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

1-45. Bulk Fish/Seafood Market.

Department of the Navy
Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

1. Navy commissaries may operate a bulk fish/seafood section when approval is granted by NAVRESSO. It must be supervised by the meat department and be located in a designated area separated from the meat processing room. The safe, sanitary operation of these facilities requires specialized training and careful supervision of employees (food service personnel). Prior to opening, preventive medicine and U.S. Army veterinary food inspection personnel must review plans for the Bulk Fish/Seafood Section and be actively involved in its establishment.

2. The following is provided as general guidance and may be modified locally, using sound food service sanitation principles to tailor inspection programs to individual bulk fish/seafood markets. These guidelines are designed to be used in conjunction with sanitary standards discussed elsewhere in this chapter. Medical department food sanitation inspectors will become familiar with these guidelines and provide appropriate inspection surveillance during their routine food sanitation inspections.

a. Facilities. The commissary must have adequate space to accommodate the operation and contain specialized equipment. The space should have impervious walls, floors and work surfaces. An adequate number of water outlets, waste drains, and floor drains must be provided for equipment and cleaning operations.

b. Equipment. A three compartment sink (booster heater recommended), hand washing sinks, refrigeration units sized to match the stored product volume, and covered waste containers with disposable liners are required in all these facilities. Other equipment such as walk-in refrigeration units, display cases, pans, tubs, tanks for live crustaceans, and ice making equipment must be included as required.

c. Procurement. All fresh seafood will be obtained from approved sources. If Federal inspection marks are not on the product labels, confirmation of approved sources must be made by U.S. Army veterinary personnel. Fresh fish will be delivered loose, packed in ice, and have a delivery temperature between 28 degrees F and 35 degrees F. Products exceeding 35 degrees F will not be accepted. Shrimp may be received fresh or frozen.

d. General Operations. Scaling, evisceration, oyster shucking, shrimp peeling/head removal, steaming, cooking, and boiling are not authorized. Whole lobsters and crabs must be sold alive. Specialized tanks which aerate, filter, and maintain salt water at 40 degrees F are required for lobsters. These tanks will be clean and covered. Live crabs must remain in the original containers (bushel or barrel) under refrigeration until sold. Other seafood will be displayed on ice. Frozen shrimp and other authorized products displayed for resale in a thawed state will have the following sign posted in the display areas: "PREVIOUSLY FROZEN; DO NOT REFREEZE." All products thawed for resale will be thawed under refrigeration. See Article 1-39.7.a. Ice in the display cabinet will be made in the commissary from potable water or will be purchased from an approved source. New ice will be used daily. All seafood will be removed from the display case at the end of each work day and placed under refrigeration at 28 degrees F to 32 degrees F. All seafood will be inspected before placement in or removal from display ice. Items not meeting original acceptance criteria will be disposed of as garbage. Depending upon the distance from the source and general condition of the seafood product, local preventive medicine and/or U.S. Army veterinary personnel may establish a display shelflife after which the product may not be sold regardless of condition. At the close of each day of operation all ice will be removed from the display case and disposed of through the sanitary wastewater system. After removing the ice, the display case must be thoroughly cleaned with detergent and warm water, thoroughly rinsed, and be sanitized with a chemical such as chlorine-iodine (food service) or other chemical with an EPA label. Those sanitizers listed in 21 CFR 178.1010 do not require a potable water rinse after using.

e. Personnel. Employees of the bulk fish/seafood market are food service personnel. Physical examinations and personal hygiene requirements are discussed in Section VII. Food service personnel must receive a food service sanitation training as required by SECNAVINST 4061.1.

1. The Office of the Chief of Naval Operations Instruction (OPNAVINST) 4060.4 contains procedures to establish and operate AROs. Potentially hazardous food is not specifically prohibited. Items authorized by the instruction, e.g., hot and cold beverages, pastries, prepared packaged sandwiches, etc., may be potentially hazardous.

2. Preventive medicine personnel will inspect these outlets upon establishment and on an unscheduled basis after commencement of operations. A determination will be made as to whether or not potentially hazardous foods are being sold. Those outlets selling potentially hazardous foods will be considered food service facilities and will receive routine food service sanitation inspections. The following guidelines will be used in conjunction with other sanitary standards described elsewhere in this chapter:

a. All sandwich operations will be those described in Article 1-39.9. Note: The maximum time under refrigeration for Class III sandwiches has been extended to 60 hours and the total storage time has been extended to 77 1/2 hours;

b. Packaged potentially hazardous snack items or pastries with potentially hazardous fillings will be properly stored under refrigeration;

c. Beverages containing milk or milk products will be stored and served in accordance with Section III, of this Chapter;

d. Since food preparation is prohibited and personnel handle only packaged items, formal food service sanitation training is not required. However, preventive medicine inspectors should informally stress the importance of good personal hygiene, proper cleaning of equipment and spaces, refrigeration of potentially hazardous foods and obtaining food and beverages from approved sources.

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