Are you a restaurant manager and/or owner with locations in the state of Illinois? If so, this applies to you.
Illinois has Amended their Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act, Adding Food Allergen Awareness Training Requirement
On August 25, 2017, Illinois House Bill 2510 was approved by the governor, adding a Food Allergy Training requirement to their food handling regulation. The bill states that, “All food service establishments shall have at least one certified food service sanitation manager who has undergone training that follows nationally recognized industry standards for allergen safety and allergen awareness available on the premises at all times that the food service establishment is in operation.”
AllerTrain by MenuTrinfo is prepared to provide you a variety of options for your staff through AllerTrain, AllerTrain U and AllerTrain Lite. We have received endorsements, approvals and continuing education credits from the likes of the leading nonprofit food allergy organization in the country, FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education), the ACF (American Culinary Federation), AND (The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics) and most recently the SNA (School Nutrition Association). Currently, AllerTrain is the only ANSI accredited food allergy training in the country and these classes meet the new requirement.
Currently we provide the training in two main ways:
- Online eLearning on our platform or yours.
- In-person training through our great network of Master Trainers. Classroom or webinar settings are available to meet your needs for time and date.
The actual language in the bill makes it fairly clear this is for food managers, not handlers, and will take effect quickly (January 1, 2018) with a window of leeway for the first 6 months as impacted individuals take the classes and get certified.
Verbiage from bill:
- Unless otherwise provided, all certified food service sanitation managers employed by a restaurant must receive or obtain training in basic allergen awareness principles within 30 days after employment and every 3 years thereafter.
- Training programs must be accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) or another reputable accreditation agency under the ASTM International E2659-09 (Standard Practice for Certificate Programs). There is no limit to how many times an employee may take the training.
- If an entity uses an allergen awareness training program accredited by the American National Standards Institute or another reputable accreditation agency under the ASTM International E2659-09 (Standard Practice for Certificate Programs), then that training program meets the requirements of this Section. The training indicated in this subsection (d) is transferable between employers, but not individuals.
- The provisions of this Section apply beginning January 1, 2018. From January 1, 2018- July 1, 2018, enforcement of the provisions of this Section shall be limited to education and notification of requirements to encourage compliance.
“AllerTrain by MenuTrinfo is the leader in food allergy training and education across the country. This law put in place will most certainly help many who have food allergies and just want to eat out safely,” stated Betsy Craig, CEO and Founder of AllerTrain by MenuTrinfo
Craig went on to say, “Today at least 1 in every 10 diners has a special dietary request. Making sure that if your restaurant can serve them, you can do so safely is a game changer. I have worked hard for years to lead this training space for food allergies (and gluten-free needs) to protect people’s lives. It has become truly my heart’s mission.”
Contact AllerTrain by MenuTrinfo today to schedule a class that best fits your needs. Prepare your team so you can meet the requirements of this bill and safely serve every customer who dines at your establishment. www.AllerTrain.com
