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 6-9 p.m. March 22.

“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.

It is important that volunteers are up to date and knowledgeable about rules and regulations governing food safety.

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 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.

Registration deadline is March 18. There is a cost to register.

For information and to register, visit extension.psu.edu/cooking-for-crowds-webinar.