Incirlik commissary provides fresh food to 5,000

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Benjamin Wilson
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Fresh meats, produce and dairy products take a lengthy journey before arriving at Incirlik's commissary and the customer's refrigerator.

The majority of Incirlik's produce and dairy products are from the United States and are shipped to warehouses in Germany before taking the week-long trip to Incirlik, said Belinda Little, commissary store administrator.

Not all products take the same trip, however.

"Meat flies in from Germany," said Ms. Little. "If it didn't fly in, we wouldn't have fresh meat because a trip over the road would exhaust much of the product's shelf life."

Vacuum packed meats have up to a 14-day use or freeze shelf life.

Frozen meat is also available in the event the plane does not arrive on time, according to Ms. Little.

Some meat products are only available in frozen form but the commissary strives to provide extra options.

"There is no approved source of fresh chicken available to us in Turkey," said Ms. Little. "However, boneless, skinless chicken breast and thighs are thawed to provide a type of fresh chicken."

Though there is no Air Force-approved source of chicken in Turkey, it is possible to provide produce from local sources.

"Though most produce comes from Germany, approximately 20 percent of produce is provided locally," said Ms. Little.

Milk is transported from Europe. In fact, Incirlik's milk, along with other dairy products and eggs, is produced in Denmark, where Vitamin A and D are added, and arrives at the commissary once a week, according to Ms. Little.

Milk is ordered two weeks in advance and arrives on Wednesdays.

"It is hard to estimate what the consumer is going to use two weeks in advance; if there is no delivery the next week, we will run out," said Ms. Little.

Though it can appear the commissary is out of milk there are other options.

Milk treated with ultra-high temperature processing is always available in the dairy section and has a longer shelf life, said Ms. Little.

The commissary store administrator stressed that customers who have purchased spoiled products should return to the store for a full refund.

Products are always inspected before they are put on the shelf.

"For a given food shipment, we verify food comes from the approved source, check the temperature requirements in the [delivery] truck, check the sanitation of the truck, confirm products have not been tampered with and pull samples for taste testing," said Orhan Bayik, public health specialist in charge of food safety.

Air Force Public Health professionals train personnel working at all Incirlik food facilities on how to inspect food when it arrives.

"We inspect randomly and when personnel note a problem, we can conduct a thorough inspection," said Mr. Bayik.

These inspections also happen prior to arrival at Incirlik.

"All food coming to base is prescreened at multiple levels," said Mr. Bayik. "Products are screened upon arrival to the warehouses in Germany and inspected routinely in storage before arriving at Incirlik."

If less-than-satisfactory products slip through these precautionary measures, the last line of defense is the customer.

"We want feedback from the community," said Mr. Bayik. "That way we can be aware of problems and attack those areas."

Talking to the commissary management first is the recommended way of voicing concerns.

"Come in and talk to the management staff to learn more about the commissary. Let us know if you have any problem and give us ideas about how we might serve you better" said Ms. Little. "We might not be able to do everything you'd like, but new ideas are always great and we're willing to try those we think might work."