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

1-50. Coffee Messes.

Department of the Navy
Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

1. Definition. The term "coffee mess" means any room, space, area, or facility authorized by a department or office for the purpose of preparing or dispensing coffee, tea, or similar beverages. Authorization requests must be approved by the medical department with regard to meeting sanitary standards.

2. All coffee messes must comply with the following standards:

a. Each mess will be located in an area that can be easily cleaned and must be maintained in a clean sanitary condition at all times. Coffee messes will not be located in certain critical areas such as patient treatment rooms, heads, and food preparation spaces;

b. Adequate facilities at the site of the coffee mess or located conveniently nearby must be provided for washing all coffee mess equipment and utensils.

c. Bulk sugar, coffee, and nondairy creamer will be stored in containers with tight fitting covers. Sugar must be served in single-service packages or from sanitary, pour-type dispensers;

d. Coffee may be served in individually used cups provided facilities are available to wash the cups, otherwise single-service cups must be used. The use of common cups is prohibited;

e. Adequate refrigeration must be provided if milk or cream is used. Opened cans of evaporated milk will be refrigerated between serving periods and must not be held unrefrigerated for periods of time exceeding 4 hours

f. The use of a common stirring spoon is prohibited. Single-service stirrers must be used;

g. With the exception of warming individual lunches in microwave ovens, personnel will not prepare or cook food in any coffee mess. Refuse must be kept in tightly covered containers and the coffee mess must be protected from flies and other insects and rodents.

3. Inspection of Coffee Messes. Coffee messes should be inspected at intervals which may be determined by local medical departments.

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Operational Medicine 2001

Health Care in Military Settings

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