by Erin Tindell
Air Force Personnel, Services and Manpower Public Affairs
8/30/2011 - SAN ANTONIO (AFNS) -- Airmen will soon have more variety and availability of nutritious meals thanks to a new initiative to 'refresh' dining facility menus.
Air Force Services Agency officials here partnered with industry chefs to implement a new program called "Operation Refresh."
The program infuses new items into dining facility menus on a regular basis, incorporates additional fresh ingredients and improves methods for preparing existing entrees, officials said. Additionally, it will improve culinary skills for Air Force food service professionals through new cooking techniques.
After a recent review with a food evaluation team and previous quality of life surveys, it was determined current menus were outdated and needed to be revitalized, said Bill Spencer, the AFSVA appropriated-fund food operations branch chief.
"Operation Refresh allows us to better serve our customers by adding fresh, new choices to the core menus for all (appropriated fund) dining facilities," he said. "Starting in September, a new menu item will be added each month. The first menu item available will be a pork chop with warm pineapple Asian glaze sauce."
Currently, there are approximately 276 Air Force dining facilities serving approximately 93 million meals annually.
For more information about Operation Refresh, call a local Air Force dining facility. To learn about Air Force food service operations and other quality-of-life programs, visit www.usafservices.com or www.myairforcelife.com.
Comments
9/8/2011 9:55:41 AM ET I remember you could go to the salad bar at any chow hall on any base and find the weirdest combination of pre-made salads. Apart from the potato macaroni or 3 bean salad there was usually some salad made out ingredients you wouldn't see made into a salad. The funny thing was you could not find that kind of salad at any retaurant anywhere off-base.
Doug, Ft Meade MD
9/2/2011 10:53:32 AM ET Chili Mac, baby. I actually miss USAF Chili Mac
Retired, Arizona
9/1/2011 12:48:08 PM ET pork chop with warm pineapple Asian glaze sauce actually means overcooked dry meat slice covered with pineapple-flavored goo from a tube.
JAS, UK
8/31/2011 7:49:26 PM ET ... pork chop with warm pineapple glaze sauce... Why does it have to be an Asian glaze sauce? Pineapple glaze isn't good enough? Gimme a demi-glace.
Chang, East Rutherford
8/31/2011 12:16:32 PM ET Maybe they should do a survey on how many airmen don't use the chow halls and feed themselves out of pocket. And yes, I used the phrase "chow hall." Culinary skills eh? Maybe we should invite Chef Ramsay to come do an episode of Kitchen Nightmares and see what happens. Never more grateful to have BAS but I can still remember when I didn't.