Agencies
Services
Wholesale Food Operations/Manufactured Food
IDPH regulates food products processed, packaged, labeled, stored, and distributed for wholesale in Illinois through permitting, licensing, and inspection of food processing plants and storage facilities. You may hear wholesale food businesses referred to as “manufactured food.” Generally, wholesale refers to the sale or distribution of food from one business to another for resale or redistribution, e.g., selling food to a grocery store or restaurant.
The manufactured food program and corresponding regulations are designed to minimize the occurrence of foodborne illness and ensure that foods manufactured, processed, packaged, or stored in Illinois are safe, wholesome, have been prepared in a sanitary manner under sanitary conditions, and are properly labeled. Specialized processing like Seafood HACCP, Juice HACCP, Acidified Foods, and Low Acid Canned Foods (LACF) have additional regulations and requirements. The wholesale food guidance gives more specific guidance about these requirements for manufactured food firms.
Permit and Inspection Requirements
Food processing plants and food storage facilities are required to obtain a permit and inspection from IDPH to operate.
New Operations/Facilities
To obtain a permit for a new food processing plant or food storage facility, applicants must complete an application, submit appropriate application materials, and pay appropriate fees. Fees are outlined in the appropriate application. Applicants should provide at least 45 days of notice to the Department. Upon receipt of a completed application, an inspection is conducted by IDPH inspectors to ensure compliance with applicable state and federal requirements. The program does not expedite inspections, and inspections will be completed based on the schedule of the assigned inspector.
Existing Operations and Renewal
All food processing plant, food storage facility, or shared kitchen user permits issued by IDPH shall expire on December 31st of the year they were issued unless issued after October 1.
Permitted facilities must submit a renewal application and provide payment to the Department electronically or postmarked by December 1.
Renewal applications received after December 1 up to and including December 31 must be accompanied by a late fee. Renewals are not granted 90 days past the expiration date. Applicants will have to complete an initial permit application and pay applicable fees. Fees are outlined in the appropriate applications.
Applications
The Application for Food Processing Plant or Food Storage Facility is used to apply for a food processing plant or food storage facility permit. Applications must be submitted by mail and accompanied with appropriate attachments and payment. Fees are outlined in the fee schedule in the applications.
The Application for Shared Kitchen Users is used to apply for a food processing plant that will be in a shared kitchen. To be permitted as a shared kitchen user, the kitchen you are operating from must be permitted as a food processing plant or food storage facility, as appropriate. Applicants who are offering their kitchens as a shared kitchen must use the Application for Food Processing Plants or Food Storage Facility. Applications must be submitted by mail and accompanied with appropriate attachments and payment. Fees are outlined in the fee schedule in the applications.
A floor plan, product labels, completed pre-inspection questionnaire, and any other requested information, i.e. shared kitchen agreements or HACCP plans, should be included with the application.
Warehouse facilities do not need to submit product labels unless they are repackaging food products and adding new labels. After IDPH receives and accepts the application, an IDPH inspector will be in contact to schedule an inspection. It may take several weeks before an inspector is available to complete an inspection. Questions regarding the application process can be emailed to DPH.MfgFood@Illinois.gov.
Other Public Health Partners in Food Safety
Different agencies regulate different parts of the food supply. It is important to understand what agency regulates your product(s) and what regulations apply. Your firm and product(s) may be regulated by multiple regulatory agencies.
If products are sold interstate (over state lines), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also has jurisdiction. Products sold directly to consumers, including online or at farmers markets, are considered retail sales and are regulated by local health departments in Illinois.
The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture regulate meat, poultry, and products containing a certain amount of meat or poultry, e.g., sausage pizza or chicken egg rolls. IDOA also regulates shell eggs.
Resources
- Current Good Manufacturing Practices
- Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food (21 CFR Part 117): Guidance for Industry Small Entity Compliance Guide
- FDA Food Labeling & Nutrition
- FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)
- FDA Food Safety Plan Builder
- IDOA Egg Inspection
- IDOA Meat and Poultry
- Interstate Certified Shellfish Shippers List
- Guidance for Commercial Processors of Acidified and Low-Acid Canned Foods
- Juice HACCP
- National Shellfish Sanitation Program
- Registration of Manufactured Food Facilities
- Seafood HACCP
