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OVERVIEW/GENERAL INFORMATION
The purpose of the food sanitation program in Boone
County is to prevent food borne
illness and educate food establishment personnel on proper food preparation and
handling techniques. This is
accomplished through inspections and enforcement of standards as well as
periodic training classes and workshops.
In Boone County,
a food permit is required when any business establishment or organization,
public or private, provides food prepared or sold at retail, for human consumption
whether on or off the premises.
Food inspecton
APPLICATIONS
& PERMITS
Annual Food Permits
expire on December 31st. The
permits are non-transferable. If any of
the information on the permit changes, the permit is not valid and a new permit
must be obtained.
To download the annual food permit application, click here.
Catering Food Permits
expire on December 31st. The permits are non-transferable.
If any of the information on the permit changes, the permit is
not valid and a new permit must be obtained. Following are the
criteria for a catering permit:
1) On site preparation requires an onsite (i.e. temporary event) permit
and is not considered catering.
2) Off site prepared food delivered
for public consumption and not served by caterer personnel is a delivery and must have an onsite permit.
3) Private events do not need a permit (a
private event is an event NOT open to the public, i.e. weddings, private
banquets)
4) Off site preparation for a catering permit
must be done in a Boone County permitted facility. If your
permitted facility is outisde of Boone County, you must instead get a
Temporary Event permit and must submit a copy of the most recent food
inspection from the Health Department of the county your facility is in.
5) Catered food served must be the same or lower risk factor as the preparation facility permit.
6) If food is medium risk or higher, caterer
must agree to provide the following:
a) Notification to BCDPD of catered events 48 hours
in advance
b) Qualified personnel to monitor
and serve food
c) Proper equipment to ensure temperature holding
d) Means of handwashing and other sanitiation
To download the catering food permit application, click here.
Temporary Event/Mobile
Food Permits
“Mobile food unit”
means a vehicle-mounted food service establishment designed to be readily
movable (Title 77;Section 750.10) Mobile
permits are valid from the date of issue through December 31. A permit must be obtained for each mobile
unit. Fees are dependent upon the
type/preparation of food served. Call
815/544-2951 ext 2 for your permit fee. A
permit must be obtained at least 2 business days before the event.
“Temporary food
service establishment” means food service establishment that operates at a
fixed location for a period of time of not more than 14 consecutive days in
conjunction with a single event or celebration. (Title 77; Section 750.10) A permit must be obtained for each unit. Fees are dependent upon the
type/preparation of food served. Call
815/544-2951 ext 2 for your permit fee. A
permit must be obtained at least 2 business days before the event.
To download the mobile/temporary food permit application, click here.
To download a brochure of the requirements for a temporary food stand, click here.
To download a Spanish brochure of the requirements for a temporary food stand, click here.
Seasonal food permits
are issued for a 6 month period within the time frame of January 1 to December
31. Fees are dependent upon the
type/preparation of food served. Call
815/544-2951 ext 2 for your permit fee.
To download the seasonal food permit application, click here.
Vending Machines. An application needs to be submitted which
lists the machines owned and the location of each. Only one application is completed and one fee
is charged per owner regardless of the number of machines owned and
operated. If you have a machine that is
vending prepackaged foods such as candy bars, chips, pop, or juice, an
application and fee is not necessary. If
you have a machine vending ice cream, milk, coffee, soups, prepared items such
as salad and sandwiches, an application needs to be completed. Please call ahead for the required fee.
To download the vending food permit application, click here
FOOD ESTABLISHMENT PLAN REVIEW
New establishments and establishments that are remodeling
are required to submit a scale drawing of the establishment and have a
review. This review takes approximately
2 weeks and a fee is required for this review.
Contact the Environmental Department for more information and for the
required fee.
HAACP (HAZARD ANALYSIS & CRITICAL CONTROL
POINTS)
HAACP is a food safety control program, which includes a
site specific step by step description of how food is received, stored,
prepared, and served. Following a HAACP plan minimizes the risk of food borne
illness or food contamination. More
information on developing a HAACP plan can be found at the link below for the
Illinois Department of Public Health.
http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/077/077007600J20500R.html
FARMER’S MARKET
To view a copy of the farmers markets policy, click here
FOOD COMPLAINTS
Be a good consumer advocate!
It may be advisable for you to speak to restaurant personnel about some
types of complaints. Some complaints are
civil matters, not public health concerns, and are not investigated by
BCHD. If you are concerned about a
possible public health issue at a restaurant in Boone
County, you may submit a complaint
form.
To download a food complaint form, click here
ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH - FOOD SERVICE SANITATION CODE
To view a copy of the Illinois Department of Public Health - Food Service Sanitation Code, click here.
WATER BOIL ORDER PROCEDURES FOR FOOD
ESTABLISHMENTS
To continue operating under “boil water” orders or
interrupted water service from municipal water supplies, all retail food
service establishments (restaurants) must secure and use potable water from an
approved source (e.g. from tank trucks or bottled potable water) for all water
usage. This includes for the following
uses:
1) Coffee, tea, other beverages made in
the food establishment
2) Ice
3) Washing produce or thawing frozen foods
4) Employees hand washing
5) Washing all dishes and cooking utensils
6) All water used in 3-compartment sinks
7) All water for sanitizing solutions
It must be noted that equipment plumbed directly into the
water system such as direct feed coffee urns, ice machines that manufacture ice
on site, and post-mix soda or beverage machines may not be used during the boil
order and must be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized after the “boil water” order
is lifted.
Retail food establishments may consider the following
alternative procedures to minimize water usage:
1) Commercially-packaged ice may be
substituted for ice made on-site
2) Single-service
items or disposable
utensils may be
substituted
for reusable dishes and utensils
3) Pre-prepared
foods from approved
sources may be
used in place of complex preparations on-site
4) Restrict menu choices or hours of
operation
5) Portable toilets may be made available
for sanitary purposes
After “boil water” order is lifted or water service resumes,
these precautionary measures must be followed:
1) Run
all water lines for one minute to flush contaminated water from system. This includes each fill point for post-mix
soda and beverage machines.
2) Clean
and sanitize all fixtures, sinks and equipment connected to water lines
3) Run
your dishwasher empty through three complete cycles to flush the water lines
and assure that the dishwasher is cleaned internally before washing equipment
and utensils in it
4) Discard
all ice in ice machines; clean and sanitize (1 tablespoon of bleach per gallon
of potable water) the interior surfaces; run the ice through 3 cycles; and
discard ice with each cycle
5) Replace
all ice machine filters and beverage dispenser filters and flush all water
lines for 10 to 15 minutes.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
When is a food permit
required in Boone County
A
food permit is required any time food, beverages, or candy…
…is offered to the public for consumption.
…is given away for free.
…is sold.
…is served at an event open to the general
public, or when tickets for the event are sold to the general public.
Does my tax exempt
organization need a food permit?
Yes. If you provide
an Illinois Department of Revenue E-tax number, you will not be charged for your
food permit application. You must still
apply for a food permit from the Health Department.
Can I prepare food in
my home and give it away or sell it?
Most of the time the answer is “NO.” However there are a few exceptions. Please
call the Health Department.
When is a food permit
not required in Boone County?
A food permit is not required when food is distributed to a
select group of individuals, such as members of an organization or at a private
party (invitation only, not advertised for the public to attend)
How soon before a
temporary event do I need to obtain a food permit?
2 days prior to the event.
Please note that the Health Department Offices are not open for business
during the weekend.
What happens if I
don’t get a permit in time before an event?
Failure to submit an application and fee at least 2 days
prior to the event will result in a late fee or denial of permit request.
When do I need to
have food certification?
The answer to this question is complex. Please call the Health Department.
How or where do I get
food certification?
To get “food certified”, you must take a 16 hour State
authorized class and then pass a State food certification exam. Some places that offer classes are:
Rock
Valley College
- http://www.rockvalleycollege.edu/
Corporate
Training Center, LTD. – www.ctcfoodsanitation.com
Winnebago
County Health Department – http://www.wchd.org
Phone: 815-962-5092
The
Learning Basket, Jean Ramsey – www.yourlearningbasket.com
Phone: 815-323-1244
Where can I take a
class to renew my certification?
To keep your food certification current, you must take a 6
hour class at least once before your 5-year certification expires. BCHD no longer offers food certification refresher classes. Please call one of the above companies for refresher classes.
Is my out-of state
food certification valid in Illinois?
Illinois does
not recognize out-of-state food certification.
What are the
requirements for my temporary food stand? (i.e. cleaning, temperatures, stand
construction, handwashing, etc.)
Temporary food stand brochure
Temporary food stand brochure - in Spanish
How long are food
permits good for?
* Temporary Permit –
14 consecutive days at one location
* Mobile
Permit – from date of issuance through December 31
* Seasonal Permit –
one consecutive 6 month period within the calendar year at a fixed-site
location
* Annual Permit –
January 1 (or date of issuance) through December 31 at a fixed-site
establishment
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