Due to limited facilities in a combat area, the use of proper sanitation measures cannot be overemphasized. Every precaution should be taken to prevent food from becoming infected and utensils from becoming contaminated. Rigorously enforce all personal hygiene measures.

Place a corrugated can of boiling water at the head of the serving line so dinnerware and trays can be predipped. Predipping will partially sterilize utensils and, in cold weather, will give them a desirable warmth.

When using emergency cooking facilities or equipment, do not use galvanized containers for storage of liquids or for cooking any foods and beverages. This is particularly so for acid foods. Pails and garbage cans are examples of galvanized containers. These containers are coated with zinc that dissolves on contact with food acids. Poisoning from this source can result in serious and sometimes fatal illness. Only use these containers to store foods such as flour, sugar, beans, and other bulk dry items.

Field Dishwashing

The field dishwashing unit fi  11-1  consists of five corrugated cans placed in line to form a battery. As many such batteries may be used as needed to handle the flow of traffic during the meal period. The recommended battery is made up as follows:

First can:  Garbage waste

Second can: Contains prewash warm water, detergent, and a long-handled scrub brush attached. Change the prewash water as frequently as necessary to avoid carry-over of grease and food particles into the rest of the system.

Third can:  Contains hot water (120F to 140F) with an adequate amount of detergent so washing is accomplished quickly and

adequately. This can should have a long-handled scrub brush attached. Fourth can:  Contains actively boiling water for first rinse.

Fifth can:  Contains actively boiling water for second rinse.

One battery will accommodate 80 people.

After washing the utensils thoroughly in the wash cans, immerse them for a total of 30 seconds in the two rinse cans. When the rinse water is actively boiling, this procedure will achieve sanitation. Hot water is the preferred method of sanitation, but chemicals may be used.

After the battery has been secured, scrub the cans thoroughly, flush them, and invert them to allow complete draining and drying. Mark each can for its designated use. This will aid in restricting use of each can to the purpose that it is intended.

For complete information on field dishwashing and sanitation, refer to the Manual of Naval Preventive

Medicine, NAVMED P-5010, chapter 9, and the Standard Organization and Regulations of the U.S. Navy, OPNAVINST 3120.32. The contents of these publications will aid you in combating health hazards that are ever-present in these areas.

Cleaning Field Kitchen Equipment

Field messes range from primitive cooking accomplished in a tent to semipermanent structures with piped-in water, concrete decks, and portable galley equipment. Some of these field messes may have stainless steel surfaces for food preparation, although only wooden surfaces may be available in others. Regardless of the type of structure, cleanliness will be the key to the prevention of foodborne illness outbreaks. The following information provides general cleaning guidance and should be used together with chapter 1 of the NAVMED P-5010:

*Thoroughly clean and sanitize all preparation and serving equipment after each meal period.

Make all needed repairs to equipment as soon as practical.

Clean and sanitize all food contact surfaces as described in chapter 1 of the NAVMED P-5010. Install all foodservice equipment off the ground and protected from contamination by dust and vermin.

Cover wooden surfaces with clean, heavy wrapping paper or waxed paper. Discard the paper after each meal period. If piper is not available, wipe down the surfaces, scrub with an approved sanitizing solution, and air-dy after each meal period.

* Encourage the use of disposable eating utensils. The benefits of reduced disease risk and water and fuel savings outweigh the solid waste disposal disadvantage.

* Pesticides should only be applied by certified personnel.

The job of servicing and cleaning of the field range cabinet is simple but important. Keep the cabinet as mechanically efficient as the burner unit for peak performance.  Your first step in servicing the cabinet should always be to inspect for defects. Check the structure of the cabinet to make sure it is free of holes, dents, and broken welds. Check the rails to make sure they are straight, undented, and firmly welded into the cabinet.

Figure 11-12.-Five-can dishwashing battery.

Lubricate all moving parts with light lubricating oil to ensure proper functioning. Examples of moving parts are hinges, handles, and rollers. You should lubricate the rails within the cabinet (used for positioning the burner unit) with an antiseize compound. This makes it easy to slide the cradle with the cooking pot and the burner unit in and out of the cabinet.

You should clean the field range cabinet after each meal. This is done by scrubbing with hot soapy water and a stiff scrub brush to prevent buildup of drippings and food particles. You also should clean the cabinet as you go. Spilled liquids on the cabinet should be wiped off immediately. Do not allow food particles and liquids to bake onto the cabinet.

Do not use abrasives such as a wire brush, steel wool, or emery cloth on the sheet metal or aluminum alloy. To do this would mar the finish. Rinse the cabinet thoroughly with hot clear water and dry.

Pest Control

Sanitary precautions include measures to eliminate pests and prevent their breeding. The two most important types of pests for you to control are flies and rodents.

FLIES.-In areas where flies are present in large numbers, special care must be taken. The housefly breeds in excrement of human beings and animals as

well as decomposing vegetable and animal matter. Disease organisms are carried on the feet of the fly to food and utensils. The fly takes only liquid foods and regurgitates to dissolve solids. This process causes further contamination.

Extreme care should be taken to prevent access of flies to food utensils, kitchens, and feeding areas. In a permanent camp, all areas that attract flies should be well screened.  It should be standard operating procedure that the galley be screened before hot food is prepared init. Screens should have a mesh of 18 wires to the inch (18 mesh), which also keeps out mosquitos. In a semipermanent camp, screening may be impractical; so, dependence must be placed upon cleanliness and insectproof containers.

When there is no metal screening available, mosquito netting, target cloth, or similar material may be used to flyproof tents, galleys, and storage areas. Leaking screens (especially cracks around the screen door) frequently convert a building into a flytrap; that is, flies can enter the building but are unable to exit. Screen doors should be made to open outward and should be in direct sunlight, when practical. Fly breeding in human excreta is particularly dangerous; thus, whenever possible, latrines should be carefully flyproofed.

The substances that may be used to kill the adult fly are often extremely poisonous. Thus, the use of these substances is the responsibility of the medical officer, as is the use of measures to prevent breeding of flies. However, it is up to you to keep flies off the food in the galley and feeding areas. When flies are present, food servers should keep covers on serving containers except when they are actually placing food on trays.

Use traps or flyswatters freely. Sticky flypaper can be made by heating castor oil (five parts by weight) and powdered resin (eight parts) until the resin is dissolved Do not boil this solution. Apply it to glazed paper while it is still hot or paint it on iron hoops or wire strands. Wires so painted should be cleaned and recoated every 2 or 3 days.

RODENTS.- The rodent is an ever-present menace to operations in the field. Rodents such as rats, mice, and ground squirrels are reservoirs for plague, endemic typhus, tularemia, and many other debilitating diseases. When operations become more stable and semipermanent or permanent camps are established, the additional hazard of the destruction of material must be considered. The distribution of rodents may be considered universal. Therefore, the problem of their control is encountered during operation in any geographical location.

Rodent control is the responsibility of the medical officer, but the proper handling of food and the prompt disposal of trash and garbage are essential and lie within your domain.  Food supplies should be stored on elevated platforms. If possible, all food stores should be packaged in ratproof containers. When buildings are used, all doors should be self-closing and tight-fitting. All other openings in excess of 1/2 inch should be closed with material resistant to gnawing rodents or screened with 1/2-inch mesh hardware cloth. Chapter 6 of the NAVMED P-5010 has additional information on the destruction of rodents.