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Now is the time of year when churches and other nonprofit organizations start to hold food fundraisers.

Cooking for crowds is not the same thing as cooking meals for your family. There are potentially hazardous foods that volunteer food handlers may be preparing and they need to know what to do to keep them safe.

Foodborne illness does happen. If two or more people get ill from eating the same food, it’s considered an “outbreak.” If food handlers know what to do regarding personal hygiene and holding temperatures, then that’s a good first step toward keeping food safe.

Food handlers should know that there are three causes of foodborne illness:

Chemical hazards. These include cleaning supplies, medicines or even sanitizers getting into the food. Some metals can be a hazard when cooking acidic foods, and some wild mushrooms and shellfish can be toxic as well.

Physical hazards. These are those things that accidentally get left in food, like metal shavings from a can, a toothpick or even a Band-Aid. Insects can make their way into foods as well, and are considered a physical hazard.

Biological hazards. These are the things we normally hear about in the news when an outbreak of foodborne illness occurs. E. coli and salmonella are probably the most well-known, but there are many other foodborne illnesses. The biological hazards are microorganisms like bacteria and viruses, but also include parasites, molds, spores and yeasts. We can’t see them and need to protect our foods from them by:

keeping the premises and ourselves clean.

knowing the holding and cooking temperatures of foods.

avoiding cross-contamination.

cooling foods in a timely manner.

To ensure your organization is serving safe food, plan to attend Penn State Extension’s Cooking for Crowds food safety and sanitation training on Tuesday, May 6, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Moscow Fire Company, 117 N. Main St., Moscow. The program is designed for nonprofits such as churches, fire companies and Little League snack stands and will cover personal hygiene, controlling time and temperature, cross contamination, and cleaning and sanitizing.

Cost of the program is $40 for an organization of up to five people. To register online, go to: b143d43d1d154496.aspx by Monday, May 5.

For more information or to arrange physical access accommodations for people with disabilities, contact Penn State Extension at 570-963-6842 .

