The purpose of this manual, Army Technical Bulletin Medical TB MED 530 / NAVMED P-5010-1 / AFMAN 48-147_IP Tri-Service Food Code March 2019, is to establish standardized military food safety standards, criteria, procedures, and roles for the sanitary control and surveillance of food to mitigate risk factors known to cause foodborne illness.  The Tri-Service Food Code (TSFC) is an essential tool in the prevention of illness. 

This publication–

a. Applies to all operations that meet the defined meaning of the term “food establishment”.

b. Applies to all food activities purchased using appropriated or nonappropriated funds for the Active Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps; the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force Reserves; Army and Air National Guard; and Department of Defense (DOD). Includes activities associated with contract food service, food concessions, food vendors, hospital food service, and retail stores operating on DOD installations, sites, and jurisdictions.

c. Specifies requirements of military, Civilian, contract, and volunteer personnel providing military food
service (for example, food operations occurring on a military installation and food establishments operated in an official capacity, except as indicated in paragraph 1-4.f., to support military members, DOD employees, and other beneficiaries.)

d. Applies to all phases of training, exercises, and deployments to ensure that food prepared for and consumed by military personnel on DOD installations is unadulterated, honestly presented to the consumer, and poses minimal risk of foodborne illness.

e. Is used as a guide by military public health regulators when developing local policies to address food-related activities or operations that do not meet the definition of a “food establishment”, for example, farmers markets, a home business, unit food events, and local vegetable gardens supporting morale, wellness, and educational initiatives.