Illinois Online Food Handler Course Details
All Illinois employees who are classified as food handlers must complete an ANAB-accredited food handler course within 30 days of starting employment. Our online and state-accepted course provides comprehensive instruction on common food safety subjects, including personal hygiene and standards for safe food preparation.
Our students can easily fit the course into their daily schedule and train anywhere with internet access. The course is broken down into shorter segments, so you can complete your training in one day or over several days.
The entire class is online. There are no books or materials that you need to purchase separately. We recommend that you use a laptop or desktop computer with a good internet connection. Your printable food handler certificate and card are included with the cost of the course, and you can download them immediately after you complete your training.
Course Outline
Our online Illinois food handler course features five modules.
Foodborne Illness
The Foodborne Illness module reviews common types of sicknesses that can be caused by expired food and poor food handling practices. Some illnesses cause just minor discomfort, such as nausea, while others can be life-threatening.
Personal Hygiene and Food Safety
The second module covers personal hygiene standards and the basics of food safety. Discover proper practices for washing your hands, covering your hair and more. You'll also learn about jewelry that can cause safety and health issues while you handle or prepare food. If you do not follow good personal hygiene, it is possible to introduce harmful bacteria into food.
Preventing Food Contamination
Preventing Food Contamination is the third module. You'll learn about proper storage techniques for all types of food. Additional topics include using the right cutting boards, avoiding cross-contamination and other best practices to be used in the kitchen and dining areas. Avoiding cross-contamination is extremely important when working with potential allergens such as nuts and wheat.
Cleaning and Sanitization
The Cleaning and Sanitization module will teach you which cleaners are safe and recommended for use in food preparation areas. Other topics include cleaning routines and the proper use of dishwashers, hand cleaning stations, sponges and scrubbers. Good cleaning practices help to eliminate bacteria and harmful viruses in food and on preparation surfaces.
Time and Temperature
The Time and Temperature module reviews everything you need to understand about refrigerators, warming trays and other temperature-controlled devices for food handling. You'll learn about the temperature danger zone and why food that sits at room temperature is likely to develop harmful levels of bacteria and viruses. This section also explains how long food can be stored before it needs to be thrown out.
Testing Requirements
Each course module ends with a five-question quiz. You must score at least 70% on each quiz to proceed to the next section. You have unlimited attempts at each quiz, so you can continue trying until you receive a passing grade.
The course ends with a 40-question final exam. The questions are multiple choice, and you have 180 minutes to finish. To earn your official food handler card and certificate, you must earn a passing score of 70%. Unlike the quizzes, you only have two attempts to pass the final exam. If you do not receive a passing score after two tries, you will be required to re-register for the course and restart your training.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to take the course all at once?
No, you can complete the Illinois Food Handler course at your own pace. You can progress through the course one module at a time or finish it in one sitting if you like. Our system saves your progress and will return you to the right module when you log in again.
How many chances do I have to pass a quiz?
You can keep taking each module quiz until you pass. There are no limits on the number of times that you can try to achieve a 70% score to pass the quiz.
How many chances do I have to pass the final exam?
Your course registration includes the cost of two exam attempts. If you do not score at least 70% after your second attempt, you must re-register for the course and pay again. In this case, you need to do restart the course and pass the exam to earn your food handler card.
For more information about the Illinois food handler program, visit our FAQs page.
Additional Links and Resources
Use these resources to help you to prepare for your food handler course. You can also refer these tips and guidelines after you earn your Illinois food handler card.