Agencies
Services
Food Salvage Operations
Food Salvage Operations, also referred to as food recovery operations, are establishments that evaluate distressed food merchandise to determine whether it may be reconditioned for use. Examples of products that could be salvaged include dented cans, items with torn outer packaging, unlabeled food items, or food items past the manufacturer’s date labeling.
Sometimes, retail stores will send defective items back to the distributor if they feel that they are not acceptable for sale. The distributor can then sell these returned items to licensed salvage firms, provided they are licensed by IDPH for wholesale salvage distribution.
Articles of food can also become salvageable after an adverse event like a truck wreck, fire, flood, etc. Distressed items typically need reconditioning, repackaging, or relabeling to be sold as salvage.
IDPH has four different salvage licenses based on activity/operation:
- Wholesale Not-for-Profit
- Wholesale For-Profit
- Retail For-Profit
- Retail Not-for-Profit
Operations that sell to other businesses would be considered wholesale, and operations that sell directly to consumers would be considered retail.
For-profit salvage operations and not-for-profit operations have different fees and inspection requirements.
You must complete and submit the Salvage Operation Application to apply for a license. After IDPH receives and reviews the application, an IDPH inspector will contact you to schedule an inspection. It may take several weeks before an inspector is available to complete an inspection.
Questions about salvage operation applications can be emailed to DPH.Mfgfood@illinois.gov.
