Volunteers who help prepare and serve food for their nonprofit organization are encouraged to attend a webinar on food safety offered by Penn State Extension from 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 15.

“Cooking for Crowds: A Volunteer’s Guide to Safe Food Handling” is a condensed, three-hour food safety course developed by Penn State Extension and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

This webinar will address food safety issues faced by volunteer-based organizations and will help participants understand the risks involved with preparing large volumes of food and the critical food safety practices that they need to follow to ensure a safe event.

Even if an organization has been doing this for years, it is important that volunteers are up to date and knowledgeable about rules and regulations governing food safety, according to Penn State Extension food safety specialists.

Participants will learn safe food handling practices and the causes of foodborne illness. Course topics will include:

• Good personal hygiene for all volunteers involved in food preparation.

• Time and temperature controls that are needed to keep food out of the temperature danger zone.

• Ways to prevent cross-contamination.

• Cleaning and sanitizing within the operation.

• Planning a successful food event.

Penn State extension educators and faculty serve as instructors and are certified by the National Restaurant Association. All have received training on the most current food safety research.

The registration deadline for this event is Feb. 15, 2024, and the cost to register is $5. Participants can receive a certificate of completion after attending the program.

For more information and to register, visit https://extension.psu.edu/cooking-for-crowds-webinar or call 1-877-345-0691.