RUSF1-Draft_CRD_(12-21-2012).pdf

USDA COMMODITY REQUIREMENTS

RUSF1

READY-TO-USE SUPPLEMENTARY FOOD

FOR USE IN

INTERNATIONAL FOOD AID PROGRAMS

Effective Date: January xx, 2013 (TBD)

USDA COMMODITIY REQUIREMENTS

RUTS2

READY-TO-USE SUPPLEMENTARY FOOD

FOR USE IN INTERNATIONAL FOOD AID PROGRAMS

PART 1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS

SECTION 1.1 READY-TO-USE SUPPLEMENTARY FOOD PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS

SECTION 1.2 QUALITY ASSURANCE

PART 2 CONTAINER AND PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS

SECTION 2.1 GENERAL

SECTION 2.2 CONTAINERS AND MATERIALS

SECTION 2.3 PRIMARY POUCH REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATIONS FOR RUSF

PART 3 MARKING REQUIREMENTS

SECTION 3.1 LOT CODES

SECTION 3.2 CONTAINERS WITH INCORRECT MARKINGS

EXHIBIT A RUSF PASTE PRIMARY CONTAINER MARKINGS

EXHIBIT B RUSF PASTE SECONDARY CONTAINER MARKINGS

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Part 1 Commodity Specifications

Section 1.1 Ready-to-Use Supplementary Food Product Requirements

A. Quality of Ready-to-Use Supplementary Food (RUSF) The RUSF shall meet the requirements as specified in the Commercial Item Description (CID) for Ready-to-Use Supplementary Food (RUSF), A-A-20362, dated [insert date], which is available at: [insert link to webpage]

B. Fortification

The RUSF shall be fortified with a vitamin and mineral premix, meeting requirements in the CID.

Section 1.2 Quality Assurance

A. The Dairy component manufacturer will be required to have their facility inspected by the Dairy Grading Branch (DGB), Dairy Program (DP), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), USDA to meet requirements contained in Title 7 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 110. DGB shall certify and document with official DGB certificates that the dairy components meet the requirements as stated in Section 10.2 of the CID. For DGB certification contacts refer to the CID, Section 14.

B. In addition to any testing that the Government may perform under the Inspection clause of the contract, the contractor shall perform the product testing and quality analysis to ensure that the product meets the commodity specifications.

1. The results of the contractor’s testing shall be evidenced by a Certificate of

Analysis (COA). The COA shall provide the results of all tests specified.

2. The contractor shall provide a Certificate of Conformance (COC) certifying that the product meets all the specifications of the contract. Copies of both the original COA and COC must be submitted as part of the invoice package.

C. The manufacturer will be required to provide evidence that the manufacturing plant has undertaken quality assurance measures required in this section and in accordance with the CID within the 12 months prior to the date of contract award.

Part 2 Container and Packaging Requirements

Section 2.1 General

This part provides the container specifications and requirements for packaging materials. “Pouch,” as used in this Part, means the primary packaging for the RUSF as defined in Section 7 of the CID.

Section 2.2 Containers and Materials

A. All containers and packaging shall be constructed to meet the requirements of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for safe contact with the packaged product.

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The contractor shall obtain and maintain documentation from the container or packaging material manufacturer to verify that the containers and packaging materials used in this contract were in compliance with the Government’s regulatory requirements for safe contact with food products as required in the Master Solicitation, Part 3, Section A, Number 3.

B. Questions concerning the containers and materials should be directed to:

USDA/FSA/DACO

Room 5755 – South Bldg, STOP 0553 1400 Independence Avenue SW Washington, DC 20250-0551 ATTN: Packaging

C. If the contractor purchases packaging and container ingredients from a foreign country and/or the package and container is manufactured in a foreign country, the package and container SHALL NOT display country of origin labeling.

Phrases including, but not limited to, “Made in [Name of Foreign Country]” or “Product of [Name of Foreign Country]” are strictly prohibited.

Section 2.3 Primary Pouch Requirements and Examinations for RUSF

A. The primary pouch requirements and examinations are specified in Section 7 of the CID.

B. For labeling of primary pouch package − See Exhibit A [Note: this exhibit is not currently available but will be included in the final CRD]

C. Primary packaging shall have a code to indicate production lot.

Section 2.4 Section 2.4 Secondary Packaging (Corrugated Fiberboard Shipping

Containers) for RUSF

A. Corrugated Fiberboard Shipping Containers (Shipping Container) shall—

1. Contain 150 pouches of RUSF.

2. Be a regular slotted container constructed of a minimum 450 lb. burst test, double wall corrugated fiberboard.

3. Have outside dimensions no higher than 8 inches in height, and be designed to the optimal dimensions to fill at least 80% of the cubic capacity of a 20 foot intermodal when stacked two pallets high.

a. Cases of dimensions approximately 8 in. height x 16 in. length x

13.25 in. width, have been found to comply with this requirement (when stacked nine cases per layer and five tiers high on a standard pallet).

b.Other case dimensions will be considered providing the height of the case does not exceed 8 inches and the pallets, when double stacked, RUSF1 Page 3 and can fill at least 80% of the cubic capacity of a 20 foot intermodal container.

4. No plastic liners will be used inside the boxes. The 150 pouches shall be placed directly into the fiberboard shipping container.

B. The shipping container will be of a sturdy export quality, of virgin base materials and constructed and closed to provide adequate protection of the goods for transportation by air, sea and/or road to final destinations worldwide, including remote locations under adverse climatic and storage conditions, and high humidity.

C. The shipping containers may be pre-printed, printed on line, or a pre-printed label may be affixed to the box.

D. Shipping container labeling − See Exhibit B. The outer shipping container shall include the statement, “This Product is not to be Sold or Exchanged.” Weight must be stated in Kilograms and Lbs.

E. The shipping container shall comply with the following unitization requirements:

(1) All shipments of packaged products shall be unitized (palletized and stretch wrapped).

(2) Pallets shall be:

a. Constructed to facilitate the safe handling and transportation of the packaged product, as a unit, without loss or damage.

b. Pallets will be 1200 x 1000 x 144 mm, 4-way or partial 4-way entry with reversible or nonreversible flush stringer, wooden pallets suitable for international shipment. Pallets manufactured from other materials than solid wood are NOT acceptable (such as wood chip, plastic, MDF board, ply wood or carton). Pallets must have three (3) longitudinal bottom deck lead boards, feet are NOT acceptable.

c. All wood packaging, including pallets and boxes, utilized in any shipment, must have undergone the treatment, marking and documentation required to meet the specifications described in ISPM No. 15: Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade, available at www.ippc.int

(3) Plastic stretch wrap shall be:

a. Constructed of a plastic film which is to be stretched a minimum of 50 percent beyond its original length when stretched around the pallet load.

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b. Applied as tightly as possible around all tiers of the palletized shipping containers. The shipping containers shall be held firmly in place by the stretch wrap.

(4) Pallet loads shall be:

a. Stacked in such a way as to minimize the amount that shipping containers overhang the edges of pallets.

b. Blocked and braced or otherwise loaded into the conveyance in a manner that prevents shifting during transit.

F. The packaging unit will be strong enough to be stacked to a height of 2 pallets during storage and transport without damage to the product, and will be resistant to puncturing. Shipping containers shall be marked to show the maximum safe stacking height. This should be expressed as follows: “Do not stack above ___ tiers per pallet, ___ pallets high.” It is the responsibility of the contractor in cooperation with the container manufacturer to determine the safe stacking height.

Part 3 Marking Requirements

Following are the marking exhibits for the RUSF Paste. All packaging shall meet the USAID Branding/Markings requirements described in the USAID Graphic Standards Manual on USAID’s website at: http://www.usaid.gov/branding/gsm.html.

Section 3.1 Lot Codes Lot codes unique to each lot offered for inspection shall be legibly marked on each individual primary container and shipping container. Commodity suppliers may use any type of lot coding system provided a unique code is used to identify each lot offered for inspection under contract. Commodity suppliers shall provide the contracting officer with an explanation of the lot coding system used.

Section 3.2 Containers with Incorrect Markings A. Any labels, bags, cans, can lids, cases, or any other type of packaging (hereinafter referred to as "containers") displaying incorrect markings may be used under a Government contract provided that the incorrect markings are obliterated and correct markings are applied in a permanent manner with approval of the contracting officer.

B. The appearance of containers in commercial or other channels either filled or unfilled bearing markings identifying the containers as part of a Government contract may cause the Government expense in determining whether commodities have been diverted from authorized use and in answering inquiries. The contractor shall take all necessary action to prevent the appearance in commercial or other channels of containers and container materials bearing any markings required under a Government contract, including those held by the contractor or others;

e.g., overruns, misprints, etc. The contractor shall ensure that any container from a http://www.usaid.gov/branding/gsm.html

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Government contract that appears in commercial or other channels shall have all markings required under this contract permanently obliterated.

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Exhibit A RUSF Paste Primary Container Markings Offerors may find more detailed renderings of the markings at the following web link: [insert link to webpage]

Pouch marking exhibit will be inserted here when the final CRD is published.

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Exhibit B RUSF Paste Secondary Container Markings Offerors may find more detailed renderings of the markings at the following web link:

[insert link to webpage]

Shipping container (corrugated box) marking exhibit will be inserted here when the final CRD is published.