DOD Food Program: Additional Actions Needed to Implement, Oversee, and Evaluate Nutrition Efforts for Service Members
Fast Facts
Poor health and nutrition are growing challenges for the U.S. military. DOD relies on various food service operations to feed service members on its bases.
DOD has taken steps to implement a color-coded nutrition labeling program at its dining facilities, but facilities we reviewed didn't consistently do so. For example, some color codes were missing, not standardized, or improperly placed.
DOD also could do more to improve service members' access to heathy food at other venues, like commercial restaurants and snack bars, which are a significant source of food options on base.
We recommended DOD address these and other issues.
Army recruits in line for lunch at Fort Jackson, South Carolina
Highlights
What GAO Found
The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and the military services have taken steps to implement a color-coded nutrition labeling program and related initiatives. However, the 19 dining facilities at military installations GAO reviewed had not fully implemented required program elements. For example, GAO observed examples of color and sodium codes that were missing, not standardized, or improperly placed at 14 facilities. Without establishing guidance that addresses steps dining facilities should take to implement all coding program requirements, the services will have reduced assurance that served food is coded, labeled, and presented as the program intended.
Nutrition Coding Description
GAO also found that OSD has not fully addressed congressionally directed efforts to increase access to nutritious food, including the establishment of a nutrition leadership structure, the Defense Feeding and Nutrition Board. According to Department of Defense (DOD) officials, the board's responsibilities will include directing policy, procedures, and nutrition efforts. These officials also told GAO that DOD has faced delays in its attempts to establish the board because of lack of consensus on which entities should lead it. Clarifying and adjusting leadership responsibilities, as needed, could help DOD establish the board and ensure it is adequately empowered to direct these efforts.
OSD and the services oversee aspects of nutrition programs and initiatives through semiannual meetings, menu reviews, and facility assessments. However, OSD has not conducted separate annual reviews of the military departments' nutrition programs and policies, required since 2014. Without a process to execute its required oversight reviews, DOD lacks reasonable assurance that its nutrition programs are functioning as intended. Further, service oversight assessments of nutrition labeling programs do not address all program elements. By using a required tool and revising inspection checklists, the Army and the other services, respectively, will be better positioned to identify and remediate issues that inhibit program implementation.
OSD and the military services use several mechanisms to collect feedback on food options, including surveys and comment cards. However, they have not established strategic goals, performance goals, and performance metrics. Doing so will better position OSD and the services to evaluate existing and future nutrition programs and initiatives and assess progress toward goals.
Why GAO Did This Study
According to DOD, poor health and nutrition are growing challenges that threaten U.S. military readiness and its ability to retain a fit and healthy force. DOD's policy is to provide military service members with appropriate nutrition to help ensure they can achieve and maintain performance. DOD relies on various food service operations to feed military personnel high-quality food in a cost-effective manner.
The Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 includes a provision for GAO to review the quality and nutrition of food available at military installations. This report assesses the extent to which OSD and the military services have (1) implemented programs and initiatives to provide service members with access to nutritious food at military installations, (2) overseen such programs and initiatives, and (3) evaluated their effectiveness.
GAO reviewed policies, guidance, and program documentation. GAO also reviewed operations at 19 dining facilities; held five discussion groups with service members; and interviewed officials from DOD, the military services, and eight installations.
Recommendations
GAO is making 16 recommendations, including for the services to establish nutrition program guidance, DOD to clarify or adjust leadership roles, DOD and the services to develop oversight processes and checklists, and DOD to establish goals and metrics. GAO provided a draft of this report to DOD. DOD did not provide comments.
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of the Army | The Secretary of the Army should establish guidance that addresses what steps dining facilities should take to implement each of the required Go for Green® program elements. (Recommendation 1) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of the Navy | The Secretary of the Navy should ensure the Commandant of the Marine Corps establishes guidance that addresses what steps dining facilities should take to implement each of the required Go for Green® elements in the Marine Corps' Fueled to Fight® program. (Recommendation 2) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of the Navy | The Secretary of the Navy should establish guidance that addresses what steps dining facilities should take to implement each of the required Go for Green® program elements. (Recommendation 3) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of the Air Force | The Secretary of the Air Force should establish guidance that addresses what steps dining facilities should take to implement each of the required Go for Green® program elements. (Recommendation 4) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should evaluate and, as needed, clarify or adjust responsibilities for leadership of the forthcoming Defense Feeding and Nutrition Board to guide food transformation efforts. (Recommendation 5) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should ensure the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, in coordination with the forthcoming Defense Feeding and Nutrition Board, develops the congressionally directed plan to increase access to healthy food on installations. (Recommendation 6) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should ensure the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, in coordination with the forthcoming Defense Feeding and Nutrition Board, defines the role of nonappropriated fund food venues in providing nutritious food on installations. (Recommendation 7) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should ensure the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, in coordination with the forthcoming Defense Feeding and Nutrition Board, develops a strategy for increasing healthy menu options at nonappropriated fund food venues as part of its plan to increase access to healthy food on military installations. (Recommendation 8) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should ensure the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs develops a process to annually assess each military department's food environment and nutrition standards, and review all nutrition programs, policies, and related processes. (Recommendation 9) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of the Navy | The Secretary of the Navy should ensure the Commandant of the Marine Corps incorporates all eight Go for Green® nutrition program elements into Marine Corps food service inspections checklists. (Recommendation 10) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of the Navy | The Secretary of the Navy should incorporate all eight Go for Green® nutrition program elements into Navy food service inspection checklists. (Recommendation 11) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of the Air Force | The Secretary of the Air Force should incorporate all eight Go for Green® nutrition program elements into Air Force food service inspection checklists. (Recommendation 12) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of the Army | The Secretary of the Army should develop a process to ensure that all installations use the required Go for Green® program fidelity assessment tool to conduct oversight of the Army food service program. (Recommendation 13) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, in coordination with the military services, establishes department-wide strategic goals for nutrition programs and initiatives. (Recommendation 14) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, in coordination with the military services, establishes performance goals that align with strategic goals for nutrition programs and initiatives. (Recommendation 15) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, in coordination with the military services, establishes performance metrics to assess progress toward nutrition performance goals. (Recommendation 16) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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