Cooking for Crowds: A Volunteer's Guide to Safe Food Handling
- Skill Level
- Beginner
- Length
- 3 hours
- Language
- English
- Note
- Group/Organization Rate: $75 Individual Rate: $50
- Event Format
- In-Person
About the In-Person Workshop
Preparing food in large quantities is different than food preparation in the home. Cooking for Crowds: A Volunteer's Guide to Safe Food Handling program helps non-profit organizations and their volunteers understand the risks involved with preparing large volumes of food and the important food safety practices that need to be implemented to ensure a safe event. Penn State Extension educators and other faculty serve as instructors and are certified by the National Restaurant Association. All have received training on the most current research on food safety.
Even if your organization has been doing this for years, things change and it is important that volunteers are up-to-date and knowledgeable about rules and regulations governing food safety. Don’t risk your customer’s health or your organization's reputation.
Participating Organizations
- Chief Logan Lions Club
- Add your organization here!*
*If your organization is interested in attending, please see tab "Register Your Organization."
Cooking for Crowds: A Volunteer's Guide to Safe Food Handling was developed in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
The program is geared to volunteers preparing food for events such as . . .
- Church fundraisers
- Fire company barbecues
- Booster club food sales
- And the many other types of events where food is served to the public
Volunteers will learn the causes of foodborne illness as well as safe food handling practices related to:
- Preventing cross-contamination
- Controlling time and temperature
- Good personal hygiene
- Cleaning and sanitizing
- Planning a successful food event
Which food safety training should I attend, Cooking for Crowds: Volunteer's Guide to Safe Food Handling or ServSafe?
It depends! If your organization meets one of the requirements listed below then you are not required to have someone certified in food safety through a recognized food manager certification program such as ServSafe. Although it is not required, you are encouraged to take a class or participate in some type of food safety training, and Cooking for Crowds: A Volunteer's Guide to Safe Food Handling is a great option.
If you are not sure you should check with your PDA Food Sanitarian or local regulatory authority to see what you need to do.
What exactly is Cooking for Crowds: A Volunteer's Guide to Safe Food Handling?
This is a three-hour workshop specifically designed for organizations that use volunteers to prepare and serve meals to the public. This can include events like spaghetti dinners, hoagie sales, soup sales, fish frys and other types of events that organizations host to raise funds.
It is a condensed food safety course developed by Penn State Extension and PDA intended specifically to address food safety issues faced by volunteer-based organizations such as:
- An organization classified as tax-exempt under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
- Food establishments managed on a not-for-profit basis by a volunteer fire company or an ambulance, religious, charitable, fraternal, veterans, civic, agriculture fair or agricultural association or any separately chartered auxiliary of any of the above.
- A food establishment managed on a not-for-profit basis by organizations supporting extra-curricular recreational activities for youth of all public, private and parochial school systems.
Examples: school booster clubs, Little League or Midget Football Associations.
If your business or organization does not fall into one of these categories, then you are most likely required to have at least one supervisory employee who has a recognized food manager protection certificate on staff and the ServSafe course offered by Penn State Extension would meet that requirement.
Will I get a certificate after taking the Cooking for Crowds class?
Participants earn a certificate of participation upon completion of the class. The certificate is not a certification and does not meet the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's requirements for food safety certification.
Do I have to take an exam at the end of the Cooking for Crowds class?
This workshop includes a lecture, discussion, and hands-on activities. There is no exam.
How long is my certificate of participation valid?
While there is no expiration date on the certificate, we recommend your organization consider attending a training course every 5 years as new information becomes available and new volunteers join.
