Navy Testing Standardized Menu Program Aboard USS Halsey
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS060626-12
Release Date: 6/26/2006 4:40:00 PM
By Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Joy M. Kirch, Fleet Public Affairs Center, Pacific
SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- USS Halsey (DDG 97) Sailors are participating in a standardized menu program the Navy is testing on selected afloat units Navywide.
Navy Family Support (NFS), a Naval Supply Systems Command activity overseeing the program, has partnered with U.S. Fleet Forces Command and Commander, Naval Surface Forces (COMNAVSURFOR) to deliver a menu that is flavorful and robust, with high crew acceptability, that creates efficiencies in the supply chain while also offering healthy food choices.
Halsey became the first West-Coast ship to try out the new program in April.
“Overall, it’s a good menu,” said Lt. Petra Pagan, Halsey's supply officer.
In addition to improving the food quality aboard ships, the Navy will also reap benefits from other changes, including equipment configuration control, standardized training for Culinary Specialists Navywide, and optimized supply chain, standardizing prime vendor catalogues, reduction or elimination of waste and surveys, a simplified re-provisioning process and increased consistency of food products.
Another benefit of the program is presenting a healthful alternative along with every non-healthful menu item, such as offering veggie burgers while hamburgers are served.
“As a vegetarian, I'm stoked about the veggie burgers,” added Pagan.
Senior Chief Culinary Specialist (SW) Napoleon M. Miranda, supply department leading chief petty officer aboard Halsey, said he liked the program and added that he hopes it will leave enough room for special events such as steel beach picnics and ice cream socials.
"Planning for special meals is difficult," said Miranda.
According to NFS Director of Food Service Cmdr. James Watts, special theme meals are incorporated into the prototyped 21-day cycle, allowing for holiday and special ethnic "theme meals" offering Mexican or Asian cuisine, for example. Additionally, food items such as chicken, ice cream, hot dogs and hamburgers will be incorporated into the standard core menu to allow flexibility in planning a steel beach picnics, ice cream socials and similar events.
The new menu calls for more foods to be baked instead of fried. Miranda said that although baking cuts down on fats, it has resulted in some unfortunate decreases in popularity among some foods.
“Nobody’s eating the fries or the hash browns,” explained Miranda. “Sailors prefer their fries fried, and their hash browns brown.”
Problematic issues are what Halsey was meant to look for in the prototype menu. “It’s a learning curve," Pagan said.
“Primarily,” she added, “it’s a good menu that is looking out for the Sailors.”
Customer satisfaction surveys from the fleet have been positive, said Lt. Tara Hodge, COMNAVSURFOR service officer.
Watts said comments from the fleet are invaluable and are already being assessed and incorporated into the next version. A new menu is scheduled to be released in October and will incorporate new recipes to help please crew members and challenge the skills of Culinary Specialists.
Halsey members are expected to convene with COMNAVSURFOR representatives to discuss what has been learned from Halsey’s experiences. Watts said these meetings are a key component in the planning of future menus.
According to Hodge, by the end of 2007, all ships that fall under COMNAVSURFOR are scheduled to implement the Navy’s Standardized Menu program.
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