SB2617 EngrossedLRB103 34813 RPS 64668 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
11and a water activity greater than 0.85; or (ii) it is fermented
12to produce a final equilibrium pH of 4.6 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    "Employee" means a person who is employed by and receives
6monetary compensation from a cottage food operator.
7    "Equilibrium pH" means the final potential of hydrogen
8measured in an acidified food after all the components of the
9food have achieved the same acidity.
10    "Farmers' market" means a common facility or area where
11farmers gather to sell a variety of fresh fruits and
12vegetables and other locally produced farm and food products
13directly to consumers.
14    "Leafy greens" includes iceberg lettuce; romaine lettuce;
15leaf lettuce; butter lettuce; baby leaf lettuce, such as
16immature lettuce or leafy greens; escarole; endive; spring
17mix; spinach; cabbage; kale; arugula; and chard. "Leafy
18greens" does not include microgreens or herbs such as cilantro
19or parsley.
20    "Local health department" means a State-certified health
21department of a unit of local government in which a cottage
22food operation is located or, if the cottage food operation is
23located in a county that does not have a local health
24department, is registered.
25    "Local public health department association" means an
26association solely representing 2 or more State-certified

 

 

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1local health departments.
2    "Low-acid canned food" means any canned food with a
3finished equilibrium pH greater than 4.6 and a water activity
4(aw) greater than 0.85.
5    "Microgreen" means an edible plant seedling grown in soil
6or substrate and harvested above the soil or substrate line.
7    "Mobile farmers markets" means a farmers market that is
8operated from a movable motor drive or propelled vehicle or
9trailer that can change location, including a farmers market
10that is owned and operated by a farmer or a third party selling
11products on behalf of farmers or cottage food operations with
12the intent of a direct sale to an end consumer.
13    "Potentially hazardous food" means a food that is
14potentially hazardous according to the Department's
15administrative rules. Potentially hazardous food (PHF) in
16general means a food that requires time and temperature
17control for safety (TCS) to limit pathogenic microorganism
18growth or toxin formation.
19    "Sprout" means any seedling intended for human consumption
20that was produced in a manner that does not meet the definition
21of microgreen.
22    "Time/temperature control for safety food" means a food
23that is stored under time or temperature control for food
24safety according to the Department's administrative rules.
25    (b) A cottage food operation may produce homemade food and
26drink provided that all of the following conditions are met:

 

 

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1        (1) (Blank).
2        (1.3) A cottage food operation must register with the
3    local health department for the unit of local government
4    in which it is located, but may sell products outside of
5    the unit of local government where the cottage food
6    operation is located. If a county does not have a local
7    health department, the county shall enter into an
8    agreement or contract with a local health department in an
9    adjacent county to register cottage food operations in the
10    jurisdiction of the county that does not have a health
11    department. The adjacent local health department where the
12    cottage food operation registers has the powers described
13    in subsection (d). A copy of the certificate of
14    registration must be available upon request by any local
15    health department.
16        (1.5) A cottage food operation shall not sell or offer
17    to sell the following food items or processed foods
18    containing the following food items, except as indicated:
19            (A) meat, poultry, fish, seafood, or shellfish;
20            (B) dairy, except as an ingredient in a
21        non-potentially hazardous baked good or candy that is
22        not a time/temperature control for safety food, such
23        as caramel, subject to paragraph (4), or as an
24        ingredient in a baked good frosting, such as
25        buttercream;
26            (C) eggs, except as an ingredient in a food that is

 

 

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1        not a time/temperature control for safety food
2        non-potentially hazardous food, including dry noodles,
3        or as an ingredient in a baked good frosting, such as
4        buttercream, if the eggs are not raw;
5            (D) pumpkin pies, sweet potato pies, cheesecakes,
6        custard pies, creme pies, and pastries with
7        time/temperature control for safety foods that are
8        potentially hazardous fillings or toppings;
9            (E) garlic in oil or oil infused with garlic,
10        except if the garlic oil is acidified;
11            (F) low-acid canned foods;
12            (G) sprouts;
13            (H) cut leafy greens, except for cut leafy greens
14        that are dehydrated, acidified, or blanched and
15        frozen;
16            (I) cut or pureed fresh tomato or melon;
17            (J) dehydrated tomato or melon;
18            (K) frozen cut melon;
19            (L) wild-harvested, non-cultivated mushrooms;
20            (M) alcoholic beverages; or
21            (N) kombucha.
22        (1.6) In order to sell canned tomatoes or a canned
23    product containing tomatoes, a cottage food operator shall
24    either:
25            (A) follow exactly a recipe that has been tested
26        by the United States Department of Agriculture or by a

 

 

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1        state cooperative extension located in this State or
2        any other state in the United States; or
3            (B) submit the recipe, at the cottage food
4        operator's expense, to a commercial laboratory
5        according to the commercial laboratory's directions to
6        test that the product has been adequately acidified;
7        use only the varietal or proportionate varietals of
8        tomato included in the tested recipe for all
9        subsequent batches of such recipe; and provide
10        documentation of the annual test results of the recipe
11        submitted under this subparagraph upon registration
12        and to an inspector upon request during any inspection
13        authorized by subsection (d).
14        (2) In order to sell a fermented or acidified food, a
15    cottage food operation shall either:
16            (A) submit a recipe that has been tested by the
17        United States Department of Agriculture or a
18        cooperative extension system located in this State or
19        any other state in the United States; or
20            (B) submit a written food safety plan for each
21        category of products for which the cottage food
22        operator uses the same procedures, such as pickles,
23        kimchi, or hot sauce, and a pH test for a single
24        product that is representative of that category; the
25        written food safety plan shall be submitted annually
26        upon registration and each pH test shall be submitted

 

 

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1        every 3 years; the food safety plan shall adhere to
2        guidelines developed by the Department.
3        (3) A fermented or acidified food shall be packaged
4    according to one of the following standards:
5            (A) A fermented or acidified food that is canned
6        must be processed in a boiling water bath in a
7        Mason-style jar or glass container with a
8        tight-fitting lid.
9            (B) A fermented or acidified food that is not
10        canned shall be sold in any container that is new,
11        clean, and seals properly and must be stored,
12        transported, and sold at or below 41 degrees.
13        (4) In order to sell a baked good with cheese, a local
14    health department may require a cottage food operation to
15    submit a recipe, at the cottage food operator's expense,
16    to a commercial laboratory to verify that it is not a
17    time-or-temperature control for safety food
18    non-potentially hazardous before allowing the cottage food
19    operation to sell the baked good as a cottage food.
20        (5) For a cottage food operation that does not utilize
21    a municipal water supply, such as an operation using a
22    private well, a local health department may require a
23    water sample test to verify that the water source being
24    used meets public safety standards related to E. coli
25    coliform. If a test is requested, it must be conducted at
26    the cottage food operator's expense.

 

 

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1        (6) A person preparing or packaging a product as part
2    of a cottage food operation must be a Department-approved
3    certified food protection manager.
4        (7) Food packaging must conform with the labeling
5    requirements of the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
6    A cottage food product shall be prepackaged and the food
7    packaging shall be affixed with a prominent label that
8    includes the following:
9            (A) the name of the cottage food operation and
10        unit of local government in which the cottage food
11        operation is located;
12            (B) the identifying registration number provided
13        by the local health department on the certificate of
14        registration and the name of the municipality or
15        county in which the registration was filed;
16            (C) the common or usual name of the food product;
17            (D) all ingredients of the food product, including
18        any color, artificial flavor, and preservative, listed
19        in descending order by predominance of weight shown
20        with the common or usual names;
21            (E) the following phrase in prominent lettering:
22        "This product was produced in a home kitchen not
23        inspected by a health department that may also process
24        common food allergens. If you have safety concerns,
25        contact your local health department.";
26            (F) the date the product was processed; and

 

 

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

 

 

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1            (A) farmers' markets;
2            (B) fairs, festivals, public events, or online;
3            (C) pickup from the private home or farm of the
4        cottage food operator, if the pickup is not prohibited
5        by any law of the unit of local government that applies
6        equally to all cottage food operations; in a
7        municipality with a population of 1,000,000 or more, a
8        cottage food operator shall comply with any law of the
9        municipality that applies equally to all home-based
10        businesses;
11            (D) delivery to the customer; and
12            (E) pickup from a third-party private property
13        with the consent of the third-party property holder;
14        and
15            (F) mobile farmers markets.
16        (12) Only food that is not a time-or-temperature
17    control for safety food non-potentially hazardous may be
18    shipped. A cottage food product shall not be shipped out
19    of State. Each cottage food product that is shipped must
20    be sealed in a manner that reveals tampering, including,
21    but not limited to, a sticker or pop top.
22        (13) Alcohol may be used to make extracts, such as
23    vanilla extract, or may be used as an ingredient in baked
24    goods as long as the created product is not intended for
25    use as a beverage.
26        (14) Time/temperature control for safety foods shall

 

 

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1    be maintained and transported at holding temperatures as
2    set in the Department's administrative rules to ensure the
3    food's safety and limit microorganism growth or toxin
4    formation.
5        (15) A product assessment of pH and water activity may
6    be used to show that a product is non-time or temperature
7    controlled for food safety and does not require
8    temperature control.
9    (c) A local health department shall register any eligible
10cottage food operation that meets the requirements of this
11Section and shall issue a certificate of registration with an
12identifying registration number to each registered cottage
13food operation. A local health department may establish a
14self-certification program for cottage food operators to
15affirm compliance with applicable laws, rules, and
16regulations. Registration shall be completed annually and the
17local health department may impose a fee not to exceed $50.
18    (d) In the event of a consumer complaint or foodborne
19illness outbreak, upon notice from a different local health
20department, or if the Department or a local health department
21has reason to believe that an imminent health hazard exists or
22that a cottage food operation's product has been found to be
23misbranded, adulterated, or not in compliance with the
24conditions for cottage food operations set forth in this
25Section, the Department or the local health department may:
26        (1) inspect the premises of the cottage food operation

 

 

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1    in question;
2        (2) set a reasonable fee for the inspection; and
3        (3) invoke penalties and the cessation of the sale of
4    cottage food products until it deems that the situation
5    has been addressed to the satisfaction of the Department
6    or local health department; if the situation is not
7    amenable to being addressed, the local health department
8    may revoke the cottage food operation's registration
9    following a process outlined by the local health
10    department.
11    (e) A local health department that receives a consumer
12complaint or a report of foodborne illness related to a
13cottage food operator in another jurisdiction shall refer the
14complaint or report to the local health department where the
15cottage food operator is registered.
16    (f) By January 1, 2022, the Department, in collaboration
17with local public health department associations and other
18stakeholder groups, shall write and issue administrative
19guidance to local health departments on the following:
20        (1) development of a standard registration form,
21    including, if applicable, a written food safety plan;
22        (2) development of a Home-Certification Self Checklist
23    Form;
24        (3) development of a standard inspection form and
25    inspection procedures; and
26        (4) procedures for cottage food operation workspaces

 

 

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1    that include, but are not limited to, cleaning products,
2    general sanitation, and requirements for functional
3    equipment.
4    (g) A person who produces or packages a non-potentially
5hazardous baked good that is not a time/temperature control
6for safety food for sale by a religious, charitable, or
7nonprofit organization for fundraising purposes is exempt from
8the requirements of this Section.
9    (h) A home rule unit may not regulate cottage food
10operations in a manner inconsistent with the regulation by the
11State of cottage food operations under this Section. This
12Section is a limitation under subsection (i) of Section 6 of
13Article VII of the Illinois Constitution on the concurrent
14exercise by home rule units of powers and functions exercised
15by the State.
16    (i) The Department may adopt rules as may be necessary to
17implement the provisions of this Section.
18(Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 102-633, eff. 1-1-22.)