Religious Diet General Specs.pdf

This is a Religious Diet Specification Quote Sheet establishing general specifications for kosher meal procurement. All items must be certified by accepted Orthodox Kosher certification agencies from the United States or Canada, including OU, OK, KAI, OV, CRC, or Kosher Overseers of America, with certification letters dated no more than 11 months prior to quote submission. Kosher items must not contain alcohol, emulsifiers, mind-altering substances, enzymes, or chemicals.

Meals must be packaged in non-metallic trays suitable for microwave and conventional oven heating, sealed with clear plastic and wrapped in separate clear plastic enclosures. Each meal uses a three-compartment tray with one large and two smaller compartments. All meals must contain specified food products per individual product specifications with no substitutions allowed for meats, vegetables, starches, sauces, or preparation methods. Meals may be quoted as frozen or shelf-stable products with clearly identifiable pricing for each type. Each meal must display the certification symbol from the religious certification agency. Heating directions must be provided for various microwave wattages and oven methods. Mixed vegetables specifications include carrots, corn, peas, green beans, and lima beans with component limits of 40 percent maximum by weight for carrots, corn, and green peas. Peas and carrots must contain no more than 40 percent carrots or green peas by weight. Mashed potatoes must be made from commercially prepared potato flakes without peel or fresh potatoes using only water and spices, with no extenders allowed. Tomato sauce must be commercially prepared or made from crushed or pureed tomatoes and tomato paste with spices using only the minimum binder required to prevent separation.