees are considered a food handler in Illinois?

By Illinois state law, any PAID employee working for a restaurant, that deals directly with the food product(s) is considered a food handler.

Here’s the definition of food handler, courtesy of the Illinois Department of Public Health:

“Food employee” or “food handler” means an individual working with unpackaged food, food equipment or utensils, or food-contact surfaces.
…If someone working in a facility is not a food handler on a regular basis, but fills in as a food handler when needed, they must have food handler training.

This means that all employees directly involved in the storage, preparation, or service of the food is a food handler. Simply put, nearly everyone in the food facility must receive an Illinois food handler certificate, even the host or hostess!

To break it down even further, here’s a list of job titles that REQUIRE food handlers training in the state of Illinois:

  • Server
  • Chef
  • Line Cook
  • Food Prep
  • Bartender
  • Kitchen Manager
  • Expo
  • Food Runner
  • Buser
  • Supervisor
  • Host/ Hostess who handle food
  • Food-truck workers
  • Storage workers

Who does NOT need a food handlers certification in Illinois?

Those that are NOT required to receive Illinois food handler certificate training are mainly (1) unpaid volunteers, (2) those who already posses a Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) certification, and (3) temporary food establishment employees.

Additionally, employees working for non-restaurant establishments do NOT have to receive training unless you are an actual food worker in that establishment.

Here’s a list of non-restaurant establishments that are exempted from the Illinois food handler certificate requirement:

  • Nursing homes
  • Licensed day care homes and facilities
  • Hospitals
  • Schools
  • Long-term care facilities
  • Retail food stores

**Keep in mind, if you work in a non-restaurant facility in the state of Illinois but directly work with unpackaged food products, you are STILL required to receive a food handler certification. If you are unsure, please be sure to double check with your non-restaurant employer or manager.

Where to Get Your Illinois Food Handler Certification: Training & Course Providers

The state of Illinois requires food workers to receive their food handlers training from an ANSI-accredited organization. ANSI stands for the American National Standards Institution. Pretty fancy, yeah?

For your convenience, we’ve compiled a list of the top ANSI-accredited food hander certification programs in the state:

  • Efoodhandlers(Our recommendation)

For the complete list of Illinois food handler training providers, simply click here.

As you will tell, there’s a lot to choose from. If you’re still undecided on which provider to receive training from, ask around your workplace! Your fellow kitchen colleagues and/or management should have a good idea on what course to choose from.

Steps to get an Illinois Food Handlers Certificate (aka Food Handlers Card)

  1. Click on this link to select an ANSI-accredited online provider. We recommend you ask the person in charge of the food service business which training they accept/prefer.
  2. Take the training and test online. (Course details are provided in this post)
  3. Once you’ve successfully completed the test you’ll get a certificate from the online course provider, not from the county.
  4. Print out multiple copies of your certification or save the file to your desktop at home. This is just a safety measure, just in case you lose you original Illinois food handler certificate.
  5. Provide your employer with a copy of your certificate.

Course Details

All Illinois food handler certification programs are available online… and are readily accessible through many sources.

The training and course itself can take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours to complete. But they can indeed take longer if you wish to study and review important information in order to be better prepared for the final exam.

The training/course(s) are usually followed by a 40-question multiple-choice quiz on all things food preparation and food safety. In order to successfully pass the Illinois food handlers quiz (also known as the food handler assessment), students must answer AT LEAST 30 questions correctly. This means you must get a 75% in order to pass!

But please keep in mind, grade requirements vary depending on which test you take. Most Illinois food safety tests require a 70-80% at minimum.

Illinois Food License Requirements

Are you nervous yet? Well don’t be. Most Illinois food safety courses allow you to take the quiz twice.

(Also, be sure to take advantage of our practice exams we provided in the section below. As they always say, practice makes perfect!)

How much does the Illinois Food Handler Certification cost?

Online food safety courses in Illinois range anywhere between $5-10. If you are taking a food safety course that costs more than $10, we strongly urge you to reconsider as there are cheaper course options available.

Illinois Food Handlers Practice Tests

For your convenience, we’ve put together the best Illinois food handlers card practice tests. We’ve heard from many sources that these tests nearly replicate the questions that you’ll be receiving on the final exam!

  • Premier Food Safety practice test
  • Food handlers quiz flash cards
  • ProProfs practice test

Is Your Illinois Food Handlers Certification Expired or Lost?

If you lost your Illinois food handlers certification, simply contact your course provider and ask for a copy. Additionally, you can simply log back into your course provider account using the same username and password as before, and access their printing option. Always remember to create duplicate copies of your food handlers card.

In Illinois, your food handlers card expires 3 years after the issuance date. To renew your Illinois food handlers card, you must sign up for another state-approved food safety course and pass their test all over again! This ensures that everyone in the state of Illinois is stays up to date with proper food safety procedures.

Minimum Age Required to Handle Food in the State of Illinois:

  • We believe most Illinois food handler certificate programs require a participant to be at least 13 years of age in order to take their course but that is not a rule the food code addresses.

State of Illinois Food Handler Qualifications:

  • There are no restrictions for individuals to receive food handler cards in the state of Illinois.
  • Employees who work directly with food that have specific medical symptoms or food illnesses need to be extra cautious. In this case, it would be best for you to consult with your medical provider.

Other Requirements That May Be Helpful:

Food License Illinois Requirements

  • Driver’s License and/or Passport
  • Good Communication Skills
  • Being able to stand long periods of time
  • Knowledge of basic food safety

Food Truck License Requirements Illinois

For more information, please contact your Local City Clerk’s office… Or visit our Food Handlers homepage.