Official DOD inspection stamps are used worldwide to show that a product has
been inspected. By using the inspection stamps, veterinary food inspection personnel
are accepting responsibility for a food product (subsistence) until it is consumed.
Authorization to use inspection stamps is limited to the government inspector or to
personnel under his or her supervision. This lesson provides guidance concerning the
use of DOD inspection stamps. Detailed, official guidance is found in TB MED 263.
IMPORTANCE OF IDENTIFYING INSPECTED FOOD PRODUCTS
Uniform interservice and intraservice methods and procedures for identifying food
products (subsistence) that have been inspected for the Armed Forces are important for
the following reasons:
a. To indicate the inspection status of food products at every stage during
processing or shipment.
b. To prevent the acceptance by the government of food products which have not
c. To prevent the acceptance by the government of food products which do not
conform to contract requirements.
d. To prevent rejection of food products which can be safely used.
e. To clearly indicate the inspection status of food products to accountable and
responsible receiving or property officers, and to inspectors.
f. To provide means of relating time of inspection and the name of the inspector
to specific lots or shipments of food products.
TYPES OF DEPARTMENTOF DENFENSE STAMPS
There are two types of DOD inspection stamps available for use by the veterinary
food inspection specialist, the origin and the receipt inspection stamps. The two stamps
used in connection with procurement inspections are the partial inspection approval (PIA)
stamp and the complete inspection approval (CIA) stamp.