Photo By Rick Emert | FORT CARSON, Colo. — Spc. Crystal Vice, a veterinary food inspection specialist with...... read more read more
By Eric Parris
Fort Carson Public Affairs Office
FORT CARSON, Colo. — From the time the 18-wheeled trucks arrive at the Fort Carson Commissary to when patrons walk out the door with their groceries in tow, a group of Soldiers is working to ensure those items are safe.
From chicken and ground beef to dairy products to containers of peanut butter that patrons purchase, the objective is clear: make sure everything is of the highest quality before it leaves the store.
“We want to make sure every Soldier and their Family members receive the best quality of food,” said Spc. Crystal Vice, a veterinary food inspection specialist with the Public Health Activity Fort Carson.
Vice is one of nine inspectors on post.
Checking food as trucks are unloaded is the first step in this process.
“We inspect food as it comes off the trucks, checking temperature and the quantity and quality of the food,” Vice said. “We want to ensure they (patrons) don’t get sick, but if they do, we are able to figure out the source.”
Once food and other items hit the commissary shelves, inspections are conducted at least three times every day, Vice said. The inspectors do what’s called a cut test where they pull random produce items from the shelves and check for quality.
Regardless of the item, one thing the inspectors zero in on is the expiration date.
They’re checking expiration dates, and if there are items that are past those dates, those items are reported to the commissary, Vice said. They also check temperatures in the coolers that have items such as dairy and meat products.
While the commissary requires a major effort, it’s not the only facility on post that gets inspected.
About 65 food facilities, which include the commissary, Ivy Warrior restaurants, Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) restaurants and Express stores, Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (DFMWR) restaurants and food trucks that are allowed on post get inspected.
“Anything on post that serves, sells or stores food, we inspect,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Clayton Davenport, food safety officer, PHA Fort Carson.
Davenport is the commander’s subject matter expert on food protection, which includes food safety, food defense and operational rations or Meals, Ready to Eat. He oversees the food protection program for the PHA Fort Carson.
“We manage the food protection programs at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Fort Riley, Kansas; and other installations,” Davenport said.
The Soldiers conduct inspections on post daily at the commissary, weekly at Ivy Warrior Restaurants, and monthly at the other facilities.
In addition to these inspections, Davenport or another Veterinary Corps officer will conduct a monthly formal inspection at the commissary.
“We’re checking everything from expiration dates on products for sale to the pest control program to their food defense program to their processing in the fruits and vegetables area to the meat processing — we’re everywhere,” Davenport said.
The inspections don’t happen in a vacuum; it’s a matter of teamwork too.
At the five Ivy Warrior Restaurants, inspections are done to make sure the highest quality food is served to the Soldiers, said Gregory Joell, the food program manager, Army Field Support Battalion-Carson. Joell oversees the Ivy Warrior Restaurants, an Army food truck and a kiosk on Fort Carson.
Food inspectors help to provide healthy and nutritious food to the Soldiers, Joell said.
“They help ensure that from the time the food hits the back dock to the serving line until it hits the Soldier’s plate, it’s safe.”
Inspectors work with restaurant workers, providing support that includes inspections and training.
“We work hand-in-hand with the inspectors,” Joell said. “They’re making sure our customers receive the best food.”
Even with the disruptions of COVID-19, the food inspection mission has continued.
“We were more on our toes having to look at different products at different facilities,” Vice said.
“Inspectors were coming in to the commissary one person at a time and still doing the mission.”
Inspectors are the frontline fighters for food safety.
“They’re the boots on the ground every single day, so if they see something one day and they make a recommendation to fix it, and they see the same thing two days later, then they know there’s a potential issue; they can take it up the chain of command,” Davenport said.
Having a safe food supply for military customers is a motivating factor for the inspectors.
“Knowing that everyone is getting good quality food — the food that they deserve,” makes their efforts worth it, Vice said.
| Date Taken: | 10.13.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 12.22.2020 15:48 |
| Story ID: | 385646 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 55 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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