Food Protection Audit.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

HEADQUARTERS, UNITED STATES ARMY SOUTH

4130 STANLEY ROAD

FORT SAM HOUSTON, TEXAS 78234-2726

ARSO-MD 13 December 2022

MEMORANDUM FOR Record

SUBJECT: Initial Food Protection Audit Procedures for the United States Southern Command

Area of Operations

1. The purpose of this memorandum is to outline initial Food Protection Audit request process in the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of operations (AOR).

2. The following procedures were modified to fit SOUTHCOM’s unique AOR. Original procedures are published in the U.S. Army Public Health Command, (USAPHC), Veterinary

Command Circular 40-1, Worldwide Directory of Sanitarily Approved Sources for Armed

Forces Procurement viewable at https://sph.health.mil/.

3. The product manufacturer (not a distributor) must write a letter (on company letterhead stationery) requesting an initial sanitation audit.

a. The owner or authorized representative must sign the letter.

b. The letter is addressed to the specific SOUTHCOM Exercise/Event the product manufacturer wishes to conduct business with.

c. The request letter from the vendor must contain, as a minimum, the following information:

(1) The full name of the product manufacturer processing facility, street address (or geographical location), city, county, state, country, and zip code, where the plant is located.

Include postal/mailing address if different from processing facility address. If there are multiple production locations or any offsite storage/warehousing locations, all must be listed.

(2) The name, title, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address of the primary person to contact at the facility with the authority to provide additional information and schedule/conduct the audit. Highly recommend POC be fluent in English.

(3) The normal operating hours to include office hours and production facility hours. If the specific products are only produced on certain days/times, that information should also be included.

https://sph.health.mil/

ARSO-MD

SUBJECT: Initial Food Protection Audit Procedures in SOUTHCOM

(4) A list of all products to be furnished. List must be as specific as possible; for example, 500 & 1000 ml PET bottled water, 1 & 5 gallon bottled water in polycarbonate bottles, 355 ml pouch water.

(5) A list of the federal, state, and/or local regulatory agencies that currently inspect the facility. If they have a federal or state establishment number, please provide the number as well.

4. The SOUTHCOM/Component stakeholder or planner reviews the request and forwards it to the Army South (SOUTHCOM) Command Veterinarian with a letter of endorsement. The letter of endorsement must state clearly that they desire to source product from the requestor.

5. The Army South (SOUTHCOM) Command Veterinarian reviews the manufacturer’s letter and stakeholder’s endorsement letter. It is preferable that the packet is submitted electronically to expedite the action. Please forward the complete packet to: MAJ Luciano (CMD Veterinarian) sarah.a.luciano.mil@army.mil.

6. If the CMD Veterinarian determines this is in the best interest of the Government, they in turn will endorse the request and forward the packet to the US Army Veterinary Service (AVS)–

Food Protection Division, MEDCOM, the executor of the Food Protection Audit Program. The endorsement may be either a memorandum or an email (as long as the email has a signature block at the bottom).

7. AVS-Food Protection Division reviews the request. Upon determination that the request is complete, a qualified auditor is assigned who will communicate with the company and the CMD

Veterinarian.

8. Once an auditor is assigned to conduct the initial audit, these are they steps they will take:

a. Ensure the request is complete.

b. Contact the facility and request additional information (pre-audit questionnaire).

c. Upon receipt of all requested information (this often takes a few weeks), begin the process of scheduling the audit.

d. Complete all OCONUS travel requirements.

e. Conduct audit, collect food/ bottled water samples for laboratory analysis.

f. Submit samples to the Food Analysis and Diagnostic Lab (FADL), FSH, TX for analysis.

These can take 4-6 weeks to result, depending on the commodity.

g. Communicate with company about any corrections required based on audit observations.

h. Write report with lab results. Report goes through a formal review process.

i. Final approved report is provided to the CMD Veterinarian, stakeholder, and company.

ARSO-MD

SUBJECT: Initial Food Protection Audit Procedures in SOUTHCOM

9. The overall lead time from the time the initial request packet is submitted to the CMD

Veterinarian until the initial audit is completed is approximately 90-120 days. This timeline can be extended due to slow response from the manufacturer, travel restrictions, or availability of qualified auditors.

10. A Food Protection Audit results in a pass or fail score. Passing manufacturers are then listed in the Worldwide Directory of Sanitarily Approved Food Establishments for Armed Forces

Procurement.

11. To view subsistence suppliers that are already listed in the Worldwide Directory of Sanitarily

Approved Food Establishments for Armed Forces Procurement use the following link:

http://phc.amedd.army.mil/topics/foodwater/ca/Pages/DoDApprovedFoodSources.aspx

12. The POC for this action is MAJ Sarah Luciano at sarah.a.luciano.mil@army.mil or 210-221-

1784.

SARAH A. LUCIANO

MAJ, VC

SOUTHCOM Command Veterinarian mailto:sarah.a.luciano.mil@army.mil