103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB4280

 

Introduced 1/16/2024, by Rep. Blaine Wilhour

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
410 ILCS 625/4

    Amends the Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act. Provides that if the unit of local government in which the cottage food operation is located does not have a local health department, the cottage food operation must register with the nearest local health department. Makes a conforming change.


LRB103 35457 RPS 65526 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB4280LRB103 35457 RPS 65526 b

1    AN ACT concerning health.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act is
5amended by changing Section 4 as follows:
 
6    (410 ILCS 625/4)
7    Sec. 4. Cottage food operation.
8    (a) For the purpose of this Section:
9    A food is "acidified" if: (i) acid or acid ingredients are
10added to it to produce a final equilibrium pH of 4.6 or below;
11or (ii) it is fermented to produce a final equilibrium pH of
124.6 or below.
13    "Canned food" means food that has been heat processed
14sufficiently under United States Department of Agriculture
15guidelines to enable storing the food at normal home
16temperatures.
17    "Cottage food operation" means an operation conducted by a
18person who produces or packages food or drink, other than
19foods and drinks listed as prohibited in paragraph (1.5) of
20subsection (b) of this Section, in a kitchen located in that
21person's primary domestic residence or another appropriately
22designed and equipped kitchen on a farm for direct sale by the
23owner, a family member, or employee.

 

 

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1    "Cut leafy greens" means fresh leafy greens whose leaves
2have been cut, shredded, sliced, chopped, or torn. "Cut leafy
3greens" does not mean cut-to-harvest leafy greens.
4    "Department" means the Department of Public Health.
5    "Equilibrium pH" means the final potential of hydrogen
6measured in an acidified food after all the components of the
7food have achieved the same acidity.
8    "Farmers' market" means a common facility or area where
9farmers gather to sell a variety of fresh fruits and
10vegetables and other locally produced farm and food products
11directly to consumers.
12    "Leafy greens" includes iceberg lettuce; romaine lettuce;
13leaf lettuce; butter lettuce; baby leaf lettuce, such as
14immature lettuce or leafy greens; escarole; endive; spring
15mix; spinach; cabbage; kale; arugula; and chard. "Leafy
16greens" does not include microgreens or herbs such as cilantro
17or parsley.
18    "Local health department" means a State-certified health
19department of a unit of local government in which a cottage
20food operation is located or, if the unit of local government
21where the cottage food operation is located does not have a
22State-certified health department, registered.
23    "Local public health department association" means an
24association solely representing 2 or more State-certified
25local health departments.
26    "Low-acid canned food" means any canned food with a

 

 

HB4280- 3 -LRB103 35457 RPS 65526 b

1finished equilibrium pH greater than 4.6 and a water activity
2(aw) greater than 0.85.
3    "Microgreen" means an edible plant seedling grown in soil
4or substrate and harvested above the soil or substrate line.
5    "Potentially hazardous food" means a food that is
6potentially hazardous according to the Department's
7administrative rules. Potentially hazardous food (PHF) in
8general means a food that requires time and temperature
9control for safety (TCS) to limit pathogenic microorganism
10growth or toxin formation.
11    "Sprout" means any seedling intended for human consumption
12that was produced in a manner that does not meet the definition
13of microgreen.
14    (b) A cottage food operation may produce homemade food and
15drink provided that all of the following conditions are met:
16        (1) (Blank).
17        (1.3) A cottage food operation must register with the
18    local health department for the unit of local government
19    in which it is located, or the nearest local health
20    department if the unit of local government where the
21    cottage food operation is located does not have a local
22    health department, and but may sell products outside of
23    the unit of local government where the cottage food
24    operation is located. A copy of the certificate of
25    registration must be available upon request by any local
26    health department.

 

 

HB4280- 4 -LRB103 35457 RPS 65526 b

1        (1.5) A cottage food operation shall not sell or offer
2    to sell the following food items or processed foods
3    containing the following food items, except as indicated:
4            (A) meat, poultry, fish, seafood, or shellfish;
5            (B) dairy, except as an ingredient in a
6        non-potentially hazardous baked good or candy, such as
7        caramel, subject to paragraph (4), or as an ingredient
8        in a baked good frosting, such as buttercream;
9            (C) eggs, except as an ingredient in a
10        non-potentially hazardous food, including dry noodles,
11        or as an ingredient in a baked good frosting, such as
12        buttercream, if the eggs are not raw;
13            (D) pumpkin pies, sweet potato pies, cheesecakes,
14        custard pies, creme pies, and pastries with
15        potentially hazardous fillings or toppings;
16            (E) garlic in oil or oil infused with garlic,
17        except if the garlic oil is acidified;
18            (F) low-acid canned foods;
19            (G) sprouts;
20            (H) cut leafy greens, except for cut leafy greens
21        that are dehydrated, acidified, or blanched and
22        frozen;
23            (I) cut or pureed fresh tomato or melon;
24            (J) dehydrated tomato or melon;
25            (K) frozen cut melon;
26            (L) wild-harvested, non-cultivated mushrooms;

 

 

HB4280- 5 -LRB103 35457 RPS 65526 b

1            (M) alcoholic beverages; or
2            (N) kombucha.
3        (1.6) In order to sell canned tomatoes or a canned
4    product containing tomatoes, a cottage food operator shall
5    either:
6            (A) follow exactly a recipe that has been tested
7        by the United States Department of Agriculture or by a
8        state cooperative extension located in this State or
9        any other state in the United States; or
10            (B) submit the recipe, at the cottage food
11        operator's expense, to a commercial laboratory
12        according to the commercial laboratory's directions to
13        test that the product has been adequately acidified;
14        use only the varietal or proportionate varietals of
15        tomato included in the tested recipe for all
16        subsequent batches of such recipe; and provide
17        documentation of the annual test results of the recipe
18        submitted under this subparagraph upon registration
19        and to an inspector upon request during any inspection
20        authorized by subsection (d).
21        (2) In order to sell a fermented or acidified food, a
22    cottage food operation shall either:
23            (A) submit a recipe that has been tested by the
24        United States Department of Agriculture or a
25        cooperative extension system located in this State or
26        any other state in the United States; or

 

 

HB4280- 6 -LRB103 35457 RPS 65526 b

1            (B) submit a written food safety plan for each
2        category of products for which the cottage food
3        operator uses the same procedures, such as pickles,
4        kimchi, or hot sauce, and a pH test for a single
5        product that is representative of that category; the
6        written food safety plan shall be submitted annually
7        upon registration and each pH test shall be submitted
8        every 3 years; the food safety plan shall adhere to
9        guidelines developed by the Department.
10        (3) A fermented or acidified food shall be packaged
11    according to one of the following standards:
12            (A) A fermented or acidified food that is canned
13        must be processed in a boiling water bath in a
14        Mason-style jar or glass container with a
15        tight-fitting lid.
16            (B) A fermented or acidified food that is not
17        canned shall be sold in any container that is new,
18        clean, and seals properly and must be stored,
19        transported, and sold at or below 41 degrees.
20        (4) In order to sell a baked good with cheese, a local
21    health department may require a cottage food operation to
22    submit a recipe, at the cottage food operator's expense,
23    to a commercial laboratory to verify that it is
24    non-potentially hazardous before allowing the cottage food
25    operation to sell the baked good as a cottage food.
26        (5) For a cottage food operation that does not utilize

 

 

HB4280- 7 -LRB103 35457 RPS 65526 b

1    a municipal water supply, such as an operation using a
2    private well, a local health department may require a
3    water sample test to verify that the water source being
4    used meets public safety standards related to E. coli
5    coliform. If a test is requested, it must be conducted at
6    the cottage food operator's expense.
7        (6) A person preparing or packaging a product as part
8    of a cottage food operation must be a Department-approved
9    certified food protection manager.
10        (7) Food packaging must conform with the labeling
11    requirements of the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
12    A cottage food product shall be prepackaged and the food
13    packaging shall be affixed with a prominent label that
14    includes the following:
15            (A) the name of the cottage food operation and
16        unit of local government in which the cottage food
17        operation is located;
18            (B) the identifying registration number provided
19        by the local health department on the certificate of
20        registration and the name of the municipality or
21        county in which the registration was filed;
22            (C) the common or usual name of the food product;
23            (D) all ingredients of the food product, including
24        any color, artificial flavor, and preservative, listed
25        in descending order by predominance of weight shown
26        with the common or usual names;

 

 

HB4280- 8 -LRB103 35457 RPS 65526 b

1            (E) the following phrase in prominent lettering:
2        "This product was produced in a home kitchen not
3        inspected by a health department that may also process
4        common food allergens. If you have safety concerns,
5        contact your local health department.";
6            (F) the date the product was processed; and
7            (G) allergen labeling as specified under federal
8        labeling requirements.
9        (8) Food packaging may include the designation
10    "Illinois-grown", "Illinois-sourced", or "Illinois farm
11    product" if the packaged product is a local farm or food
12    product as that term is defined in Section 5 of the Local
13    Food, Farms, and Jobs Act.
14        (9) In the case of a product that is difficult to
15    properly label or package, or for other reasons, the local
16    health department of the location where the product is
17    sold may grant permission to sell products that are not
18    prepackaged, in which case other prominent written notice
19    shall be provided to the purchaser.
20        (10) At the point of sale, notice must be provided in a
21    prominent location that states the following: "This
22    product was produced in a home kitchen not inspected by a
23    health department that may also process common food
24    allergens." At a physical display, notice shall be a
25    placard. Online, notice shall be a message on the cottage
26    food operation's online sales interface at the point of

 

 

HB4280- 9 -LRB103 35457 RPS 65526 b

1    sale.
2        (11) Food and drink produced by a cottage food
3    operation shall be sold directly to consumers for their
4    own consumption and not for resale. Sales directly to
5    consumers include, but are not limited to, sales at or
6    through:
7            (A) farmers' markets;
8            (B) fairs, festivals, public events, or online;
9            (C) pickup from the private home or farm of the
10        cottage food operator, if the pickup is not prohibited
11        by any law of the unit of local government that applies
12        equally to all cottage food operations; in a
13        municipality with a population of 1,000,000 or more, a
14        cottage food operator shall comply with any law of the
15        municipality that applies equally to all home-based
16        businesses;
17            (D) delivery to the customer; and
18            (E) pickup from a third-party private property
19        with the consent of the third-party property holder.
20        (12) Only food that is non-potentially hazardous may
21    be shipped. A cottage food product shall not be shipped
22    out of State. Each cottage food product that is shipped
23    must be sealed in a manner that reveals tampering,
24    including, but not limited to, a sticker or pop top.
25    (c) A local health department shall register any eligible
26cottage food operation that meets the requirements of this

 

 

HB4280- 10 -LRB103 35457 RPS 65526 b

1Section and shall issue a certificate of registration with an
2identifying registration number to each registered cottage
3food operation. A local health department may establish a
4self-certification program for cottage food operators to
5affirm compliance with applicable laws, rules, and
6regulations. Registration shall be completed annually and the
7local health department may impose a fee not to exceed $50.
8    (d) In the event of a consumer complaint or foodborne
9illness outbreak, upon notice from a different local health
10department, or if the Department or a local health department
11has reason to believe that an imminent health hazard exists or
12that a cottage food operation's product has been found to be
13misbranded, adulterated, or not in compliance with the
14conditions for cottage food operations set forth in this
15Section, the Department or the local health department may:
16        (1) inspect the premises of the cottage food operation
17    in question;
18        (2) set a reasonable fee for the inspection; and
19        (3) invoke penalties and the cessation of the sale of
20    cottage food products until it deems that the situation
21    has been addressed to the satisfaction of the Department
22    or local health department; if the situation is not
23    amenable to being addressed, the local health department
24    may revoke the cottage food operation's registration
25    following a process outlined by the local health
26    department.

 

 

HB4280- 11 -LRB103 35457 RPS 65526 b

1    (e) A local health department that receives a consumer
2complaint or a report of foodborne illness related to a
3cottage food operator in another jurisdiction shall refer the
4complaint or report to the local health department where the
5cottage food operator is registered.
6    (f) By January 1, 2022, the Department, in collaboration
7with local public health department associations and other
8stakeholder groups, shall write and issue administrative
9guidance to local health departments on the following:
10        (1) development of a standard registration form,
11    including, if applicable, a written food safety plan;
12        (2) development of a Home-Certification Self Checklist
13    Form;
14        (3) development of a standard inspection form and
15    inspection procedures; and
16        (4) procedures for cottage food operation workspaces
17    that include, but are not limited to, cleaning products,
18    general sanitation, and requirements for functional
19    equipment.
20    (g) A person who produces or packages a non-potentially
21hazardous baked good for sale by a religious, charitable, or
22nonprofit organization for fundraising purposes is exempt from
23the requirements of this Section.
24    (h) A home rule unit may not regulate cottage food
25operations in a manner inconsistent with the regulation by the
26State of cottage food operations under this Section. This

 

 

HB4280- 12 -LRB103 35457 RPS 65526 b

1Section is a limitation under subsection (i) of Section 6 of
2Article VII of the Illinois Constitution on the concurrent
3exercise by home rule units of powers and functions exercised
4by the State.
5    (i) The Department may adopt rules as may be necessary to
6implement the provisions of this Section.
7(Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 102-633, eff. 1-1-22.)