Education is the best tool to prevent, minimize, or eliminate foodborne illnesses and food hazards.
Training helps reduce or eliminate food safety hazards before they become major issues.
Reducing food safety complaints will create a happier workplace and in turn increase productivity.
Numerous professionals nationwide have already earned and renewed their card with AAA Food Handler — a trusted name in food safety training.
The Illinois Food Handler Card is a state-approved and ANAB accredited online program that teaches essential food safety practices for food service workers. It covers topics such as proper handwashing, avoiding cross-contamination, temperature control, and cleaning food-contact surfaces. The course is self-paced, available 24/7, and takes about 1.5 hours to complete. Once finished, you’ll receive an official Illinois Food Handler Certificate.
To earn your Illinois Food Handlers Card, you must complete a course approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) or accredited by the ANAB. After passing the exam with a score of 70% or higher, you can download and print your certificate to provide to your employer.
Your Illinois food handler certificate is valid for three years. To stay compliant with Illinois law, you must retake the course and pass the exam again before the expiration date.
You must be at least 14 years old to work in food service in Illinois. Workers under 16 may have limits on equipment use and work hours. At age 18, employees are typically allowed to perform all food service tasks.
Yes. Illinois accepts online courses, as long as it is approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) or accredited by the ANAB. The online option allows you to complete the course at your own pace from anywhere.
To renew your Illinois Food Handler certificate, you must retake an approved course before your current certificate expires. After passing the exam again, you’ll receive an updated certificate to give to your employer.
According to the CDC, Illinois had 25 foodborne illness outbreaks, resulting in 325 illnesses, 19 hospitalizations, and no deaths. The food handler course helps reduce these incidents by teaching workers how to safely handle and prepare food, protect public health, and avoid violations.
Visit the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) website for current food safety regulations, public health updates, and resources related to food handling practices in the state.
The ANABÂ is responsible for evaluating and recognizing programs that meet nationally accepted food safety standards. The ANABÂ helps ensure that food safety training, such as the program offered by AAA Food Handler, meets essential public health guidelines.
AAA Food Handler courses work on most devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. For the best results, use the latest version of Google Chrome. Make sure JavaScript and cookies are enabled, and a PDF reader is installed for accessing course documents.
For official guidance on food safety rules and regulations in Illinois,Â
Contact the Food Safety Branch of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH):
525-535 West Jefferson Street,Â
Springfield, Illinois 62761.
Food Handler Reviews
4.9
for people coming into or returning to the food industry this is helpful information, would hope that if new or differing practices evolve or become obsolete that the training videos would evolve as well. nothing worse than visually outdated training videos. I’ve seen some bad onboarding videos in my time..
Very simple, and easy to understand!
I’ve taken this test many years ago, and while there is still a lot to remember I was easily able to stay engaged and remember the information because of the way the module is set up.
5-star would be considered had the course been compatible with iPad Pro. Video plays without audio and had to continue course on phone.
This course have taught me a lot when it comes to handling food and its widely range of knowledge to be learned. this is a basic training that I can recommend for beginners who has an interest in food handler.
An amazing course…very informative and easily explains all the things required to become a food handler
go at your own pace and easy to complete
Easy simple straightforward anyone with common sense will pass.
I really liked the format. It was informative and easy to follow. I also liked that I was able to take a break when needed and then come back and continue the course.
The things I never knew.
Quick and easy but informative!
Comprehensive but easy to follow and understand
It was incredibly hard to stay focused after the 1 hour mark and feel if I didn’t already do food handling training before, I would have struggled with the exam.
It was a good training that was easy to understand and comprehend.
I recently completed the AAA Food Handler Course, and it was an excellent experience! The course was well-organized and easy to follow, with clear explanations of food safety, hygiene, and handling practices. I especially appreciated the practical examples and visual aids, which made it easy to understand important concepts like TCS foods, temperature danger zones, and proper thawing methods.
The interactive quizzes helped reinforce the lessons, and I felt confident applying the knowledge in a real-world kitchen setting. Overall, the course was engaging, informative, and very user-friendly. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to improve their food safety skills and meet certification requirements.