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

1-6. Inspection of Food Items.

Department of the Navy
Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

1. General. Food items are subject to several types and degrees of inspections not required for most other kinds of material.

2. Inspection Personnel and Services

a. Definitions

(1) Navy Inspectors. Technically qualified personnel of the Navy and Marine Corps who provide receiving inspections (in the absence of Army military veterinary personnel) at Navy and Marine Corps receiving facilities. Such personnel include military medical personnel, the receiving officer, or their designated military or civilian representatives.

(2) U.S. Army Veterinary Personnel. The U.S. Army Veterinary Services includes officers, warrant officers, and enlisted personnel.

(3) USDA Inspectors. Food and food establishment inspectors of the USDA.

(4) USDC Inspectors. Seafood and seafood processing establishment inspectors of the USDC.

(5) Defense Contract Administration Services Region (DCASR) Inspectors. DCASR operation inspectors are tasked to perform Contract Quality Assurance (CQA) inspections for nonfood ration components, and may be used to perform CQA on selected nonanimal nonperishable subsistence items.

(6) U.S. FDA Inspectors. U.S. FDA inspectors are used to evaluate leaf tea.

(7) National Coffee Association (NCA) Inspectors. NCA of the U.S. inspectors are used for grading and certification of green coffee.

(8) Technically Qualified Personnel. Includes all personnel listed in subparagraphs 1. through 7. above, as noted.

 

b. General Inspection Responsibilities

 

(1) Under the Federal Food Program the USDA will normally perform in-plant quality assurance inspections in the United States except for USDC which is responsible for seafood.

(2) The purchasing office determines which Federal or Department of Defense (DOD) agency can provide the most economical and effective inspection support, depending upon the commodity involved and the point of inspection. Inspection assignments in the United States are normally made to the USDA, USDC, DCASRs, and under special circumstances, the military veterinary/ medical personnel.

(3) Military veterinary/medical food inspection personnel are used to perform receipt, in-storage, and prior to shipment inspections of all subsistence items received.

(4) Veterinary/medical food inspections performed in contractor facilities will normally be limited to CQA actions in overseas locations and in the United States.

 

c. Sources of Inspection for Subsistence Items and Services

 

(1) Policy guidance for the inspection of subsistence items for those activities involved, e.g., Headquarters Defense Logistics Agency, Defense Personnel Support Center (DPSC), Defense Supply Centers, Defense Depots, DCASRs, and the military services may be found in NAVSUPINST 4355.2.

(2) The above activities are responsible for assuring the accomplishment of required inspection services by technically qualified personnel for procurements of food supplies and of food stocks in their inventories.

(3) Authorized food items will be obtained from the nearest Naval supply support activity, combat logistic force ships, or other afloat activities (standard stock system); in these cases, the food inspection provisions of subparagraph 2.c.(2) above apply.

(4) Ashore, general messes are authorized local purchases made through local supply support activities (from contractors). Afloat, except under certain conditions specified in NAVSUP PUB 486, activities will not purchase food items from commercial sources for use in the general mess. Food items received from contractors will be inspected at origin and at destination for conformance to all terms and conditions quoted or referred to in the contract or purchase order. However, inspection at origin may be waived if lack of time or other extenuating circumstances exist. If the inspection at origin is waived, the receiving supply officer will ensure that the contractor has certified that the food items delivered are in conformance with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 25 June 1938, as amended. No meat or meat food products delivered under contract within the United States will be accepted unless each article bears on it, or on the original package, the stamp or label of the Department of Agriculture that the meat or meat products have been "U.S. Inspected and Passed", and in addition some items may bear the special DOD stamp. Fish products will bear the stamps of the USDC. See examples of stamps in Figure 1-2. The Food Service Officer or representative will inspect the food items to ensure compliance with provisions of the purchase document; the medical officer or representative will inspect all food items received at the mess, as requested, for fitness for human consumption.

3. Assignment of Inspectors

a. U.S. Army Veterinary Personnel. When available, U.S. Army military Veterinary Services will be used to perform acceptance inspections of food items procured for the Navy and Marine Corps. A request for veterinary personnel (or additional veterinary personnel) will be submitted to CHBUMED via:
(1) the next reporting senior command,
(2) NAVFSSO, or, if a Marine Corps command, the CMC, and
(3) the Commanding Officer, NAVENVIRHLTHCEN. See BUMED Instruction 6401.1B. Proposed SECNAVINST 6401.1 has been drafted to replace this instruction.

b. Navy Inspectors. If veterinary personnel are ultimately determined as not available, part-time or full time technically qualified personnel assigned to the command will be used, as required, with due regard to the degree of inspection training required of such personnel.

c. NAVSUP (03V) is a point of contact within the Navy regarding inspection problems with food and equipment for Navy messes ashore and afloat.

d. The Navy Resale and Service Support Office (NAVRESSO) will provide food inspection guidance for commissary stores and Navy Exchanges.

e. CHBUMED is responsible for coordination with the Surgeon General of the Army for technical aspects of fitness for human consumption (wholesomeness) inspection requirements and requests for veterinary support.

f. Navy-wide dissemination of appropriate information regarding suspended use of hazardous food items used in Navy messes and disposition instructions for specification items are the responsibility of NAVSUP (Code 03V) and, for brand name resale items (sold in commissaries), the Navy Resale Systems Office.

a. Afloat Receipt

(1) Food items received by afloat activities will for the most part, be by transfer from supply activities. Receipts from purchase and from other government departments will comprise a relatively small portion of the total volume of food items received.

(2) Afloat Receipt from an Ashore Supply Activity. Since a quality inspection of food items has been conducted by technically qualified personnel at the ashore supply activity for conformance to specifications in the purchase document, the inspection need not be duplicated aboard ship. However, the food service officer or representative who determines the exact quantity received will consult with the MDR concerning the inspection procedures necessary prior to loading to detect deterioration, contamination, or infestation that may have occurred since the quality inspection at the ashore supply activity. The MDR will give special attention to any perishable or infestable food items. Food found to be deteriorated, contaminated, or infested at the time of delivery to ships in port will be rejected. If underway and the food is received by underway replenishment, it should be immediately separated and disposed of in accordance with NAVSUP PUB 486.

(3) Afloat Receipt of Food Items Purchased From Contractors. The food service officer or representative will inspect the food to ensure compliance with provisions of the purchase document and a MDR will perform a fitness for human consumption inspection. Deteriorated, contaminated or infested food products will be grounds for rejection.

b. Ashore Receipt

(1) Ashore general messes normally will receive all food items from the supply officer except at those activities where fresh bakery and fresh dairy products are delivered directly to the general mess by commercial vendors.

(2) Receipt of Food Items at Ashore General Messes. Since most food is received from a Naval supply activity where receipt inspections have been performed by technically qualified personnel, the inspection need not be repeated when the food is received at the messing facility unless requested by the receiving officer. A designated MDR will perform a fitness for human consumption inspection upon receipt of food items that have been purchased on the local market under contracts which require inspection at destination. The receipt document showing that a fitness for human consumption inspection has been performed will be signed by the MDR. Items about which there is any doubt as to fitness must be rejected.

5. Inspection for Fitness for Human Consumption. The medical officer is responsible for ensuring that food served in the command's messing facilities is fit for human consumption. This will not be interpreted to mean that the medical officer must inspect all food items received. However, if the fitness of any food item appears questionable or the food item has been purchased on the local market or under contracts which require inspection at destination, the food service officer will request an inspection of the item. The medical officer or, at his discretion, a designated MDR, must conduct an inspection of the item for fitness for human consumption and submit samples (when indicated) or the item for laboratory analysis to one of the NAVENPVNTMEDUs, (see Appendix E, Chapter 5 of this manual for addresses and telephone numbers), or to one of the U.S. Army laboratories listed in NAVSUP PUB 486, Article 4002.3.0.(2).f.