Dairy SOW Alexandria VA HCS FY25.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

ALEXANDRIA VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM (AVAHCS)

MILK and DAIRY PRODUCTS 2237#: 502-25-1-120-0001

Background:

The Alexandria VA Health Care System requires Fluid Milk and Dairy Products. The purpose of this procurement is to obtain fluid milk and dairy products to meet the nutritional needs of the inpatient population at AVAHCS. The AVAHCS requires fluid milk and dairy products to be delivered on site to support meal service to inpatient population. All products shall conform to the standards set forth by the Unites States Department of Agriculture (USDA). These standards are available on line at www.usda.gov.

Scope:

Contractors shall provide all necessary labor, materials, equipment and supervision necessary to produce and deliver milk and dairy products for AVAHCS Nutrition and Food Services (NFS) Department for the period of October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025.

Ordering:

1. Orders will be placed by assigned authorized individuals from Nutrition and Food Service.

Orders may be placed by phone, fax, mail, vendor website or EDI. If the contractor is not already set-up as an EDI Vendor, they may be set up by contacting the VA Austin Automation Center at

(512) 326-6931. Orders are based on patient load and amounts will increase or decrease in conjunction with hospital census.

2. Quantities shown on previous pages represent the quantities estimated to be ordered over the delivery period. Offers will be evaluated based on the estimated quantities. Actual quantities ordered may vary among line items.

Delivery:

1. Delivery to Medical Center will consist of one point of delivery to NFS.

Alexandria VA Health Care System Nutrition & Food Services (120)

NFS Dock, Building 4 Pineville, LA 71360

(318) 466-2477

2. Delivery will be made up to two times weekly, Monday through Saturday, between the hours of 5:30 am and 9:30 am.

3. The contractor will be required to deliver milk and dairy products to the NFS dock, rotating stock to prevent products from becoming outdated will be completed by NFS receiving staff.

4. While performing under this contract, all vehicles used by the contractor will be locked and the keys removed when not in use. This is intended to protect the contractor’s property as well as the safety of patients and staff at the medical centers. Vehicles shall be turned off once parked in the tunnel for deliveries.

5. Contractor shall not deliver products on Federal holidays even if the holiday falls on a weekend. The following is a list of Federal holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday, Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day, or any other day declared by the President of the United States to be a federal holiday.

Note: In the event a holiday should fall on a Sunday, the holiday is normally observed on the following Monday. In the event a holiday should fall on a Saturday, the holiday is normally observed on the preceding Friday by Government agencies.

6. Deliveries are to be confirmed and signed by the Material Handler, Chief Nutrition and Food Services, Patient Food Service Manager, Food service supervisors, Administrative Officer, or Contracting Officer Representative.

Authorized Personnel:

1. A Delegation of Authority memorandum will be issued after award of contract. All contract administration functions relative to the administration of this contract, excluding termination rights, will be delegated to an Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO) of the medical center.

2. After contract award, inquiries and correspondence pertaining to administration of this contract shall be addressed to the AVAHCS. Only the Contracting Officer (C/O) is authorized to make commitments or issue changes which will affect the price, quantity, quality, or terms of this contract.

Inspection and Acceptance:

1. An employee(s) of NFS will be designated by the AVAHCS Nutrition and Food Services Chief under a Delegation of Authority memorandum to accept or reject delivery as to quality and condition of the product. Items rejected all or in part must be removed from the premises within 48 hours of notification of rejection.

2. Unless offeror certifies that acceptable inspection has been made (any agency of the Federal Government or the AIB International Department of Food Safety/Hygiene), a pre-award onsite evaluation of the lowest offeror may be made. This will include inspection and evaluation of the plant, personnel, equipment and processes of the prospective contractor. An inspection may be made of the premises and employees prior to award, and conditions found will be considered in award of the contract. Inspection may be performed at any time during the contract period and, if it is found that the contractor is not complying with specifications, deliveries will be rejected, and the products covered by this contract will be procured in the open market. Any excess cost occasioned by this action will be charged against the contractor's account.

Natural Disasters/Hurricanes/Emergencies: The contractor must be able to ensure delivery to the VA at all times, inclusive of hurricane, disasters, and/or any other emergency condition. The VA may place a special order in preparation for, or in response to, a disaster or emergency situation, including but not limited to a hurricane. For anticipatory situations, such orders will be placed 24 hours or less in advance. In an emergency, the contractor will be notified with the amount and type of products required by the VA that shall be delivered within 24 hours of order placement. The order may be placed for larger quantities than the normal orders. The contractor shall provide the Contracting Officer and both technical representatives with its designated point of contact and contact information for emergency orders.

Payment:

1. Payments shall be monthly in arrears upon receipt of a properly executed invoice. Invoices for NFS will be submitted to the addresses designated in this contract. In accordance with the Prompt Payment Act the Government has 30 days after receipt of a valid invoice to make payment.

2. Payments under this contract will be made by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) by the VA or VCS Finance Center. Contractor may elect to accept the Government Purchase Card as a method of payment for all orders under $2,500 if the contractor is set up to accept credit cards.

Packing List:

There shall be a packing list enclosed with all shipments made under this contract. The packing list shall show the following as a minimum: Contractor's name and address, VA Purchase Order Number (if one is given); the AVAHCS Nutrition & Food Services, the items shipped; and quantity.

Specifications and Standards:

1. The delivered products shall meet the specification as listed in the attached Pricing Schedule document and comply with all applicable Federal and State mandatory requirements and regulations relating to the preparation, packaging, labeling, storage, distribution, and sales of the products with the commercial marketplace. All deliveries shall conform in every respect to the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and regulations, promulgated hereunder.

All contractor racks, carts, crates, and bins to be left at AVAHCS must be clean and free from rust, visible soil, or other potential contaminants.

2. Quality Assurance. All raw milk for pasteurization, condensed and dried milk, finished products and the plant in which the products are processed shall comply with all applicable requirements of the "Grade A pasteurized Milk Ordinance - 1978 Recommendations of the United States Public Health Service" or latest revision thereof, or regulations substantially equivalent thereto. The raw milk for pasteurization, milk plant, and pasteurized milk and milk products each shall have a compliance rating of 90 or more as certified by the State Milk Sanitation Rating Officer and shall be listed in the "Sanitation Compliance and Enforcement Ratings of Interstate Milk Shippers."

Milk laboratories approved by Federal and State agencies and listed in the previously mentioned document shall do all testing.

3. Contractor's Certification. By submitting an offer, the contractor certifies that the product offered meets the specified salient characteristics and requirements of the Federal Hospital Subsistence Guide; conforms to the producer's own specifications and standards, including product characteristics, manufacturing procedures, quality control procedures, and storage and handling territories, or possessions; and is sold in the commercial market. The Government reserves the right to determine proof of such conformance prior to the first delivery from point of origin and any time thereafter, up to and including, delivery at final destination as may be necessary to determine conformance with the terms of the contract.

4. Alternate Items. Offers on items not listed above (alternate items) will only be considered if acceptable bids on required items are not available or an offer is not received. Offerors must clearly identify any items that are not exact and specify the exceptions which differ from the required item.

Source of Manufacturer Items supplied under this contract are required to originate from a sanitarily approved source. The supplier must identify the source of manufacture on the primary container or in the accompanying shipping documents. The identification on the primary container may consist of either the manufacturing plant name and address or a manufacturing plant code. When the manufacturing plant is identified on the shipping documents accompanying the delivery, the plant shall be identified by its complete name, address and plant code. Preference will be given to locally sourced vendors.

Manufacturing Standards/Product Quality

1. Fortification

a. The finished milk types A, E, I and M shall contain a level of 400 International Units (IU) of vitamin D per 946 mL (1 quart).

b. Types B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, N, O, and P shall be fortified with vitamins D and A so the finished fluid milk contains at least 400 IU of vitamin D and 2,000 IU of vitamin A per 946 mL (1 quart).

c. Types B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, N, O, and P shall be nutritionally equivalent to the fluid milk or milk products that were modified by milkfat reduction. These types are required to return at the level of these nutrients to their respective levels and make them equivalent to the fluid milk or milk products that was milkfat modified.

2. Physical Hazards: Fluid milk and milk products shall be clean, sound, wholesome, and be free from foreign material such as, but not limited to, dirt, insect parts, hair, wood, glass, or metal.

3. Mold: Fresh or frozen milk shall include mold inhibitors of proper levels as allowed by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

4. Odors: All types of fluid milk and milk products shall be free from all undesirable and objectionable flavors, and have a pleasingly sweet distinctive individual characteristic flavor.

5. Chocolate Flavoring:

a. The chocolate flavoring shall be derived from cacao products meeting 21 CFR Part 163

- Cacao Products regulations.

b. The flavoring products shall have a pleasingly sweet distinctive chocolate flavor free from objectionable flavors.

6. Color: All types of fluid milk and milk products shall be uniformly colored throughout and characterize the type and/or flavor it represents.

7. Consistency:

a. The body of fluid milk and milk product types A through H shall be smooth with an acceptable mouth feel.

b. They shall not be slimy, ropy, or show evidence of wheying-off or floating fat particles.

c. The body of acidified and cultured buttermilk types I through P shall be smooth, uniform, and of medium consistency.

d. They shall be free from undesirable gas formation, wheying-off, and practically free from entrapped air.

Freshness/Pasteurization Requirement for Dairy Products:

1. All products shall conform to the standards set forth by the Unites States Department of Agriculture (USDA). These standards are available on line at www.usda.gov. Fluid dairy products and other dairy products shall have sufficient remaining shelf life commensurate with good commercial practice at a minimum:

- Milk must be delivered a minimum of 14 days prior to the expiration date and within 72 hours after pasteurization.

- Cottage cheese, cultures, normal shelf life must be delivered within 4 days after date of packing, cottage cheese, acidified, normal shelf life, must be delivered within 5 days after date of packaging, cottage cheese, culture or acidified, extended shelf life, must be delivered a minimum of 14 days prior to the expiration date.

2. All milk shall be delivered to the requested destination no later than 72 hours after said milk is pasteurized. All fluid milk and milk products shall be pasteurized at a temperature of not less than 72°C (161°F) for a period of time of not less than 15 seconds or at a temperature of not less than 63°C (145°F) for a period of time of not less than 30 minutes in properly designed and operated equipment or for a time and at a temperature equivalent thereto for microbial destruction. If fluid milk or milk products contain added sweeteners, the specified temperature shall be increased by 2.8°C (5°F). Pasteurization shall be in accordance with general provisions (21 CFR §131.3). The fluid milk and milk products shall be homogenized. This requirement is in accordance with the CID Specification # A-A-20338, dated October 31, 2001. All milk and milk product items furnished under this contract shall be fresh and of the highest quality.

Packaging, Packing and Labeling:

1. Unless otherwise specified, preservation, packaging, and packing shall be to a degree of protection to preclude damage to containers and/or contents thereof under normal shipping conditions, handling, etc., shall conform to normal commercial practices and applicable carrier rules and regulations, involving shipment from the contractor to the receiving activity for storage.

Shipping containers shall be in compliance with national Motor Freight Classification and Uniform Freight classification (issue in effect at time of shipment).

NOTE: 1/2 pint Containers — Acceptable packaging = 1/2 PT Cardboard Containers measuring 4-1/2" x 2-1/3" OR 1/2 PT Cardboard Containers measuring 2-7/8" x 3"

2. All products furnished shall be prepared, processed and packed under sanitary conditions and in accordance with guidelines provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S.

Department of Agriculture, using the best commercial practices that are standard for the industry. All containers shall be clean, sound and securely sealed to provide adequate protection from dirt, filth, and all other contamination. All items shall be maintained at temperatures necessary for the preservation of the product according to the standards established by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

3. Open coded expiration dates shall be legible on each product. All dairy items shall have a minimum expiration date of fourteen (14) days after delivery. Failure to comply with this requirement will render a contract in default and be grounds for termination.

4. If it is determined that a significant number of products are leaking, spoiled, or otherwise found to not be in accordance with the specifications contained herein, the Contractor will be http://www.usda.gov/ notified to exchange the products for ones that are in accordance with these specifications within two hours of notification. If the number of such products is determined to be insignificant in number, they may be held for pick up by the contractor at the next scheduled delivery.

Applicable provisions of the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act are contained in 16 CFR Parts 500 to

503. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act are contained in 21 CFR Parts 1 to 199. These documents may be purchased from: Superintendent of Documents, New Orders, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954. Credit card (MasterCard or Visa) purchases are made by calling the Superintendent of Documents on (202) 512-1800 or on the Internet at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara. Copies of the current edition of the Grade "A" Pasteurized Milk Ordinance and the Sanitation Compliance and Enforcement Ratings of Interstate Milk Shippers may be obtained from: Milk Safety Team (HFS-626), FDA, 200 C Street, SW, Washington, DC 20204, telephone (202) 205-9175 or on the Internet at:

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov. Copies of this CID and beneficial comments, recommendations, additions, deletions, clarifications, and any data which may improve this CID are available from and/or provided to: Head, Food Quality Assurance Staff, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA, STOP 0243, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0243, telephone (202) 720-9939, Fax (202) 690-0102, via E-mail:

FQAStaff@usda.gov or on the Internet at:

http://www.ams.usda.gov/fv/fvqual.htm.

Environmental Standards Should the contractor manufacturer and provide company brand milk products, the contractor should utilize, if possible, recycled materials for containers as long as they meet the FDA sanitary standards for the specified commodity. List recycled materials for containers as long as they meet the FDA sanitary standards for the specified commodity.

Metric Products Products manufactured to metric dimensions will be considered on an equal basis with those manufactured using inch/pound units, providing they fall within the tolerances specified using conversion tables contained in the latest revision of Federal Standard No. 376B and all other requirements of this document are met. If a product is manufactured to metric dimensions and those dimensions exceed the tolerances specified in the inch/pound units, a request should be made to the Contracting Officer to determine if the product is acceptable. The Contracting Officer's Technical Representative, will accept or reject the product.

At no time, shall contractor employees be considered as government employees for any purpose.

http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/ mailto:FQAStaff@usda.gov http://www.ams.usda.gov/fv/fvqual.htm

Estimated Quantities Base Year (Oct 1, 2024 – Sept 30, 2025) Item Number Description Estimated Use 001 Milk, Whole, 1/2 pint carton 10270 002 Milk, 2%, 1/2 pint carton 35500 003 Milk, 1%, 1/2 pint carton 21500 004 Fruit Punch Drink, Gallon 1200 005 Orange Juice, chilled = EA 4 oz 12100 006 Apple Juice = EA 4 oz 8100 007 Buttermilk, HGal Whole 468 008 Orange Drink, Gallon 600

Information Security:

The C&A requirements do not apply, and that a Security Accreditation Package is not required.

Evaluation Criteria

1. The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers:

Price: All evaluation factors other than cost or price when combined are approximately equal to cost or price.

Contracting Officer’s Representative Emily Baker Chief, Nutrition and Food Service (318) 466-2477 Emily.Baker2@va.gov

Program Director Emily Baker Chief, Nutrition & Food Services (318) 466-2477 Emily.Baker2@va.gov mailto:Emily.Baker2@va.gov mailto:Emily.Baker2@va.gov