One of the first certifications you will need to obtain as a food processor -- yes when you prepare food for sale to the public you technically become a food processor -- is the Illinois Food Service Sanitation Manager Certification. (FSSMC) This certificate requires 15 hours of classroom study before you are allowed to sit for the exam. Classes are usually taught by Community Colleges, private instructors or other institutions.

Why is certification required? Simple -- to protect the public. Knowledge of food safety and sanitation is important for everyone that handles and sells foods. You have the responsibility to prepare safe food and you need to be able to anticipate problems before they become violations. A base understanding of food safety and the regulations is taught in the certification class.

For information on the FSSMC, please see this website: http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/077/077007500C05400R.html

Call your local health department for a list of course providers in your area.

Until next time,

Carol

As a nutrition and wellness educator and an expert on AllExperts.com in the area of food safety, one of the most frequent questions that I receive is "I have a fabulous recipe for XYZ and would like to make and sell it to the public. How do I get started?"

I think a lot of people have watched the movie "Baby Boom" and think that it's a simple process -- just make a great product, market it and voila...you are suddenly a millionaire!! In the movie, Diane Keaton makes baby applesauce in her home kitchen and peddles the product to small stores in the New England area. Unfortunately, it's not exactly that simple.

First of all, to produce a product in your home requires that you do so in a kitchen separate from your home kitchen. This kitchen can be in the basement or out building on your property, but it can not be your home, family kitchen. You must have a 3-compartment sink, a backflow devise on your plumbing and a separate hand sink. In addition you will need cleanable and sanitizable surfaces (floor and work surfaces). Food items that can be made in a home environment include baked items (cookies, cakes, pies, etc). Foods that require processing (jams, jellies, salsa, etc) will require additional equipment and possibly additional FDA certification to be considered a food processor (more about this in future blog entries).

Before getting started, I strongly suggest you read the following book, "From Kitchen to Market" by Dr. Stephen Hall. This excellent resource answers many of the questions you may have about starting a food business and will walk you through the process.

Until next time.

Carol