Pre-Solicitation Notice SPE3S1 25 R X002.pdf

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS REQUIRED INFORMATION TO BE FURNISHED BY

EACH OFFEROR.

Any questions may be directed to:

Contracting Officer, David Sharp at telephone number (215) 737-8600 or email david.sharp@dla.mil

1. Complete Standard Form 1449 fill-ins.

2. Complete all Supplies/Prices “Schedule” sheets (Offered Prices).

3. Complete the CAGE Code and DUNS number spaces on the previous page.

4. Complete all the following and any additional Offeror Representations and Certifications:

a. AUTHORIZED NEGOTIATORS

b. FAR 52.212-3 OFFEROR REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS—

COMMERCIAL ITEMS

c. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES

1. Item Description

CLIN 0001

NSN: 8940-01-458-7305 Item Description: SNACK MIX, ALMONDS AND FILBERTS AND

PEANUTS AND RAISINS AND WALNUTS, NUT RAISIN MIX, 56 GRAMS FLEXIBLE PACKAGE,

PCR-N-003, TYPE I, PACKAGE C (FOR OPERATIONAL RATIONS).

Line Item NSN Item Description Estimated Annual Qty (2 Tiers)

0001 8940-01-458-7305 Fruit and Nut Mix 30,000 EA

For a two-year period, the guaranteed minimum quantities and maximum quantities are as follows:

Line Item Item Description Minimum Quantity

Maximum Quantity

0001 Fruit and Nut Mix 30,000 EA 90,000 EA mailto:david.sharp@dla.mil

2. All prices offered must be F.O.B. Destination. Prices must include freight to the following destination:

Defense Depot Tracy W62G2T

W1BG DLA DISTRIBUTION

25600 S. CHRISMAN ROAD

WAREHOUSE NO. 30, SECTION 2 – UGR

TRACY, CA 95376-5000 US

The Government reserves the right to require information other than cost or pricing data, as defined at FAR 2.101, or cost and pricing data, as applicable and if required to determine price reasonableness of any offer(s).

Offerors must submit pricing for both tiers on an F.O.B Destination basis. Failure to offer pricing on both tiers may be deemed as non-acceptance of the item and/or tier(s), which could result in rejection of the entire proposal as technically unacceptable. Different prices may be offered per tier. The Government intends to award on contract from this solicitation. Only one price per tier will be accepted. Unit prices must be formatted using no more than two decimal places. Ex: $XX.XX. Offerors may submit their pricing below or separately in a similar format:

Item Description Est. Annual Quantity Tier 1 Tier 2 Fruit and Nut Mix 30,000 EA $ $

The shelf-life requirement is 36 months.

The required delivery date (RDD) will be 120 days after issuance of each delivery order. Inspection and Acceptance is required at origin.

3. The effective term of the contract will contain two (2) consecutive tiered delivery periods. Each tier will be 365 days in length. The first delivery period will begin upon date of award, unless otherwise specified in the resultant contract.

See FAR clause 52.216-22, Indefinite Quantity and DFARS clause 252.216-7006, Ordering for delivery periods and ordering.

4. See clause 52.216-19 –ORDER LIMITATIONS – for individual delivery order quantities.

COMPLETE DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH EACH DELIVERY

ORDER.

5. PRE-AWARD PLANT SURVEY: To determine the responsibility of prospective contractors, the government reserves the right to conduct physical surveys of the plants, which are to be used in the performance of a contract. In the event the government is prevented from conducting such survey by the offeror or its proposed subcontractor, the offer may be rejected. As a part of the pre-award survey, the offeror may be required to obtain from its intended sources of supply, letters confirming availability of components, materials, machinery and tooling.

STATEMENT OF WORK

1. INTRODUCTION

This acquisition is being processed under the authority of FAR 13.5 Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Products and Commercial Services and therefore will utilize simplified procedures for soliciting competition, evaluation, and award documentation and notification that comply with FAR 13.1.

DLA Troop Support intends to award one Simplified Indefinite Delivery Contract (SIDC) with the purpose to provide Fruit and Nut Mix to be used in the Unitized Group Ration – Marines (UGR-M) Programs.

This solicitation is hereby issued using Low Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA). Offerors must meet all terms, conditions, and requirements of this solicitation. See FAR Provision 52.212-2 Evaluation-Commercial Items for evaluation criteria. DLA Troop Support will use Lowest Price Technically Acceptable procedures to evaluate all offers. A proposal will be determined Technically Acceptable if it meets all terms and conditions of Government’s submission requirements of the solicitation. The required submissions must be received from offerors before the time set for closing.

Failure to furnish this information by the time specified may be cause for rejection if not otherwise acceptable under FAR provisions for considering late offers. To receive consideration for award, both the lowest awardable price and technical acceptability must be met. Technical acceptability will be rated as either acceptable or unacceptable.

The Government will award an SIDC 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 will be used to evaluate offers:

(i) Technical Evaluation – Product Demonstration Models (PDMs)

(ii) Price

Note: Technical Evaluation Factors and Price will be evaluated equally.

2. CONTRACTING AUTHORITY

A. A DLA Troop Support Contracting Officer is the ONLY person authorized to approve changes to or modify any requirement of the contract. Notwithstanding any provisions contained elsewhere in the contract, said authority remains solely with the DLA Troop Support Contracting Officer.

B. In the event the vendor effects any change at the direction of any person other than the DLA Troop Support Contracting Officer, the change will be considered to have been made without authority and no adjustments will be made to cover any costs associated with such change.

3. NEGOTIATIONS

For the subject acquisition, the Government intends to award on initial offers but reserves the right to conduct negotiations if determined by the Contracting Officer to be necessary. Initial responses to negotiations must be in a form of communication customary in the industry for transmitting information to include phone, facsimile transmission, letter, in-person and e-mail.

TECHNICAL/QUALITY DATA

I. Product Demonstration Model (PDM) Information:

Product Demonstration Model (PDM): The Government requires Product Demonstration Models (PDMs) for each item while the solicitation is open. The PDMs must be received no later than the time set for closing of offers. Offers will be evaluated to determine compliance with all characteristics listed for evaluation in FAR 52.212-2 herein. Failure to furnish this information and PDMs by the time specified in the solicitation may be cause for rejection of the proposal. The offer may be rejected under the late offer clause or may be rejected because additional submissions will be tantamount to a submission of a new offer. A cover letter may accompany the offer to set forth any information you wish to bring to the attention of the Government.

Solicitation Provisions:

Product Demonstration Models (PDMs) are to be submitted at no expense to the Government and must be received prior to the time set for closing of offers. PDMs will become the property of the Government and will not be returned to the offeror. Failure to submit PDMs may result in rejection of an offer.

a. The PDM is the standard to which all production under any contract resulting from this solicitation must conform. Offerors are cautioned that samples produced in test facilities may not be comparable to the product produced on a production line, which result in rejection of the product. Major changes in production methodology or packaging, such as implementation of new technology, may result in production that does not meet the production standard, which would require the submission and evaluation of new PDMs. Should the contractor at any time plan to, or produce the product using different raw material or process methodologies from the approved Product Standard, which result in a product non-comparable to the Product Standard, the contractor shall arrange for a Replacement PDM approval. In any event, all product produced must meet all requirements of this document including Product Standard comparability.

b. The Government will evaluate the PDMs for compliance with the item descriptions and product specifications and will also evaluate the sensory attributes of the food product to include appearance, odor, flavor, and texture using the recognized 9-point quality rating scale to determine product quality. PDMs must conform to all specification/production description characteristics. Failure of models to conform to the specification may result in rejection of offer.

Product offered shall conform to all packaging, labeling, and packing requirements as well as analytical requirements. The government shall not accept product from any resultant contract which does not conform to all requirements.

c. Vendors shall have one opportunity to correct any deficiencies found during the evaluation of PDMs submitted as part of the initial proposal and have their PDM pass evaluation. Vendors are advised that if they have any unacceptable PDMs after the second evaluation, their proposal will be determined to be technically unacceptable, and they will not be considered for award. The Government shall require each PDM to be rated as “Acceptable”. Revised or alternate PDMs submitted during negotiations shall be evaluated for the same criteria detailed above.

d. PDMs shall be submitted as follows:

A total of 30 samples of PDM items must be submitted as stated below:

i. A total of 12 PDMs must be sent to:

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

FCDD-SCC-EMR (Attn Jill Bates)

COMBAT CAPABILITIES DEVCOM-SOLDIER CENTER

10 GENERAL GREENE AVENUE

NATICK, MA 01760-5056

Lab # 508-233-5653 jill.m.bates.civ@army.mil

Note: The end or side of the box should have a sticker, or be printed on the box, with the following information:

Product Demonstration Model Sample Solicitation Number Product Identity Lot # Company Name and Address Point of Contact Name and Phone Number

Inside the case, along with the samples, should be the required paperwork, fully identifying the product, solicitation number, contract number (if applicable), whether the item is an Initial, Replenishment, or Replacement PDM, USDA certification, any test results available, or any other information to assist in identifying the product and conducting the evaluation.

Offerors may direct proposed subcontractors to submit PDM samples directly to Natick on their behalf. In those instances, the offeror will send written notification of subcontractor submissions to Natick and such PDMs must be clearly labeled for which offeror they are being submitted. This documentation must also be part of their proposal. PDMs will not be evaluated until written notification from the offeror is received. This consideration does not relieve the offeror of the full responsibility for submitting all PDMs in a timely manner. Late submissions of PDMs may be the basis for rejection of the proposal.

The Offeror must provide a complete list of its PDMs submitted, with its technical proposal, to include: item, source of supply name and address, and item lot number. Note: Offerors may submit PDMs to Natick for evaluation any time after solicitation issuance. However, PDM Samples and documentation must be submitted by the deadline for receipt of proposals to the Business Opportunities Office (BOO) at DLA TROOP SUPPORT with the supplier and lot number information.

ii. A total of 16 PDMs must be sent to the cognizant in-plant Government inspector.

In this instance, the offeror must advise the Government inspector after production of the PDMs and must obtain a signed statement from the inspector confirming possession of the samples and identifying the samples as from the same production lot as those submitted to Natick. The offeror must submit this statement(s) with this balance of PDM samples submitted to DLA Troop Support.

iii. The remaining 2 PDMs of the same product lot code as those submitted to Natick and the USDA government inspector shall be mailed along with your technical proposal to the address indicated on Block 9 at DLA Troop Support (attn. David mailto:jill.m.bates.civ@army.mil

Sharp) on the first page of the solicitation. Coordinate sample submission with the Contracting Officer prior to submittal to DLA Troop Support- Subsistence.

iv. PLEASE NOTE: This requirement is waived for any offeror who has submitted and received an acceptable rating on a PDM or FA from Natick, in the 12 months prior to the solicitation close date. Please provide documentation from Natick of the passing PDM score.

v. Late submissions of PDMs may be the basis for rejection of the proposal.

vi. The PDMs required in this part of the solicitation, which are submitted to Natick, must have any required analytical results included as part of the offer for this technical evaluation factor. The analyticals are to be self-certified or certified by the USDA (i.e., testing of official USDA samples by a USDA/AMS laboratory) for current suppliers of these items and self-certified by other potential offerors.

Failure to submit the required certified analyticals with PDMs may result in the proposal not being considered for award. The offeror should include applicable documentation to establish that the product has been processed to meet commercial sterility requirements. e.g.: including incubation sample results.

e. Every 12 months, the Government Quality Assurance Representative (GQAR) will randomly select 12 replenishment samples for Natick and 16 replenishment samples for the government’s supply at origin from a lot accepted by the government for all contractual requirements. The contractor will be responsible for shipment to Natick. This replenishment may occur earlier if necessary to ensure an adequate supply of PDM samples. The contractor will also use samples from this same lot as the production standard.

i. Replenishment PDMs are defined as product samples used to reestablish the product standard due to depleting the current PDM stocks or as required by schedule. Replenishment PDMs will be evaluated for appearance, odor, flavor and texture, must be equal to or better than the existing product standard for all characteristics, and must meet the requirements for those characteristics in the appropriate product technical requirements document or specification(s). Upon acceptance the replenishment PDM will become the new product standard.

ii. If a Replenishment PDM is rejected by Natick, the next conforming production lot will be submitted by USDA as a Resubmittal PDM Replenishment. This follow-up Resubmittal PDM Replenishment and any subsequent Resubmittal lots cannot be shipped by the manufacturer without an acceptable evaluation result from Natick.

iii. The cut-off date for PDM Replenishments will be 18 months. After 18 months, USDA will submit a PDM sample to Natick as a Replacement PDM, following the PDM submittal process. The production lot that is used for the Replacement PDM submittal cannot be shipped by the manufacturer without an acceptable evaluation result from Natick.

f. If the contractor wishes to establish a new standard, that new standard would be called a Replacement PDM.

Replacement PDMs are defined as product samples that are non-comparable to the established PDM, e.g. due to different ingredients or process methodologies. Replacement PDMs are submitted by the contractor and follow the same submittal process as the initial PDM. At no time will there be two standards for the product.

g. Periodic Review samples are required for all Polymeric Tray items. The following are the requirements and distribution of samples: The USDA Inspector shall select eight samples of each item produced during each month of Polymeric Tray production. The eight samples will be selected from four random sampling points in the lot and Natick will receive samples from each of those four sampling points. The remaining samples will be distributed to the USDA review locations.

These samples shall be designated as Monthly Review Samples. The USDA Inspector will ship them monthly to the following locations at the contractor’s expense:

One sample of all items to the USDA, AMS, FV, SCI Division Review Locations (Washington, DC; Oshkosh, WI; South Bend, IN and Winter Haven, FL)

AND

Four samples of all items to:

Department of the Army

RDNS-SEC-EMR

Natick Soldier Systems Center

10 General Greene Avenue Natick, MA 01760

h. In the event that an offeror’s PDM was found technically acceptable, but not offered the award, the offeror may present the remainder of the PDM lot, to the Government for purchase at the awarded price. The Government retains the option to purchase the remainder of the lot at the order price.

52.212- 2 EVALUATION-COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2014) – FAR

(a) 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 meeting the requirements of the solicitation considered. The following shall be used to evaluate offers:

• DLA Troop Support will use Low Price Technically Acceptable procedures to evaluate all offers. The Government will evaluate each offeror’s unit prices. Pricing will be evaluated for indefinite quantity to one destination. The indefinite quantities for this acquisition will be multiplied by the offered unit price to estimate the lowest overall aggregate cost to the Government.

• The Government requests PDMs and will evaluate the PDMs for compliance with the item descriptions and product specifications and will also evaluate the sensory attributes of the food product to include appearance, odor, flavor, and texture using the recognized 9-point quality rating scale to determine product quality. The PDMs will be evaluated by Natick and will be rated “ACCEPTABLE” if it meets the requirement of the item description and its Quality Scale result from Natick is equal or above 6. Approval or acceptance of a PDM shall not constitute a waiver of any specification requirement unless specifically stated by the Contracting Officer. The 12 acceptable PDMs will be used as production standards.

• If negotiations are conducted, offerors having unacceptable PDMs (Quality Scale is lower than 6) will be given an opportunity to correct deficient PDMs. The final rating will be based on second submission (if negotiations are conducted) and it must be rated “ACCEPTABLE” otherwise the final proposal will be rejected.

(b) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer’s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

II. INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE REQUIREMENTS

For the purposes of Inspection/Acceptance and Shipment/Delivery, a manufacturer’s “lot” shall be considered no greater than a single shift’s production.

Note: When product is being delivered to Tracy Depot in California, lot numbers will not be mixed on the same pallet.

OPTIONAL CONTRACTOR TESTING is provided by the alternate inspection requirements of

DLAD 52.246-9024, Alternative Inspection Requirements for Selected Items.

III. ITEM DESCRIPTION

The below listed item descriptions include the required technical specification (i.e. Performance Contract Requirements (PCRs), Commercial Item Descriptions (CIDs), etc) for this acquisition.

8940-01-458-7305

Item Description: SNACK MIX, ALMONDS AND FILBERTS AND PEANUTS AND RAISINS AND WALNUTS, NUT RAISIN MIX, 56 GRAMS FLEXIBLE PACKAGE, PCR-N-003, TYPE I, PACKAGE C (FOR OPERATIONAL RATIONS)

Copies of the required technical specifications (i.e.: Performance Contract Requirements (PCRs), Commercial Item Descriptions (CIDs), etc) may be obtained upon request from:

Defense Logistics Agency DLA Troop Support

Ms. Shannon Dempsey, Food Technologist

ATTN: FTSC

700 Robbins Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-5092 Telephone: (215-737-7802) e-mail: Shannon.Dempsey@dla.mil

Copies of the stated documents may also be obtained at the DLA Troop Support Subsistence Internet website located at https://www.dla.mil/TroopSupport/Subsistence/OperationalRations/pcracr/ or http://www.dla.mil/TroopSupport/Subsistence/OperationalRations/cids/

IV. TRACEABILITY

In order to facilitate an effective traceability for the Unitized Group Ration Program, the contractor shall ensure that each primary container (unit pack) and intermediate container, if required, has a lot number and Date of Pack (DOP). These package codes shall be permanent and legible.

mailto:Shannon.Dempsey@dla.mil https://www.dla.mil/TroopSupport/Subsistence/OperationalRations/pcracr/ http://www.dla.mil/TroopSupport/Subsistence/OperationalRations/cids/

Use of the Julian Date for the lot number and a time stamp (hour and minute of filling/sealing) is preferred. For example (1296 12:15), 1296 = October 23, 2021 and 12:15 representing the time of filling/sealing. When not required by specification, the contractor’s lot identification may be of their own coding, i.e. a closed code, but the contractor shall provide the coding information for the primary containers and the contract data markings upon delivery. Package codes (to include tim per case lot number shall be identified on the appropriate accompanying DD Form 250 upon delivery.

Additionally, the contractor shall ensure that traceability records include identifying ALL ingredients and ALL sources for those ingredients. This shall be accomplished for the each item, brand and component that is shipped to the Defense Depot (Assembler) for the Unitized Group Ration Programs.

This information shall be made available within 24 hours.

V. PRODUCT SANITARILY APPROVED SOURCE REQUIREMENTS

As required by 48 CFR 246.471 Authorizing Shipment of Supplies, AR 40-657, Veterinary/Medical Food Safety, Quality Assurance and Laboratory Service, DLAR 4155.3, Inspections of Subsistence Supplies and Services, DLAD 52.246-9044, "SANITARY CONDITIONS (APR 2014), and as clarified by the Armed Forces Food Risk Evaluation Committee, 31 JAN 1996, all Operational Ration Food Components will originate from sanitarily approved establishments. Acceptable sanitary approval is constituted by listing in the "Directory of Sanitarily Approved Food Establishments for Armed Forces Procurement," published by the U.S. Army Institute of Public Health (USAIPH), or an establishment inspected and approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) or the U.S. Department of Commerce (USDC) and possessing a USDA/USDC establishment number. This requirement applies to all GFM and CFM Operational Ration Food Components and to all Operational Ration types. Requests for inspection and "Directory" listing by USAIPH will be routed through DLA Troop Support-FTSC for coordination and action. Situations involving sole sources of supply, proprietary supply sources, and commercial Brand Name items will be evaluated directly by the Chief, DLA Troop Support-FTSC, in coordination with the Chief, Approved Sources Division, USAIPH.

SANITARY CONDITIONS

(a) Food establishments.

(1) All establishments and distributors furnishing subsistence items under DLA Troop Support contracts are subject to sanitation approval and surveillance as deemed appropriate by the Military Medical Service or by other Federal agencies recognized by the Military Medical Service. The Government does not intend to make any award for, nor accept, any subsistence products manufactured, processed, or stored in a facility which fails to maintain acceptable levels of food safety and food defense, is operating under such unsanitary conditions as may lead to product contamination or adulteration constituting a health hazard, or which has not been listed in an appropriate Government directory as a sanitarily approved establishment when required. Accordingly, the supplier agrees that, except as indicated in paragraphs (2) and (3) below, products furnished as a result of this contract will originate only in establishments listed in the U.S. Army Institute of Public Health (USAIPH) Circular 40-1, Worldwide Directory of Sanitarily Approved Food Establishments for Armed Forces Procurement, (Worldwide Directory) (available at:

http://phc.amedd.army.mil/topics/foodwater/ca/Pages/DoDApprovedFoodSources.aspx). Compliance with the current edition of DoD Military Standard 3006A, Sanitation Requirements for Food Establishments, is mandatory for listing of establishments in the Worldwide Directory. Suppliers also agree to inform the Contracting Officer immediately upon notification that a facility is no longer sanitarily approved and/or removed from the Worldwide Directory and/or other Federal agency’s listing, as indicated in paragraph (2) below. Suppliers also agree to inform the Contracting Officer when sanitary approval is regained and listing is reinstated.

(2) Establishments furnishing the products listed below and appearing in the publications indicated need not be listed in the worldwide directory. Additional guidance on specific listing requirements for products/plants included in or exempt from listing is provided in Appendix A of the worldwide directory.

(i) Meat and meat products and poultry and poultry products may be supplied from establishments which are currently listed in the “Meat, Poultry and Egg Inspection Directory,] published by the United States Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA, FSIS), at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/establishments/meat-poultry-and-egg-product-inspection-directory. The item, to be acceptable, shall, on delivery, bear on the product, its wrappers or shipping container, as applicable, the USDA shield and applicable establishment number. USDA listed establishments processing products not subject to the Federal Meat and Poultry Products Inspection Acts must be listed in the Worldwide Directory for those items.

(ii) Intrastate commerce of meat and meat products and poultry and poultry products for direct delivery to military installations within the same state (intrastate) may be supplied when the items are processed in establishments under state inspection programs certified by the USDA as being “at least equal to” the Federal Meat and Poultry Products Inspection Acts. The item, to be acceptable, shall, on delivery, bear on the product, its wrappers or shipping container, as applicable, the official inspection legend or label of the inspection agency and applicable establishment number.

(iii) Shell eggs may be supplied from establishments listed in the “List of Plants Operating under USDA Poultry and Egg Grading Programs” published by the USDA, Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) at http://www.ams.usda.gov/poultry/grading.htm.

(iv) Egg products (liquid, dehydrated, frozen) may be supplied from establishments listed in the “Meat, Poultry and Egg Product Inspection Directory” published by the USDA FSIS at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/establishments/meat-poultry-and-egg-product-inspection-directory. All products, to be acceptable, shall, on delivery, bear on the product, its wrappers or shipping container, as applicable, the official inspection legend or label of the inspection agency and applicable establishment number.

(v) Fish, fishery products, seafood, and seafood products may be supplied from establishments listed under “U.S. Establishments Approved For Sanitation And For Producing USDC Inspected Fishery Products” in the “USDC Participants List for Firms, Facilities, and Products”, published electronically by the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries (USDC, NOAA) (available at: seafood.nmfs.noaa.gov). All products, to be acceptable, shall, on delivery, bear on the product, its wrappers or shipping container, as applicable, the full name and address of the producing facility.

(vi) Pasteurized milk and milk products may be supplied from plants having a pasteurization plant compliance rating of 90 percent or higher, as certified by a state milk sanitation officer and listed in “Sanitation Compliance and Enforcement Ratings of Interstate Milk Shippers” (IMS), published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration (USDHHS, FDA) at http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FederalStateFoodPrograms/ucm2007965.htm. These plants may serve as sources of pasteurized milk and milk products as defined in Section I of the “Grade ‘A’ Pasteurized Milk Ordinance” (PMO) published by the USDHHS, FDA at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/establishments/meat-poultry-and-egg-product-inspection-directory https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/establishments/meat-poultry-and-egg-product-inspection-directory http://www.ams.usda.gov/POULTRY/Grading.htm https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/establishments/meat-poultry-and-egg-product-inspection-directory https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/establishments/meat-poultry-and-egg-product-inspection-directory https://www.fda.gov/food/guidance-documents-regulatory-information-topic-food-and-dietary-supplements/milk-guidance-documents-regulatory-information.

(vii) Manufactured or processed dairy products only from plants listed in Section I of the “Dairy Plants Surveyed and Approved for USDA Grading Service”, published electronically by Dairy Grading Branch, AMS, USDA (available at: https://apps.ams.usda.gov/dairy/ApprovedPlantList/) may serve as sources of manufactured or processed dairy products as listed by the specific USDA product/operation code. Plants producing products not specifically listed by USDA product/operation code must be Worldwide Directory listed (e.g., plant is coded to produce cubed cheddar but not shredded cheddar; or, plant is coded for cubed cheddar but not cubed mozzarella). Plants listed in Section II and denoted as “P” codes (packaging and processing) must be Worldwide Directory listed.

(viii) Oysters, clams and mussels from plants listed in the “Interstate Certified Shellfish Shippers Lists” (ICSSL), published by the USDHHS, FDA at http://www.fda.gov/food/guidanceregulation/federalstatefoodprograms/ucm2006753.htm.

(3) Establishments exempt from Worldwide Directory listing. Refer to AR 40-657/NAVSUPINST 4355.4H/MCO P1010.31H, Veterinary/Medical Food Safety, Quality Assurance, and Laboratory Service, for a list of establishment types that may be exempt from Worldwide Directory listing. (AR 40-657 is available from National Technical Information Service, 5301 Shawnee Road, Alexandria, VA 22312 ; 1- 888-584-8332 ; or download from web site: http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r40_657.pdf ) For the most current listing of exempt plants/products, see the Worldwide Directory (available at:

http://phc.amedd.army.mil/topics/foodwater/ca/Pages/DoDApprovedFoodSources.aspx).

(4) Subsistence items other than those exempt from listing in the Worldwide Directory, bearing labels reading “Distributed By”, “Manufactured For”, etc., are not acceptable unless the source of manufacturing/processing is indicated on the label or on accompanying shipment documentation.

(5) When the Military Medical Service or other Federal agency acceptable to the Military Medical Service determines the levels of food safety and food defense of the establishment or its products have or may lead to product contamination or adulteration, the Contracting Officer will suspend the work until such conditions are remedied to the satisfaction of the appropriate inspection agency. Suspension of the work shall not extend the life of the contract, nor shall it be considered sufficient cause for the Contractor to request an extension of any delivery date. In the event the Contractor fails to correct such objectionable conditions within the time specified by the Contracting Officer, the Government shall have the right to terminate the contract in accordance with the “Default” clause of the contract.

(b) Delivery conveyances.

The supplies delivered under this contract shall be transported in delivery conveyances maintained to prevent tampering with and /or adulteration or contamination of the supplies, and if applicable, equipped to maintain a prescribed temperature. The delivery conveyances shall be subject to inspection by the government at all reasonable times and places. When the sanitary conditions of the delivery conveyance have led, or may lead to product contamination, adulteration, constitute a health hazard, or the delivery conveyance is not equipped to maintain prescribed temperatures, or the transport results in product ‘unfit for intended purpose’, supplies tendered for acceptance may be rejected without further inspection.

https://www.fda.gov/food/guidance-documents-regulatory-information-topic-food-and-dietary-supplements/milk-guidance-documents-regulatory-information https://www.fda.gov/food/guidance-documents-regulatory-information-topic-food-and-dietary-supplements/milk-guidance-documents-regulatory-information

VI. MARKING OF SHIPPING CONTAINERS AND MARKING OF UNIT LOADS

All Shipping Containers and Unit Loads shall be clearly marked, in accordance with DLA Troop Support Form 3556 entitled “Marking Instructions for Boxes, Sacks, and Unit Loads of Perishable and Semi-perishable Subsistence, dated April 2014, with the following information on two adjacent sides of the load with the largest characters possible as follows:

Unitized Ration Component National Stock Number Item Name Date of Pack and Lot Number Number of Shipping Containers per Pallet Contract Number Contractor’s name and Address Inspection Test Date (ITD)

Note: For the Inspection Test Date, the expected shelf life is found in the applicable solicitation/contract.

To calculate the ITD, add the shelf life value to the month/year date of pack.

Example, if the Date of Pack is June 2007, and the shelf life is 36 months (3 years), then the ITD is computed as follows: 6/07 + 3 years = 6/10. If labels are used, they shall be permanently affixed with water-resistant adhesive tape.

Shipments without the appropriate Shipping Container and Unit Load Markings will be rejected and returned to origin, or at the Contracting Officers discretion, reworked at a labor rate determined by the destination activity (not DLA Troop Support).

VII. UNITIZATION

Unit loads shall have the shipping containers arranged on a 40 inch by 48 inch commercial wood or plywood four-way entry pallet, or on a 48 inch by 40 inch Grocery Manufacturers of America wood four-way entry pallet. The load shall be bonded with non-metallic strapping, shrink or stretch film, or others means that comply with carrier rules and regulations applicable to the mode of transportation (adhesive bonding is not acceptable).

Bonding material shall secure the load to the pallet to form a consolidated, stable cargo which can be handled as a unit. For example, when strapping is used to secure the load, the straps shall pass under the top deck boards of the pallet. When stretch or shrink film is used, it must be applied low enough on the pallet to secure the load to the pallet. The unit load height shall not exceed 50 inches.

Inspection of unit loads shall be in accordance with classification Type III, Class G of DLA Troop Support Form 3507 of April 2014 entitled “Loads, Unit: Preparation of Semi-perishable Subsistence Items.”

NOTE: The unit load dimensions are 40 inches in length by 48 inches in width and 50 inches in height These dimensions are exact and can be no larger than what is specified. No overhang is permitted.

REQUIREMENTS FOR TREATMENT OF WOOD PACKAGING MATERIAL (WPM)

WOOD PACKAGING MATERIAL (WPM) WILL BE USED TO MAKE SHIPMENTS UNDER THIS

CONTRACT AND/OR WHEN WPM IS BEING ACQUIRED UNDER THIS CONTRACT.

Wood packaging material (WPM) means wood pallets, skids, load boards, pallet collars, wooden boxes, reels, dunnage, crates, frame and cleats. The definition excludes materials that have undergone a manufacturing process, such as corrugated fiberboard, plywood, particleboard, veneer, and oriented strand board (OSD).

All Wood Packaging Material (WPM) used to make shipments under DoD contracts and/or acquired by DoD must meet requirements of International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) 15, "Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Materials in International Trade." DoD shipments inside and outside of the United States must meet ISPM 15 whenever WPM is used to ship DoD cargo.

All WPM shall comply with the official quality control program for heat treatment (HT) or kiln dried heat treatment (KD HT) in accordance with American Lumber Standard Committee, Incorporated (ALSC) Wood Packaging Material Program and WPM Enforcement Regulations (see http://www.alsc.org/).

All WPM shall include certification/quality markings in accordance with the ALSC standard. Markings shall be placed in an unobstructed area that will be readily visible to inspectors. Pallet markings shall be applied to the stringer or block on diagonally opposite sides of the pallet and be contrasting and clearly visible. All containers shall be marked on a side other than the top or bottom, contrasting and clearly visible. All dunnage used in configuring and/or securing the load shall also comply with ISPM 15 and be marked with an ASLC approved DUNNAGE stamp.

Failure to comply with the requirements of this restriction may result in refusal, destruction, or treatment of materials at the point of entry. The Agency reserves the right to recoup from the Contractor any remediation costs incurred by the Government.

VIII. QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS INSPECTION/ACCEPTANCE

The contractor must meet all characteristics specified herein. For product requiring contractor-paid USDA, only end-item inspection of the finished product for compliance with contract requirements shall be lot inspected by USDA, AMS, FV, PPB In addition, Government inspection shall also be at destination for identity, count and condition for all terms and conditions of the contract. This shall include but is not limited to the following:

1. All shipments must be accompanied by an accurate DD-250, and all other pertinent invoices as required.

2. All unit loads must be marked in accordance with DLA Troop Support Form 3556.

3. All unit loads shall be stable and not exceed 50 inches in height including pallet material.

4. All delivered product shall be free of defects.

5. All shipments must contain the correct quantity as specified by DLA Troop Support.

6. Appointments must be scheduled with the receiving activity prior to delivery.

7. All delivered product must meet or exceed the appropriate product requirements as described in this Solicitation.

8. All delivered products must meet the required date of pack/shelf life requirements.

9. To determine the date of pack, any closed date code must be accompanied with documentation deciphering the closed product code.

10. All delivered products must be free of insect and rodent infestation.

http://www.alsc.org/

Failure to comply with ANY of the above conditions may result in the shipment(s) being rejected and returned to origin, or at the Contracting Officer’s discretion reworked at a labor rate determined by the destination activity (not DLA Troop Support).

QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS:

By submitting an offer, the contractor certifies that the product offered meets: the specified finished product salient characteristics and all requirements of this contract; conforms to the producer’s own specifications and standards, including product characteristics, manufacturing procedures, quality control procedures, and storage and handling practices; has a national or regional distribution from storage facilities located within the United States, its territories, or possessions; and is sold on the commercial market.

The Government reserves the right to determine proof of such conformance prior to the first delivery from the point of origin and any time thereafter, as may be necessary, to include delivery at final destination, and for the time the product is covered under warranty, to determine conformance with the provisions of the contract.

End item lots determined nonconforming may be reworked to correct or screen out the defective units.

Rework shall only be considered acceptable to the Government when the rework procedure has a reasonable probability of correcting the deficiency.

An end item lot rejected by the contractor or Government must be reworked and re-offered within 30 days from the date of initial rejection.

The supplies or products furnished under the contract shall be produced in accordance with the provisions of 21 CFR, Part 110, “Current Good Manufacturing Practices in Manufacturing, Packing or Holding Human Food,” and all regulations referenced therein.

IX. DATE OF PACK

Acceptance will be limited to product processed and packed subsequent to date of award of delivery order. Additionally, all shipments of components/product from a producer to destination/assembly points shall not be older than 90 days at delivery.

X. REWORK OF NONCONFORMING PRODUCT PRE OR POST ACCEPTANCE

Rework of Nonconforming Product: The Government QAR must be informed and provided documentation of all rework results when product is presented for Government verification inspection or prior to Government inspection as indicated below.

A. Corrective Action (Rework/Screen Inspections) Taken Prior To Government Verification Inspection (Receipt, In-Process And End-Item Inspections): Unless otherwise specified below, all reworks and screening inspections conducted prior to the Government verification inspection do not require approval from the Government. Although the GQAR must be informed of all reworks, the contractor is not required to obtain approval to take corrective and preventive action as deemed necessary to ensure compliance with contractual requirements. For reworks requiring the Government's approval (as specified below), the contractor may submit a Standard Rework Procedure (SRP), for certain defects, under the contractor's documented QSP section XII - Corrective and Preventive Action Program. The SRPs must be specific and these must be evaluated by DLA Troop Support-FTR, and DLA Troop Support-FTSC, and approved by the applicable Contracting Officer.

NOTE: All requests for rework shall be accompanied with a COMPREHENSIVE rework plan. The rework plan will include rational information and data that supports the rework plan and ensures the elimination of nonconforming material from the lot. When a contractor determines as a result of his end item inspection(s) or QSP that supplies do not conform to contractual requirements and the supplies cannot be reworked (such as drained weight, viscosity, piece size, residual air, etc), he has the alternative to request the Contracting Officer for a waiver for the nonconforming requirement. If the Contracting Officer approves the waiver request for a specific requirement, the written waiver approval shall be provided to the GQAR when the supplies are presented for Government Verification Inspection (the skip-lot inspection does not apply in this case). The GQAR shall inspect the supplies for compliance with all requirements of the contract, except the waived requirement. The Contracting Officer, in special circumstances, may request the GQAR to inspect for the non-conforming characteristics also, after the waiver for the nonconforming requirement has been provisionally approved, to determine severity of nonconformance only. Due to the type of statistical sampling cited in the contract, under no circumstances shall a lot found nonconforming by the contractor be inspected by the GQAR to determine conformance to a requirement that has previously been established as nonconforming by the contractor’s inspection.

After any lot’s failure or rework, if the lot is reinspected, it will be both Contractor and Government inspected at the next higher sample size; however, the accept/reject numbers used for the normal inspection will be used.

B. The Following Reworks Must Be Coordinated With The Supervisory GQAR And Approved By The Applicable DLA Troop Support-FTR Office.

1. Insect or Rodent Infestation/Contamination: Reworks must be approved by DLA

Troop Support-FTSC.

2. Food Safety and Foreign Material: All corrective actions for product retained due to processed/unprocessed container mix-ups must be approved by FTR. Thermal process deviations or deviations from the preparation, formulation or critical factors cited in the approved process schedule must be accompanied by a detailed letter from the plant's Processing Authority. The involved subcode(s), the deviation, and the disposition of the product shall be clearly identified when the complete lot is presented for Government end item verification inspection. If the producer fails to provide enough information/data in the case of a deviation, the GQAR shall contact FTR for approval to proceed with the Government end item verification inspection. These requirements are in addition to applicable Code of Federal Regulations or other regulatory requirements (USDA-FSIS, FDA).

Foreign material identified during normal in-process control actions does not require a waiver request from DLA Troop Support FTR, but does require USDA notification of the incident. However, foreign material discovered during the Contractor or GQAR/USDA end item inspection is cause for rejection of the lot. Rework requests that involve foreign material identified during end item inspections require approval from DLA Troop Support FTR before the rework activity can proceed.

Note: A notification of nonconformance containing ineffective corrective actions, as identified by USDA, require DLA-TS attention and action

“Retesting/re-inspection/rework of product that tested positive for food borne pathogens (salmonella, e.

coli, etc.) is not authorized.”

Note: Deviations (that occur during or prior to the production of a product) from specific preparation/ formulation/ingredient requirements cited in the specifications shall be submitted as a request for product deviation and must be approved and coordinated with the Specification Preparing Activity (Natick) through the applicable Contracting Officer.

3. Container Integrity Defects: All reworks due to container integrity defects noted during the producer’s end item inspection (for critical container defects only) or Government final lot end item verification inspection, must be approved by FTR unless 100% primary container rework of the entire lot is conducted at source (Note: All second time reworks must be approved by the applicable FTR office). All containers exhibiting same or other container integrity defects must be removed during the 100% primary container rework and noted on the rework paperwork. Reworked lots will be inspected or re-inspected, as applicable, by the contractor at the location of the rework using the next larger sample size (for example, from 200 samples to 315, or if a second rework, from 315 samples to 500 samples).

Rework results must be included with other paperwork when the lot is presented for Government end item verification inspection.

4. Second Time Reworks: All second time reworks must be approved by the applicable FTR office.

5. Nonconformances Noted During The Government End Item Verification Inspection:

All rework requests submitted for defects noted during Government end item verification inspections must be approved by the applicable Contracting Officer, unless exempted under paragraph 3 above.

C. Contractor's Quality History:

1. Effectiveness of corrective actions (rework/screen inspections) taken by the contractor prior to Government end item verification inspection (receipt, in-process and contractor's end-item inspections) will be determined by the results of the end item verification inspection performed by the GQAR. Corrective actions taken to ensure compliance with the contractual requirements prior to the Government end item verification inspection will not be counted against the contractor's quality history. If product is found conforming during the Government end item verification inspection, the corrective action will be determined to have been effective. However, all requests for waivers and product deviations will be counted.

2. If product is found nonconforming during the Government end item verification inspection following contractor corrective action for the same defect (or defect category in case of critical container defects) for which the contractor took a corrective action, the corrective action will be determined to have been ineffective. In addition to any action taken, the contractor must reevaluate their documented QSP and/or the implemented corrective and preventive action program by an internal audit and results must be submitted to DLA Troop Support-FTSB (Quality Systems Auditors). All corrective actions (rework/screening inspections, etc.) taken by the contractor due to a Government end item verification inspection rejection will be documented in the contractor's quality history records.

NOTE: If the contractor elects to rework nonconforming product, it must be reworked and reoffered within 30 days from date of initial rejection.

All requests for rework shall be accompanied with a comprehensive rework plan. The rework plan will include rational information and data that supports the rework plan and ensures the elimination of nonconforming material from the lot. See “Request for Rework, Request for Waiver, Request for Deviation, or Re-inspection of Nonconforming Supplies”.

D. Request for Rework, Request for…