Nuclear Political Work

A Rocket Force Brigade Strictly Enforces Food Procurement Inspection and Acceptance to Ensure Officers and Soldiers' 'Safety at the Tip of the Tongue'

火箭军某旅严格食品采购验收确保官兵“舌尖上的安全”

PLA Daily (解放军报) 13 June 2026

Summary

A Rocket Force brigade has implemented a standardized, closed-loop food procurement inspection system covering both daily rations and combat-readiness food stocks, with duty officers and atmosphere supervisors (风气监督员) empowered to reject non-conforming deliveries on the spot — including near-expiry combat rations — and with rectification results publicly posted and full supply-chain traceability required. The article documents a persistent institutional problem: procurement fraud and quality-cutting by suppliers in PLA food supply chains, which the brigade is addressing through procedural controls rather than assuming supplier compliance. The inclusion of combat-readiness food stocks in the same inspection regime raises the question of whether previous lapses in that category — near-expiry emergency rations reaching brigade warehouses — were common enough to require a formal policy response.

Translation

A Rocket Force Brigade Strictly Enforces Food Procurement Inspection and Acceptance——

Strictly Control the Entry Point, Guard the Safety Line

■ Lu Chaosheng, PLA Daily Special Correspondent Zhang Xinkai

At the entrance to the mess hall of a certain battalion of a Rocket Force brigade, a routine food ingredient inspection and acceptance was underway. Duty officer Xiao Lü, while checking the day's delivered fruit, discovered that what the supplier had sent was not the "Korla fragrant pears" listed on the procurement order, but a different variety. He immediately raised the issue and indicated he would refuse acceptance.

"Supply has been tight lately," "the delivery worker probably made a mistake," "can we let it go just this once, we'll definitely pay attention next time" … The supplier offered one explanation after another, but Xiao Lü was resolute: "Mistakes made in the rush of work are understandable, but the type and quality of food must meet standards. These several crates of pears must be returned."

In the end, the delivery vehicle took the substandard goods back. The battalion promptly adjusted its meal arrangements, delaying the fragrant pears originally scheduled for distribution at lunch to the dinner service, thereby ensuring precise food supply and up-to-standard quality.

"We cannot wait until officers and soldiers report problems before we act—we must proactively watch, proactively inspect, and proactively refuse." Jiang, the battalion's cooking squad leader, told the reporter that non-staple food inspection and acceptance concerns food safety and relates to the efficiency of funds management and use. Over a period of time, they have strengthened the normalized, standardized, and closed-loop management mechanism (常态化、标准化、闭环化管理机制) for non-staple food inspection and acceptance, requiring relevant personnel, immediately upon ingredients arriving at the warehouse, to check item by item against the procurement order for variety, freshness, and packaging integrity, so as to ensure officers and soldiers eat with peace of mind and that funds are spent where they should be.

This strict acceptance mechanism does not stop at daily food supply, but extends into the domain of combat-readiness food management as well, requiring that warehouse acceptance likewise strictly uphold standards without yielding an inch.

Not long ago, a batch of emergency combat-readiness food was delivered in bulk to the warehouse. At the warehouse acceptance site, atmosphere supervisor (风气监督员) Xiao Li verified the expiration date of each item one by one. He opened the outer packaging of one crate of ham sausages and found that, although this batch of ham sausages was still within its labeled shelf life, the remaining shelf life was less than one month, making them near-expiry goods (临期物资) that did not meet the storage standards for combat-readiness reserves. Xiao Li's brow furrowed, and he immediately halted the warehousing process that was underway.

"Combat-readiness supplies are not ordinary rations—they must be guaranteed ready for use at any time." Xiao Li pointed out on the spot: "This batch of ham sausages is about to expire and will soon become goods awaiting consumption. They do not meet the required standards and must be exchanged immediately!" The following day, the supplier delivered a new batch of ham sausages that met the standards. Xiao Li again verified the expiration date crate by crate, and only after confirming everything was correct did he sign off on warehousing.

Whether daily food ingredients or combat-readiness food, as long as quality fails to meet standards, inspection and acceptance personnel will not clear it for entry. The brigade's support department leadership introduced that today, the various food service units of the brigade conduct timely reviews and notifications of inspection and acceptance results; responsibility for problem ingredients is traced back to the source, and the results of rectification are publicly displayed (整改结果公开晾晒). Full traceability has been achieved for all food—source traceable, destination trackable, responsibility accountable (食品来源可查、去向可追、责任可究)—compelling suppliers not to dare slacken and not to dare be careless, thereby ensuring officers and soldiers' 'safety at the tip of the tongue.'

Original Chinese

火箭军某旅严格食品采购验收—— 严把入口关守好安全线 ■陆朝升解放军报特约记者张新凯火箭军某旅某营食堂门口，一场例行食材验收正在进行。值班员小吕核对当日配送的水果时发现，供应商送来的并非采购清单所列的“库尔勒香梨”，而是另外一个品种，他当即提出疑问并表示拒收。 “这段时间货源紧张”“可能是配货员发错了”“这次能不能先这样，下次一定注意”……供应商连连解释，小吕却态度坚决：“忙中出错可以理解，但是食品种类和质量必须符合标准，这几箱梨必须退回。” 最终，配送车将不合格的货物拉回。该营随即调整供餐安排，将原定中午发放的香梨推迟到晚饭时上桌，确保了食品精准供应、品质达标。 “我们不能等官兵反映问题后再行动，而是要主动盯、主动查、主动拒。”营炊事班蒋班长告诉记者，副食品验收事关食品安全，关乎经费管理使用效益，一段时间以来，他们强化副食品验收常态化、标准化、闭环化管理机制，要求相关人员在食材到库后，第一时间对照采购清单逐项核查品种、新鲜度、包装完整性，确保官兵吃得放心、经费花得到位。这套从严验收机制不仅停留在日常伙食保障方面，同时延伸至战备食品管理领域，要求入库验收同样做到严守标准、寸步不让。不久前，一批应急战备食品集中送库入库，库房验收现场，风气监督员小李逐件核验保质期。他拆开一箱火腿肠外包装，发现这批火腿肠虽仍在标注保质期内，但剩余保质期已不足一个月，属于临期物资，达不到战备储备存放标准。小李眉头一皱，立即叫停了正在进行的入库流程。 “战备物资不是普通口粮，必须保证随时可用。”小李当场指出，“这批火腿肠即将到期，很快会成为待消耗物资，不符合规定要求，必须立即换货！”第二天，供应商将符合标准的新一批火腿肠送达，小李再次逐箱核对保质期，确认无误后才签字入库。不管是日常食材还是战备食品，只要质量不达标，验收人员首先不放行。该旅保障部门领导介绍，如今，旅队各伙食单位及时讲评通报验收情况，对问题食材责任倒查、整改结果公开晾晒，全部实现食品来源可查、去向可追、责任可究，倒逼供应商不敢懈怠、不敢马虎，确保了官兵“舌尖上的安全”。