With September designated as National Food Safety Education Month, Naval Hospital Bremerton's Preventive Medicine Department and Combined Food Operations Division continue to advocate food safety and the prevention of foodborne illness.

The Preventive Medicine Department Food Safety Supervisor/Manager's Course schedule is out for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2018 that has classes slated for Oct. 25-26, 2017; Feb. 27-28, 2018; June 5-6, 2018; and August 29-20, 2018.

The course fulfills the Tri-Service Food Code requirement for a certified person-in-charge (PIC) to be onsite during food service hours of operation.

"Without the certification a facility will fail their inspection and food service should be suspended until it is resolved. In order to be proactive in preventing foodborne illness it is imperative for every food facility to send people to this course or one similar to it that is American National Standards Institute approved. A knowledgeable PIC can help the training environment and improve the chain of food to help eliminate breaks in the chain due to illness from food," explained Blaine Brock, NHB Preventive Medicine Division Officer, noting that although the course is offered once a quarter, more classes can be added if there is a need.

The course is specifically tailored for food service employees assigned to all shore installations, ships, submarines and field units.

Students enrolled in the course cover such subjects as Introduction to Food Safety/Food Microbiology/Foodborne Illness; Personal Hygiene; Receiving, Inspecting and Storage of food; Preparing, Cooking, and Serving; Pest Control in Food Service Areas; Safety; Facilities, Equipment, Cleaning, and Sanitizing; Thermometers, and Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points.

"In addition, they must teach a five minute subject in front of the class and pass a National Registry Exam for Certified Professional Food Manager with a grade of 70 percent or better," said Brock.

Brock attests that the main focus of the course is to ensure food safety at any military establishment or vessel.

At NHB, all staff members assigned to Combined Food Operations Division are required to be completely certified in all aspects of food handling and preparation.

"Even before touching any food in our Terrace Dining Facility, our requirement is that everyone has to go through the full food safety and sanitation courses," said Culinary Specialist 1st Class Steven Cook, combined food operations leading petty officer and assistant operational support officer.

Yet despite all that is offered and all that is done, there is always a risk of someone being stricken from consuming ill-prepared food and/or drink.

According to Cook, the most important thing that anyone can do to prevent foodborne illness is to simply wash their hands. Hand hygiene is imperative and is recommended to do as frequently as possible.

"Washing hands should be done often, not just after using the restroom. We always hand-sanitize in the galley during preparing any meal, even after touching a door knob. Germs and bacteria are everywhere. We take no chances," stressed Cook.

"Foodborne illness does happen. I've been here two years and we haven't had any issue, and of course our goal is to keep it that way. We look out for each other and constantly remind each other about that. We're inspected randomly by 'Prev Med' and we're ready any time," stated Cook.

The CDC notes that food handlers do tend to have a higher chance of foodborne illness, as do family and friends attending holiday-themed gatherings because prepared foods may sit out for longer periods of time.

"There are always several of us volunteering at a planned command barbeque. There's a little more involved than just throwing a hamburger patty on the grill. Time management is key in an event like this, just as it is in the galley. Multitasking can be done, but knowing the proper cooking temperatures and time are crucial," Cook said, noting that foodborne illnesses are usually caused by bacteria off of unwashed hands, or contaminated surfaces, even perishable food items left out in warm temperatures, or from that burger patty not cooked to the proper temperature.

"We also hold training once a week in the galley to focus on issues like the time of the year we're in. We know flu season is coming, so just being aware of that is important," added Cook.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that each year roughly 48 million Americans get sick - that's one in six - 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne illness caused by contaminated foods and beverages. And those are only the reported incidents from the more than 250 foodborne diseases that have been identified. Most of the illnesses are infections, caused by a variety of bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

The common symptoms of some type of foodborne illness are usually some unpleasant type or uncomfortable combination of nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, fever, dehydration, and diarrhea.

Prevention Tips
Hand Hygiene: Always wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food.

Marinate your food in the refrigerator: Do not use sauce that was used to marinate raw meat or poultry on cooked food.

Use a thermometer: This will ensure that you cook meat and poultry thoroughly. Ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Poultry should be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cook at the right temperature: Preheat the coals for your grill for approximately 20-30 minutes.

Always use a clean plate: Avoid cross-contamination by never putting cooked meat back on a plate that held raw meat.

Hot vs. Cold: Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.

Refrigerate leftovers: When a meal is finished, put any leftovers in the fridge immediately.

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