Food hygiene is a key issue in military public health. Large populations partake of common meals, and at times food may be prepared and consumed under adverse environmental conditions. Thus, the mess hall is a potential factor in common source enteric illness.

The food hygiene team is usually of multidisciplinary background, and may include veterinarians, public health officers, food hygienists, a dietician and an epidemiologist. Case-control studies are commonly conducted in order to investigate potential links between enteric illness and consumption of one or more specific food items. The epidemiologist, in conjunction with the other members of the team, may make recommendations for future prevention based on the team’s findings.