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It's a Bake Sale!

Raising Money With Home-baked Goodies

By Maria T. Olia

Here are some bake sale safety guidelines to follow for both contributors and volunteers, and some good things to know if you are a buyer:

• Cream-filled pies and pastries, pumpkin or custard pies, items with meringue and cheesecake are more prone to food-borne viruses and shouldn't be sold.
• Wrap it up! Don't have open food on the tables. Cover cakes and pies in plastic wrap; use plastic or wax paper bags for individual cookies and brownies.
• Practice common-sense hygiene. According to Karen Blakeslee, a food scientist with Kansas State University, all bake sale food handlers must wash their hands with soap and water prior to direct contact with food and especially after visiting the restroom. And wash hands before putting on gloves.
• Labels are the new must. Baked goods should be labeled (an index card will do) with an ingredient list and contact information. For foods made from a mix, bakers can attach the ingredient panel from the box. The bake sale sponsor should maintain a copy of the labels. Buyers with food allergies will be informed and baked goods can be traced back to the contributor if there is a problem.
• Cashiers and food servers should be separate roles. Cover or pull hair back. Bare hands should never contact food. Servers must wear food service gloves.
• Blakeslee reminds organizers that a ground cover – such as a plastic tarp or large sheets of plywood – should be provided to eliminate mud and dust underfoot in an outdoor service area.