By Captain Lindsey Day
64th Medical Detachment Veterinary Service Support
BAUMHOLDER, Germany - Service members with the 64th Medical Detachment, Veterinary Support Services, traveled to Poland mid-February to conduct a food and water risk assessment in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
When United States military personnel conduct short-term missions or training events in areas that are not adequately supported by Department of Defense approved food sources, veterinary services personnel travel to those locations to inspect and evaluate the risk associated with locally produced food and water.
"Though the risk of foodborne illness is always present to a degree, it is our job to help these facilities implement policies and practices that reduce the hazards. Foodborne illness can quickly bring missions to a halt. We are here to mitigate risk," said Capt. Lindsey Day, an assessor with the 64th Medical Detachment, Veterinary Support Services team.
The food and water risk assessment is an in-depth inspection of a facility that will be providing U.S. military personnel with food, water and ice. The facilities are inspected for proper sanitation practices, food defense measures and food handling procedures ranging from delivery to storage and food service.
The veterinary inspection team does not just note deficiencies of the facility and depart, but instead the team uses the opportunity to share safe food handling, storage and preparation knowledge with the staff of the facility.
"Small changes can make drastic differences in the safety of food storage and preparation. Through cooperation and communication with the staff, the FWRA inspection team shares what measures should be implemented and how a particular operation can feasibly make the improvements needed to lead to a safer product," said Day.
The assessment gives a snapshot of the facility's procedures for a given period of time, and the training provided to the staff during the inspections has a long-lasting impact. The ripple effect of the training enhances knowledge of food safety and defense to our allies through a multinational cooperative exchange of information. The continuity of high standards allows the U.S. military and partners to mitigate the risk of foodborne illness.
During this particular mission, the 64th Medical Detachment team spent several days carefully assessing the daily operations of a Polish Dining Facility that provides meals to the participants during multinational training exercises. Each day, specific recommendations were provided to the staff as to which food handling practices should be maintained and which should be improved. Future assessments will be conducted for the facility as long as it continues to provide food and water to U.S. military personnel.
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