Description
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has announced plans to purchase turkey and turkey products for school lunch and other domestic food nutrition assistance programs under long-term contracts. Offers will be invited from the trade for young turkey in one or more of the following forms: Deli-Style Turkey Breasts (233040) - Frozen fully cooked deli-style turkey breasts, produced from non-basted, young ready-to-cook chunked and formed turkey breast meat. Each deli-style turkey breast must be vacuum packaged in a shrinkable oxygen- and moisture-proof bag or casing, and packed with four 9 to 11 pound (4.08 to 4.99 kg) deli-style turkey breasts per fiberboard shipping container. A purchase unit will total 40,000 pounds (18,144 kg). Deli-Style Smoked Turkey Breasts (233140) - Frozen fully cooked deli-style smoked turkey breasts, produced from non-basted, young ready-to-cook chunked and formed turkey breast meat. Each deli-style smoked turkey breast must be vacuum packaged in a shrinkable oxygen- and moisture-proof bag or casing, and be packed with four 9 to 11 pound (4.08 to 4.99 kg) deli-style smoked turkey breasts per fiberboard shipping container. A purchase unit will total 40,000 pounds (18,144 kg). Consumer Pack (233260) - Consumer packaged, frozen young turkeys without necks and giblets, basting optional. Turkeys must weigh not less than 12 pounds (5.44 kg) and not more than 22 pounds (9.98 kg) per carcass weighed without necks and giblets. Turkeys must be packed with not more than four turkeys weighing up to 14 pounds (6.35 kg) per container or not more than two turkeys weighing over 14 pounds (6.35 kg) per container. The difference between individual carcass weights per container must be no more than 2 pounds (0.91 kg). The 2-pound (0.91 kg) increments must be: 12-14, 14-16, 16-18, 18-20, or 20-22 pounds. (Metric equivalency of increments: 5.44-6.35, 6.35-7.26, 7.26-8.16, 8.16-9.07, and 9.07-9.98 kg). A purchase unit will total 38,000 pounds (17,237 kg). Roasts (233648) - Frozen ready-to-cook turkey roasts must weigh not less than 8 pounds (3.63 kg) and not more than 12 pounds (5.44 kg). Roasts must be packaged in elasticized netting and moisture-proof casings or plastic-film bags and packed four roasts per fiberboard shipping container. A purchase unit will total 40,000 pounds (18,144 kg). Smoked Turkey Ham (234040) - Frozen fully cooked smoked turkey hams produced from nonbasted, young ready-to-cook turkey thigh meat. Four approximately 10-pound (4.54 kg) hams must be vacuum packaged in shrinkable oxygen- and moisture-proof bags or casings, and be packed four hams per fiberboard shipping container to a net weight of 40 pounds (18.14 kg). A purchase unit will total 40,000 pounds (18,144 kg). Ivitation No. 1, inviting offers due by 12 noon, Central Time, Monday, May 3, is being issued in the near future. Acceptances will be announced by midnight Friday, May 7. Deliveries are to be made July 1 through November 15. A separate announcement will be made for ongoing (twice monthly) turkey and turkey product purchases (to include bulk). Offeror must meet AMS Vendor Quialifications in order to submit a bid. All offers must be submitted electronically through the Domestic Electronic Bid Entry System (DEBES) website at https://pcsd.usda.gov:3077/mdbc1000.exe? Offers submitted by any means other than DEBES will be considered nonresponsive. There are some important changes to this year's program. Products purchased under this program shall not be subject to an economic price adjustment as was the case in last year's program. Contracts shall be awarded on a firm fixed-price basis; therefore the offer price shall reflect the final price of the delivered commodity. Under the food defense requirements, all non-conformances listed in the audit report must be addressed in writing to the Contracting Officer and Auditor within 14 calendar days of the audit. If the auditor receives an unacceptable corrective action response, the company will have an additional 7 days to respond to the non-conformance. Plans must have been audited on or after March 1, 2010. The specifications for commodity products have been revised to include the requirement that commercial shipping containers bear nutrition facts, and allergen and ingredients information. Offerors are urged to carefully read all applicable terms and conditions of the Agricultural Marketing Service Master Solicitation for Commodity Procurements, dated April 2009; the Qualification Requirements for Prospective Contractors dated April 2009; the Commodity Specification for Smoked Turkey Ham dated April 2010; the Commodity Specification for Turkey and Turkey Products dated April 2010; the Commodity Specification for Deli-Style Turkey Breasts and Deli-Style Smoked Turkey Breasts dated April 2010; and Invitation No. 1. Inquiries may be made by telephoning (202) 720-7693 or addressing the Contracting Officer; USDA/AMS/Poultry Programs, Commodity Procurement Branch STOP 0260; 1400 Independence Ave., SW; Washington, D.C. 20250. An electronic version of this Food Purchase Report can be obtained through the World Wide Web via the Commodity Procurement Home Page at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/PYProcurement. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.