Farmers Market Vendors Required to Register with Health Department

January 9, 2012

Farmers Market Vendors Required to Register with Health Department

                              

Ford and Iroquois counties, IL – On January 1, 2012, P.A. 097-0393, Technical Information Bulletin #44 in regards to Cottage Food Operations became effective in Illinois which allows certain homemade foods to be sold at Illinois farmers’ markets.  According to Terry Eimen, Director of Environmental Health for the Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department, the intent of Bulletin #44 is that all local health departments will register cottage food operations in their jurisdiction.  Eimen said that registration is free for residents of Ford and Iroquois counties and needs to be completed each year.  Registration may be completed by going to the health department website at www.fiphd.org, clicking on programs, then environmental health, then food protection, then Application for Cottage Industry Registration.  Eimen said that the health department will send out a renewal form each year to those who are registered with the department.

What is a Cottage Food Production Operation?

A “Cottage Food Production Operation” is defined to mean a person who, in the person’s home, produces food items that are not potentially hazardous foods, including bakery products, jams, jellies, candy, fruit butter, and similar products specified in the rule.  These foods must be labeled properly or they will be considered misbranded or adulterated.

“Home” means the primary residence occupied by the residence’s owner, on the condition that the residence contains only one stove or oven used for cooking, which may be a double oven, designed for common residence usage and not for commercial usage, and that the stove or oven be operated in an ordinary kitchen within the residence.

What foods are prohibited from production and sale?

The following items are prohibited from production and sale by a cottage food operation:  pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, cheesecake, custard pies, cream pies, as well as pastries with potentially hazardous fillings or toppings.  Pumpkin, banana and pear butters are also not allowed.  Rhubarb, tomato, pepper and watermelon jellies or jams are also prohibited.

According to Eimen more information regarding specific food items that are permitted or prohibited also may be found at the agency’s website following the same procedure as listed above under TIB-Cottage Food.