Page 19 - gfs0418_Magazine

Government Food Service: In preparation for a soon-to- based upon recommendations from subject matter experts
be-published Joint Services Buyer’s Guide, DLA Troop Sup- within the military services and by DoD.
port requested subsistence manufacturers identify items that DLA Troop Support’s Subsistence Prime Vendor (SPV)
contain certain ingredients that are becoming prohibited contracts are commercial, best value regional contracts that
from foods served in a dining facility or aboard ship. Please cover an array of customer requirements for multiple items
discuss how this decision came about and any details about in support of the respective services’ menus. The dietary
implementation. guidelines referenced above and the services’ requirements
drive the procurement process by identifying for the SPVs
Young: During the selection process, the food labels the specific nutritional and quality parameters of items to
are reviewed and analyzed to ensure that products meet be sourced, procured, and distributed to military custom-
the services’ quality and nutrition standards. The DoD ers. Based upon many considerations, each of the military
quality and nutrition standards are derived primarily from services decides which products to include in their food
guidance provided by government agencies and expert service programs and which ingredients should be disal-
consensus documents. Additionally, the DoD examines lowed. Economic considerations, consumer preferences,
scientific evidence that establishes military specific and quality and balanced nutrition all play a role in determin-
unique nutritional requirements when developing the ing requirements for the services. Decisions to include or
military dietary recommended intakes. exclude certain categories of product or ingredients are
Input from industry is sought and considered when made by the services on a case-by-case basis. The Army
selecting the foods for inclusion in military food catalogs Buyer’s Guide, Air Force Buyer’s Guide, Navy Buyer’s Guide
and in construction of food service preparation practices. and Marine Corps Buyer’s Guide will align with the Joint
To this end, the military services work with vendors to Services Buyer’s Guide, when it is issued.
understand the products available in the commercial mar-
ketplace and define viable products to construct menus Government Food Service: Do you have an update on
that achieve the optimal balance between quality con- MRE availability? DLA began working with industry partners
siderations and nutrition guidelines within the cost con- and R&DA following a 2015 Government Accountability
straints imposed by the Basic Daily Food Allowance. The Office minimum sustaining rate report.
military services work with vendors on products that the
vendors present to them based on current nutrition and Young: DLA Troop Support extends its capability to
DoD Go for Green standards. The military services may acquire best-value products and services to non-defense
consult with subject matter experts within the Military government agencies. FEMA’s hurricane relief efforts in
Nutrition Division of the U.S. Army Research Institute of Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico led to a surge in demand
Environmental Medicine (USARIEM) to validate industry’s for MREs and other Subsistence supply chain products.
positions on their products. MRE availability continues to increase month by month
The decision to reduce or eliminate specific food ingredi- in response to this surge. Our MRE industrial partners
ents may be based on scientific evidence indicating a health have done us proud by accelerating production on MRE
or allergy concern. For example, the FDA determined that 37, as well as MRE 38. All things
partially-hydrogenated oils are not generally recognized being equal, we expect to be at Culinary specialists assigned to the
as safe and mandated their elimination from all foods by our MRE supply chain objective 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th
the summer of 2018. It is important to note that DLA does by the summer. Infantry Division, prepare breakfast
inside a field kitchen at Fort Polk,
not determine what food ingredients should be reduced La. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Armando
or eliminated. Those determinations are R. Limon, USA, 3rd Brigade Com-
bat Team, 25th Infantry Division.)

Soldiers eating breakfast served up by culinary spe-
cialists assigned to the 25th Infantry Division at Fort
Polk, La. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Armando R. Limon, USA,
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.)
19
GOVERNMENT FOOD SERVICE • APRIL 2018