Cooking for Crowds

Chapter 6

Conducting Safe & Successful• Barbecues

• Bake Sales

• Sub & Sandwich Sales

• Home-delivered Meals

• Temporary Events

Cooking for Crowds

Guidelines for Events

• Prepare foods for all events in a central kitchen

• Planning is the key to a successful event

• Get training for all volunteers

• Find out if you need a license to conduct the event

Cooking for Crowds

Safe & Successful MEALS

• Minimize time in the TDZ

• Use enough of the appropriate storage and holding equipment

• Use calibrated thermometers

Time-temperature—

Cooking for Crowds

Safe & Successful MEALS

• Separate areas for raw and RTE prep

• Assign volunteers tasks

• Clean and sanitize between tasks

• Use only food-grade containers, utensils, and equipment

Cross-contamination—

Cooking for Crowds

Safe & Successful MEALS

• Wash hands often using the correct handwashing method

Personal hygiene—

Cooking for Crowds

Safe & Successful BARBECUES

• Separate areas for raw and RTE foods

• Clean and sanitize utensils between tasks

• Use only food-grade containers

• Assign volunteers to focus on one task

• Boil marinade or prepare fresh before adding to cooked food

Time-temperature—

Cooking for Crowds

Safe & Successful BARBECUES

• Frequent and proper handwashing

Personal hygiene—

Cooking for Crowds

Safe & Successful BAKE SALES

Acceptable items for sale—

• Fruit pies• Cakes and cookies• Muffins• Candy• Bread

Cooking for Crowds

Safe & Successful BAKE SALES

• To accommodate those with food allergies, develop a written ingredient list for all baked goods

Allergens—

Cooking for Crowds

Safe & Successful BAKE SALES

• Wrap individual items

• Clean and sanitize food contact surfaces

• Provide trash containers

• Wash hands before serving items

Cross-contamination —

Cooking for Crowds

Cooking for Crowds

Safe & Successful SUB & SANDWICH SALES

• Keep food cold after purchasing and during storage and delivery

• Chill all sandwich ingredients before assembling

• As batches are assembled, place immediately into cold storage

Time-temperature —

Cooking for Crowds

Safe & Successful SUB & SANDWICH SALES

• Assign one volunteer to one task for the duration of assembly

• Assemble sandwiches on clean, sanitized surfaces

• Use only food-grade containers

• Use only commercially prepared condiments

Cross-contamination —

Cooking for Crowds

Safe & Successful SUB & SANDWICH SALES

• Frequent and proper handwashing

• Gloves may be worn but should not be a substitute for handwashing

Personal hygiene —

Cooking for Crowds

Safe & Successful HOME MEAL DELIVERIES

• Receive hot foods at 140°F or higher and cold foods at 40°F or lower

• During transport, keep food out of the TDZ

• Record the temperature of the last meal served

Time-temperature —

Cooking for Crowds

Safe & Successful HOME MEAL DELIVERIES

• Clean and sanitize all containers used to carry, transport, or hold foods

• Use only food-grade containers

• Do not transport food with family pets

Cross-contamination—

Cooking for Crowds

Safe & Successful HOME MEAL DELIVERIES

• Wash hands before transporting and delivering food

Personal hygiene —

• Consider keeping a sample of the meal frozen for four weeks

• Consider providing proper handling instructions

Other considerations—

Cooking for Crowds

Safe & Successful FundraisersUsing TEMPORARY FACILITIES

• Hot and cold running potable water• Collect all waste water

Water —

• Made from potable water• Store ice in clean, nonporous containers• Never completely submerge food in ice

Ice—

Cooking for Crowds

Safe & Successful FundraisersUsing TEMPORARY FACILITIES

• Minimize time food spends in the TDZ

• Make sure equipment is available to maintain safe holding temperatures

• Periodically take temperatures of foods using a calibrated thermometer

Time-temperature —

Cooking for Crowds

Safe & Successful FundraisersUsing TEMPORARY FACILITIES

• Different areas for raw and RTE foods

• Clean and sanitize utensils between tasks

• Use only food-grade containers

• Assign each volunteer to focus on one task

Cross-contamination —

Cooking for Crowds

Safe & Successful FundraisersUsing TEMPORARY FACILITIES

• Frequent and proper handwashing• If sinks are not available:

• Wet hands by dispensing warm water from the spigot of a 5-gallon container • Apply soap and scrub for 20 seconds• Rinse hands • Dry hands with a paper towel• Make sure to collect any waste water

Personal hygiene —

©2006 Department of Food Science - College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State UniversityPenn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.

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