Who is responsible for issuing permits for temporary food establishments to operate?

• A. Preventive Medicine Authority
• B. Navy Bureau of Food Service
• C. Army Veterinary Corps
• D. Public Health Service

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that permits for temporary food establishments come from the preventive medicine authority, which is the part of the health system responsible for environmental health and disease prevention. This authority reviews how a temporary setup will handle food—focusing on proper facilities, water supply, handwashing, temperature control, food handling, and waste disposal—and conducts inspections to ensure everything meets sanitation standards before giving approval to operate. By issuing the permit, they authorize the event and establish ongoing expectations for compliance during operation.

The other groups perform different roles: the Navy Bureau of Food Service runs military food service operations within naval facilities; the Army Veterinary Corps handles animal health and veterinary public health rather than issuing permits for temporary civilian-style food operations; the Public Health Service has broad public health responsibilities but typically does not issue permits for temporary food operations at individual installations.