The presence of rodents is normally indicated by droppings in and
around storage areas and by gnawing on the exterior of cartons and sacks.
(3) Extermination. Methods of insect and rodent control are discussed in
lesson 6.
i. Food Service Inspections. The only way that a commander can be assured
of a satisfactory state of food service sanitation within his command is through the use
of periodic inspections.
The Surgeon General of the Army is responsible for establishing sanitary
standards for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of food service
facilities.
The responsibility for proper enforcement of these standards, however, is
a command responsibility.
(1) Unit commanders. Unit commanders having food service activities within
their units are responsible for conducting periodic inspections of their dining facilities to
ensure that established sanitary standards are maintained.
These inspections are command inspections, as opposed to
technical inspections. They may be conducted by the dining facility manager, the dining
officer, or the commanding officer himself. Normally they will be conducted by all three
of these individuals at different times.
The frequency of inspections depends upon the manner in which the
food service personnel respond to corrections and recommendations.
It is incumbent upon every commander, and every young officer
assigned the duties of dining officer, to familiarize himself with the appropriate
regulations and manuals governing food service sanitation.
Few individuals, no matter how competent, can commit to memory all
of the things which must be checked in conducting a food service inspection.
Therefore, each unit should prepare an inspection guide to ensure
that inspections will be complete, uniform, and impartial.
Such a food service inspection guide may be found in the appendix
to this subcourse. Appropriate references are included. To include the provisions of
these references in the inspection guide itself would make the length prohibitive for
practical purposes. The references are not necessary for this subcourse.
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