AAFES Quality Assurance

The following information is provided to assist buyers/contracting officers, store managers, and concessionaire distributors in ensuring that food and beverage products procured and received at our stores are only from approved sources. Buyers/contracting officers are the primary purchasing authorities and as such, ensure that contracts are awarded only to approved sources. Managers should only need to initiate purchases in emergencies and if unable to coordinate with the appropriate buyer, should consult the approved source list for food and beverage before placing orders. Managers also must monitor food and beverage products received at their stores to ensure they are from approved sources. Concessionaires and distributors are also required to use/deliver products from approved sources and this information may be shared with them to help in that regard and local managers will need to use this information to monitor concessionaires.
Approved source lists are also available for KFOR and SFOR and can be provided upon request.

It is extremely important for food safety and security that only approved sources be used for food products.
It is essential that general managers play an active role in ensuring that all facilities that serve or otherwise sell food and beverages, to include concessions, are adequately monitored for use of approved sources.

To assist in that effort the following information is made available.
Please pass this info to your facility managers as appropriate for their
use as well.

To determine if a product is from an approved source, or to find an approved source for a product you need, you should access the VETCOM web page and the approved sources directory(s). The following address can be used to access the VETCOM web page and the "approved sources directory"

http://vets.amedd.army.mil/vetcom/

1. On that page select "Approved Food Sources" from the left hand column.

2. *Also note other federal agencies listed on this page.

Select the segment of the Directory Desired.
a. CONUS & South America
b. Pacific Region
c. Europe
d. Korea
e. CENTCOM ****(a log in and pass word are required)

3. At this point there are four (4) major areas of interest.

a. Last Updated: This date will tell you when the posted directory was last updated.

b. Product Listing Requirements for the Specific Region: The requirements do vary some between regions due to regional food supply characteristics. This provides a very useful matrix to determine if the product you want, or are already receiving, requires listing in the directory or not. Remember, the place of origin/production is what this usually refers to. If an region REQUIRES Distributors to also be listed be sure that the one you want to use is listed.

c. Recent Deletions/Additions/Changes: This area will list the most recent changes.

d. Directory Listing of Approved Establishments: This is the list of establishments approved in that region of the world. Both the establishment and the products they are approved for are shown.

**** For personnel requiring access to CENTCOM sources list:
Please fill out the form at the web page to request one.
Recommend that at least one individual per/site have access very soon.
GMs, Food Mangers, Service Mangers, Facility Managers, and receiving personnel may all be appropriate persons to have access eventually.
GMs:::: Please ensure that new personnel assigned in appropriate
positions get one ASAP.

If I may be of further assistance or if it takes more than 5 working days to get an access password, please send me an email so I can assist.

Thanks,
Ronald L. Blakely
LTC, VC
HQ AAFES Staff Veterinarian
Food and Drug Safety Officer