All foods are perishable. The term perishable as applied here refers to food items requiring refrigeration and special handling.

All fresh and frozen food items are highly perishable and subject to rapid deterioration when improperly stored. They require accurate temperatures, controlled humidity, air circulation, and special care in keeping the storage space sanitary. Failure to maintain any one of these conditions will result in rapid spoilage and eventual loss. Most spoilage in fresh and frozen food items is caused by bacteria and fungi and spreads rapidly from the decayed items to the sound food items.

You may be assigned as the MS in charge of the cold storage area. When such is the case, your duties regarding storage and care of fresh and frozen food items are as follows:

Make frequent inspections, sort, and remove any decayed items or portions. This will keep losses and surveys to a minimum.

Separate and mark shipments to make clear their relative ages. This allows the issue of oldest food items first unless there is some reason (such as the condition) for giving a newer lot priority.

Inspect food items to make sure Department of Defense (DOD) requirements are met. In the event frozen stores are received in a thawed or partially thawed condition, seek medical advice and refer to the NAVSUP P-486, volume I, for survey procedures.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Raise the containers off the deck with pallets or gratings away from bulkheads and cooling coils and provide space between stacks, and at least 6 inches of clearance between tops of stacks and the opening of the air ducts to permit the circulation of air. In some cases it may be necessary to use a fan to maintain adequate circulation of all parts of the storeroom.

SAFETY PRECAUTION: When fresh fruits and vegetables are stored in a tight compartment at temperatures of 40F or higher, the concentration of the carbon dioxide produced by respiration may reach a level in which it is unsafe to work. One way to check the amount of carbon dioxide present in a room is to light a match or candle. If the light is extinguished, do not work in the space until fresh air has been introduced.

Meat and Meat Products

Proper circulation of air is of prime importance in keeping the desired temperature in all parts of the meat storage space. Do not stack cases directly on the deck; use pallets or deck gratings to allow free circulation of air under all items stored in the space. Stacks should be at least 4 inches from the bulkhead or refrigeration coils. Generally, when the recommended temperature in all parts of the refrigerated space is uniform within the stacks, the circulation of air in the space is considered adequate.

Frozen Fruits and Vegetables

Frozen fruits and vegetables are highly perishable unless properly stored. Upon delivery, they must be transferred promptly to a low-temperature storage space. Check the temperature of the load upon arrival by taking temperature readings of cartons selected from top layers inside of shipping cases.

When the temperature is found to be higher than that of the freezer room, scatter the shipping cases loosely about the room on hand trucks or on the deck with adequate space between individual cases to permit rapid lowering of the product temperature to the freezer room temperature. Use of a portable fan to create an air current over the items will speed up temperature equalization. When the temperature of the items has been lowered sufficiently, stack the cases compactly at once. Stack from the bulkhead toward the center of the room, starting about 4 inches from the bulkhead or bulkhead coils. Stack the cases on pallets to permit the circulation of air under them. The use of pallets will also improve the sanitary conditions. In rooms where cold air is expelled directly from blower units at the ends of the rooms, the cases should be stacked low enough to permit air circulation. Allow at least 2 feet between the top of the stack and the overhead or air ducts.

Dairy Products and Eggs

Keep the cold storage room for dairy products and eggs fresh by keeping it clean and by circulating the air slowly. Air circulation can be increased by the use of pallets or deck gratings and by the proper stacking of the various lots.