Manual of Naval Preventive Medicine
Chapter 1: Food Service Sanitation
Section VI: Sanitary Precautions to be Observed When Preparing and Serving Food

1- 42. Fast Food Serving Lines.

Department of the Navy
Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

1. Many activities and ships have installed fast food serving lines in the general messes separate from the main serving line. This allows personnel to have a choice of items (hamburgers, freshly prepared sandwiches, french fries, beverages) rather than the full course meal.

2. Recommended sanitary practices must be observed when preparing, handling, and serving food on these fast food lines. Most items served are potentially hazardous foods, and the 4 hour rule for preparing and serving takes on added importance. This rule specifies that cooked protein foods must not be held between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F longer than a total of 4 hours, including the time required to prepare/serve the food and the holding time prior to consumption.

3. Adequate refrigeration must be provided near the fast food serving line. This will avoid the necessity of carrying the foods from central refrigeration and allowing them to remain out of refrigeration for excessive periods. Meat ground in the messing facility must be placed in shallow containers not more than 3 inches deep, loosely covered with a lid, wax paper, etc., and be refrigerated until cooked; or it may be cooked immediately. Locally ground meat will not be retained as leftovers. Commercially prepared ground meat and patties may be retained as leftovers. Meat for hamburgers and sandwiches on fast food serving lines must be cooked thoroughly to a well-done state.

4. Careful surveillance by medical and supply department personnel is necessary to preclude any possibility of laxness in sanitary measures which could lead to foodborne illness. Food service personnel working at these fast food serving lines should be instructed to use proper precaution in handling, preparing, and serving food.

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Operational Medicine 2001

Health Care in Military Settings

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