Manual of Naval Preventive Medicine
Chapter 1: Food Service Sanitation
Section I. General Information

Department of the Navy
Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

1. CHBUMED establishes sanitary standards for food procurement, inspection on delivery, fitness for human consumption, storage and refrigeration, preparation and serving, and disposal of food residues. In addition, CHBUMED reviews and approves the sanitary aspects of standards, specifications, and design criteria prepared by other systems commands.

2. The Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Units (NAVENPVNTMEDUs), under the command of the Navy Environmental Health Center (NAVENVIRHLTHCEN), provide specialized consultation, advice, and recommendations in matters of preventive medicine and environmental health to Navy and Marine Corps activities, ashore and afloat. The services provided by these units should be utilized to the fullest extent possible by commands with food service facilities.

Services they provide are:

a. Food sanitation training programs;

b. Evaluation of food sanitation programs;

c. Survey and recommendations concerning insect and vector problems;

d. Laboratory services;

e. Epidemiological investigation of foodborne illness.

3. Naval hospitals and clinics, through their preventive medicine departments, provide environmental health services intended to reduce the risk of foodborne disease outbreaks including regular food service sanitation inspections and training. In addition, they conduct epidemiological investigations in the event of foodborne outbreaks.

4. The Commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Command (COMNAVFACENGCOM) is responsible for the planning, design, and construction of public works at all shore activities, including messing and supporting facilities. COMNAVFACENGCOM also establishes inspection and maintenance standards. See Naval Facilities Engineering Command Modification Order (NAVFAC MO) 322, "Inspection for Public Works and Public Utilities," and NAVFAC MO-119, "Building Maintenance Galley Equipment."

5. The Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command is responsible for the design, construction and maintenance of messing facilities afloat. Structural standards are found in Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) S9AAO-AA-SPN-010/GEN-SPEC, "General Specifications for Ships of the United States Navy," and equipment standards are contained in the Naval Ships' Technical Manual, Chapter 9340 (NSTM 9340), "Commissary Equipment".

6. The Commander, Naval Supply Systems Command (COMNAVSUPSYSCOM) administers the Navy Food Service Program.

a. The Deputy Commander, Navy Food Service Program, administers the subsistence portion of the Navy Supply System.

b. The Commanding Officer, Navy Food Service Systems Office (NAVFSSO), under the command of COMNAVSUPSYSCOM has been delegated the responsibility for preparation of food service equipment specifications and has been tasked with the design of food service systems ashore and afloat. NAVFSSO also exercises technical direction and financial control over Navy general messes and provides d*ection, information, and assistance for the operation of officers' messes and CPO messes afloat in order to ensure a high-quality, nutritious, and acceptable ration for Navy personnel within the limits prescribed by law. NAVFSSO, except for Naval hospitals, provides technical guidance and direction over the preparation and service of food in general messes. Additionally, NAVFSSO administers the Navy Ration Law (discussed in Navy Regulations) and supervises the technical aspects of menu planning, proper nutrition recipes, and food service management training.

(1) Navy Food Management Teams. Under the management of NAVFSSO, Navy Food Management Teams are composed of traveling instructors devoted to training food service personnel and assisting ships and field activities in improving the general messes. A Preventive Medicine Technician (PMT) serves as a member of each team.

(2) Commands may obtain the services of these teams by submitting a request to NAVFSSO. Request procedures may be found in Naval Supply Systems Command Publication (NAVSUP PUB) 486, Volume 1.

7. The Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC) administers the food service program for the Marine Corps which includes the procurement, storage, issue, accounting for the preparation, and serving of food in appropriated fund messing facilities.

a. Food Management Team, United States Marine Corps. The mission of the Food Management Team is to render assistance in raising the quality of food service, achieving economy, and increasing effectiveness at the various activities visited.

(1) An annual schedule for each food management team will be prepared by CMC for each fiscal year listing the activities to be visited and the length of time spent at each activity. (2) Activities desiring a visit by one of the Food Management Teams on other than regularly scheduled trips may summit a request to the CMC (Code LFS). This request will indicate the number of dining facilities operated by the requesting activity and the length of the visit desired for each dining facility.

b. Information concerning the Food Service and Subsistence Management Programs within the Marine Corps may be found in Marine Corps Order P10110.14, "Food Service and Subsistence Management Manual."

8. Commanding Officers. Each command has the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that food and beverages served within its jurisdiction are safe and wholesome. Navy Regulations specify that commanding officers are responsible for the health and welfare of their commands. Guidance and support regarding sanitary food preparation, however, must be provided by the supply and medical departments.

a. The supply officer is responsible for procurement, receipt, inspection, storage, and issue of food items.

b. The food service officer is in direct charge of the food service division in a command and is accountable for foodborne illness which results from improper preparation, serving, or storage of food. Some food service officer responsibilities include:

(1) Ensuring the cleanliness and sanitary maintenance of all food service equipment and spaces;

(2) Supervision of personal hygiene practices of food service personnel

(3) Assuring sanitary preparation, serving and storage of food;

(4) Ensuring that all food service personnel receive initial and annual training in food service sanitation as required by the Secretary of Navy Instruction (SECNAVINST) 4061.1, Food Sanitation Training Program, and this chapter.

c. The medical officer or the MDR is responsible for:

(1) Routine inspection of all food service facilities at least monthly, including:

(a) Sanitary surveillance of the storage, preparation and serving of food, and for the disposal of food wastes;

(b) Sanitary surveillance of food service spaces and proper cleaning of equipment and utensils.

(2) Sanitary inspection of Navy and Marine Corps commissaries, including surveillance of food processing spaces, and proper cleaning and sanitizing of equipment and utensils. Commissaries must be inspected using Military Standard (MIL-STD) 903, Sanitary Standards for Commissaries, as a guide. Department of Defense (DD) Form 2460, Commissary Compliance Checklist, located at the back of MIL-STD-903, must be used, this form may be reproduced locally. U.S. Army veterinary personnel (veterinary officers and qualified technicians) will inspect Navy and Marine Corps commissaries when the task is included in a local Memorandum of Agreement.

(3) Sanitary inspection of Navy and Marine Corps exchange food outlets, e.g., restaurants, cafeterias, snack bars, auxiliary resale outlets (AROs), etc;

(4) The inspection of food items for fitness for human consumption and for assurance that food items are received from approved sources;

(5) The physical examination of military food service personnel for disease or unclean habits that could result in foodborne illness;

(6) The provision of food service sanitation training programs in accordance with current instructions and directives;

(7) Review of local plans and design specifications relating to construction of new food service facilities and renovation of existing facilities.

d. General Mess Meal Sampling. U.S. Navy Regulations require that meals served in general messes be sampled regularly by an officer detailed by the commanding officer (usually the Officer of the Day). Should this officer find the meal unsatisfactory as to quality, quantity, preparation or presentation, or should any member of the general mess object to the quality of the food, U.S. Navy Regulations require that the commanding officer be notified and that he or she take appropriate action.

e. Ships in dry dock or conversion facilities must ensure that high levels of sanitation are maintained throughout the food service areas during these periods. Usually this period is used for additional leave, transfers, hospitalization, etc., which in turn may result in a shortage of trained food service personnel. Medical and supply officers must exercise close vigilance to ensure that recommended sanitation practices are followed while the ship is in a yard period. When sufficient personnel are not available to maintain good sanitation, or when the galley is under repair, consideration will be given to feeding the ship's complement ashore. When overhauls or other repairs are carried out in a civilian shipyard, it is the responsibility of the contracting officer, in conjunction with the ship's commanding officer, to ensure that food service facilities made available to the ship by the contractor meet the sanitary inspection standards contained in this chapter.

9. Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Boards. These boards have the authority to declare "off limits" those establishments within a community that pose a threat to the health of military personnel. The purpose and responsibilities of these boards may be found in Chief of Naval Operations Instruction (OPNAVINST) 1620.2 And MCO 1620.2.

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Operational Medicine 2001

Health Care in Military Settings

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