Illinois Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act

The Illinois Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act (410 ILCS 625), amended by SB1495, passed into law on August 27, 2013, changes the existing training and certification requirements for food safety managers, as well as establishes food handler training requirements.

Food Safety Certification Program

The Illinois Department of Public Health requires that food service establishments to be under the operational supervision of a certified Food Safety Sanitation Manager. The number of certified food managers is determined by risk and type of facility. That includes establishments that provide full service food preparation as well as those that hold, cool and re-heat food. This person is responsible for overseeing the food handling and preparation process to prevent the occurrence of food-borne illness.

The Food Safety Sanitation Manager Certification program is administered by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). This program is designed to offer food handlers and supervisors a basic food science background and develop knowledge for the proper handling of food and the sanitary maintenance of food establishments.

The Certificate must be posted prominently and should be in plain view of customers. To obtain a Food Safety Sanitation Manager Certificate you must attend and pass an IDPH approved course. Our course instructors are all IDPH approved.

The FSSMC program is managed by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). Visit their website at https://ildph.usasafeinspect.com/Login.aspx for information about the Illinois Food Service Sanitation Manager's certificate (FSSMC)

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2019 ADOPTION OF THE FDA FOOD CODE

In preparation for the January 1, 2019 adoption of the FDA Food Code to the Illinois Food Service Sanitation Code Will County Health Department food inspectors will be providing information throughout 2018 on the changes food service operations should expect. One significant change is the requirement for a PERSON IN CHARGE (PIC). The Person in Charge shall be the permit holder or designated by the permit holder. The Person in Charge shall be present during all hours of operations. This means that when the permit holder or manager has a day off or leaves the food service establishment they must designate a Person in Charge. The Person in Charge shall demonstrate knowledge of food borne disease prevention, the application of food safety principles and the requirements of the Food Code. Not designating a Person in Charge that is capable of fulfilling the requirements would result in a priority violation that could impact whether the food service establishment will Pass, Pass with Condition or Fail the inspection. During this transition period it is important to obtain training for staff and to implement food safety procedures that all staff are aware of and practice on a routine basis. The permit holder and management team should become familiar with the FDA Food Code. It would be advantageous to create a written standard operating procedure manual. Also, establishing a chain of command to identify the Person(s) in Charge will be one step in ensuring that inspections result with PASS.

https://www.fda.gov/food/guidanceregulation/retailfoodprotection/foodcode/default.htm