SOW Religiously Certified Meals (Halal).pdf
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- Solicitation number
- 15B31325Q00000021
About this file
This document is a Religious Certified Food Product Specification from the Federal Bureau of Prisons for the Talladega institution, covering the 1st Quarter delivery starting October 1, 2025. The specification details strict Halal certification requirements for meals, including comprehensive guidelines for food preparation, ingredient sourcing, and religious slaughtering procedures. Vendors must provide a Halal certification letter dated within 11 months of the quote and ensure meals meet specific criteria such as no pork products, no alcohol, and proper Islamic slaughtering methods.
The document outlines general meal specifications for 12 meal items, including packaging requirements (non-metallic, microwave-safe trays with three compartments), product composition standards, and preparation guidelines. Meal items can be quoted as frozen or shelf-stable, must be individually marked with a religious certification symbol, and include heating instructions. Specific requirements are provided for components like mixed vegetables (maximum 40% of any single vegetable type), mashed potatoes (prepared with commercial potato flakes or fresh potatoes), and tomato sauce (commercially prepared or crushed tomatoes with minimal binders).
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Federal Bureau of Prisons Religious Certified Food
Product Specification
Institution: ___Talladega_____. This is for the_ 1ST _ Quarter, delivery starting _October 1, 2025___.
Religious Certification Requirements for Meals Items offered on this bid must be certified Halal. Please read definitions below for requirement of each certification.
Certified Halal items will be certified by a Halal Certification Agency, to meet the following requirements:
Food must be certified halal:
o With no pork or pork by-products;
o No traces of alcohol, or additives containing alcohol, including sugar alcohols;
o No gelatin derived from haram sources;
o No animal shortening derived from haram sources;
o No other mind-altering substances derived from haram sources;
o No forbidden enzymes derived from haram sources;
o No emulsifiers that are derived from haram sources;
o That has no exposure to haram foods or ingredients through cross contact.
o Quality assurance mechanisms to ensure no cross contact with haram food or ingredients.
The animal from which the meat comes:
o Must be lawful to consume in Islamic Law.
o Cannot have died of cause other than proper slaughtering in accordance with Islam;
o The live animal must be slaughtered:
• By hand with an extremely sharp knife so that the animal suffers minimally;
• Intentionally slaughtered by a horizontal cut at the throat of the animal (below is laryngeal prominence), so that three of the four vessels are severed in one cut;
• By a practicing sane adult Muslim who is knowledgeable of the Islamic slaughtering procedures.
• The slaughterer must believe in all the essential matters of the Islamic faith.
• The slaughtered must recite Bismillah (In the Name of Allah) before the slaughter of each animal, and in a manner prescribed by Islamic law.
• The Halal slaughtered carcasses should be stamped and labeled as ‘Halal'.
Quoters will include a letter of certification from the religious certification agency dated no more than 11 months from the date of the quote provided.
General Meal Specifications - Items 1 through 12
1) The tray for all meals will be:
a) Made with non-metallic packaging that allows microwave and conventional oven heating and be heat sealed directly to the tray with clear plastic and wrapped with a separate sealed clear plastic wrapper which encloses the entire tray.
b) A three compartment tray with a large compartment of 21 fluid ounces and two compartments of 6 fluid ounces each.
2) All Meals will contain the food products per the individual product specification including the stated volume and/or weight of item as listed.
3) No substitutions may be made to the meats, vegetables, starches, sauces or preparation methods.
4) Meals (items 1 through 12) may be quoted as frozen and/or shelf stable products. Pricing must be identifiable as either frozen or shelf stable.
5) Each individual meal must be marked with the certification symbol from the religious certification agency.
6) Heating directions must be provided for various wattage microwaves or oven heating including recommended method.
7) Mixed Vegetables will contain carrots, corn, peas, green beans, and lima beans with:
a) Not more than 40 percent by weight carrots.
b) Not more than 40 percent by weight corn (sweet, golden or yellow, whole kernel com).
c) Not more than 40 percent by weight green peas.
8) Peas and Carrots will contain:
a) Not more than 40 percent by weight carrots.
b) Not more than 40 percent by weight green peas.
9) Mashed Potatoes will be made with commercially prepared potato flakes without peel, adding only water according to the manufacturers’ preparation instructions; or fresh potatoes prepared using only water and spices with only the amount of binder which will ensure the product does separate in processing. No extenders of any type are allowed.
10) Tomato Sauce will be commercially prepared or crushed and/or pureed tomatoes, tomato paste and spices using only the amount of binder required to ensure the product does not separate during processing.
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .