MSC's crème de le crème announced
WASHINGTON (USTCNS) --- When one hears stories of Navy food ten years ago, superior may not be the first word that comes to mind.
That's not the case today. When you sail aboard any of the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command ships, the difference is clear.
Four Military Sealift Command ships in particular were recognized for providing superior food service in 2000.
Underway replenishment oiler USNS Guadalupe won the MSC Food Service Excellence Award in the large ship category, while acoustic research ship USNS Hayes won the MSC Food Service Excellence Award in the small ship category.
Underway replenishment oiler USNS Big Horn was the runner-up in the large ship category, and fleet ocean tug USNS Catawba was the runner-up in the small ship category.
The winners are four of about forty MSC ships that are crewed by civil service mariners. The ships were judged on criteria including food production/preparation, accountability, sanitation and safety.
The ships were divided into two groups based on crew size-the small ship category for crews with less than 50 people and the large ship category for crews with 50 or more people.
Each civil-service crewed MSC ship was asked to submit a nomination package highlighting their steward department's financial stability and safety record.
The MSC area offices visited the ships in their jurisdiction that had strong finance and safety records to further evaluate the ships, then nominated one large ship and one small ship for the award.
Finally, three judges - Senior Chief Petty Officer Roberta Jio, the food service assessment team leader and MSC's Food Service Community Manager; John Kaufmann, a certified executive chef from the International Foodservice Executive Association; and James Gee, MSC's Environmental Health Officer- evaluated the nominated ships to determine the two winners and two runner-ups.
MSC ships are unique among Navy ships. MSC ships are not equipped with weapons systems so they can operate with civilians and with a fraction of the crew of their combatant-ship counterparts.
At every meal MSC mariners have a choice of three entrees in which one of the three is a healthy choice item. Every MSC mariner attends a class in nutrition taught by a registered dietician. Food service production crews are trained annually on healthy cooking techniques by a certified executive chef.
MSC also offers two culinary courses for personnel in food service.
The courses consist of introducing new food service technology from the commercial industry, teaching how to requisition food and supplies from different localities worldwide, menu preparation, sanitation and, of course, lots of cooking and baking.
MSC's food service is on the cutting edge of new technology-from advanced foods to premier training.
"Our mariners get food that is good, healthy and served in a safe and sanitary environment. I'm happy to be a part of the team," said Jio.
Jio plays a key role in ensuring that MSC stays up to date with Navy and industry standards of excellence in food service. She is one of less than a dozen certified executive chefs in the Navy and departs MSC in April to be the lead mess specialist aboard the 5,000-person aircraft carrier USS Teddy Roosevelt.
This March will mark the first time that the MSC awardees will be honored with the Navy sailor-crewed ship winners, U.S. Marine-Corps winners, U.S. Coast Guard winners and U.S. Army winners.
The International Foodservice Executive Association will host all the awardees at an awards dinner Mar. 3 in Anaheim, Calif.
IFSEA, who sponsors each of the services' awards, is a private organization that promotes military food service and educates people about the role of military food service in the food service industry. (FROM MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).
That's not the case today. When you sail aboard any of the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command ships, the difference is clear.
Four Military Sealift Command ships in particular were recognized for providing superior food service in 2000.
Underway replenishment oiler USNS Guadalupe won the MSC Food Service Excellence Award in the large ship category, while acoustic research ship USNS Hayes won the MSC Food Service Excellence Award in the small ship category.
Underway replenishment oiler USNS Big Horn was the runner-up in the large ship category, and fleet ocean tug USNS Catawba was the runner-up in the small ship category.
The winners are four of about forty MSC ships that are crewed by civil service mariners. The ships were judged on criteria including food production/preparation, accountability, sanitation and safety.
The ships were divided into two groups based on crew size-the small ship category for crews with less than 50 people and the large ship category for crews with 50 or more people.
Each civil-service crewed MSC ship was asked to submit a nomination package highlighting their steward department's financial stability and safety record.
The MSC area offices visited the ships in their jurisdiction that had strong finance and safety records to further evaluate the ships, then nominated one large ship and one small ship for the award.
Finally, three judges - Senior Chief Petty Officer Roberta Jio, the food service assessment team leader and MSC's Food Service Community Manager; John Kaufmann, a certified executive chef from the International Foodservice Executive Association; and James Gee, MSC's Environmental Health Officer- evaluated the nominated ships to determine the two winners and two runner-ups.
MSC ships are unique among Navy ships. MSC ships are not equipped with weapons systems so they can operate with civilians and with a fraction of the crew of their combatant-ship counterparts.
At every meal MSC mariners have a choice of three entrees in which one of the three is a healthy choice item. Every MSC mariner attends a class in nutrition taught by a registered dietician. Food service production crews are trained annually on healthy cooking techniques by a certified executive chef.
MSC also offers two culinary courses for personnel in food service.
The courses consist of introducing new food service technology from the commercial industry, teaching how to requisition food and supplies from different localities worldwide, menu preparation, sanitation and, of course, lots of cooking and baking.
MSC's food service is on the cutting edge of new technology-from advanced foods to premier training.
"Our mariners get food that is good, healthy and served in a safe and sanitary environment. I'm happy to be a part of the team," said Jio.
Jio plays a key role in ensuring that MSC stays up to date with Navy and industry standards of excellence in food service. She is one of less than a dozen certified executive chefs in the Navy and departs MSC in April to be the lead mess specialist aboard the 5,000-person aircraft carrier USS Teddy Roosevelt.
This March will mark the first time that the MSC awardees will be honored with the Navy sailor-crewed ship winners, U.S. Marine-Corps winners, U.S. Coast Guard winners and U.S. Army winners.
The International Foodservice Executive Association will host all the awardees at an awards dinner Mar. 3 in Anaheim, Calif.
IFSEA, who sponsors each of the services' awards, is a private organization that promotes military food service and educates people about the role of military food service in the food service industry. (FROM MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).
Follow Us On:
