Whole Eggs

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced plans to purchase whole eggs for school lunch and other domestic food nutrition assistance programs. Offers will be invited from approved suppliers for whole eggs in one or more of the following forms: Thirty-pound containers (082030) - Frozen whole eggs (without color stabilizer) packed in a full opening type plastic container with snap-on type lid, 30 pounds (13.61 kg) net in each plastic container. A purchase unit will consist of 1,320 shipping containers totaling 39,600 pounds (17,962 kg). Five-pound cartons (082065) - Frozen homogenized whole eggs with a color stabilizer packaged 5 pounds (2.27 kg) net weight in a pitcher-pour type, polyethylene-coated paperboard carton, and packed six 5-pound (2.27 kg) cartons per fiberboard shipping container with 30 pounds (13.61 kg) net weight. A purchase unit will consist of 1,334 shipping containers totaling 40,020 pounds (18,153 kg). Bulk liquid whole eggs (083090) - Bulk liquid whole eggs (without color stabilizer) for further processing, packed and shipped in insulated tankers, 48,000 pounds (21,772 kg) net weight in each tanker. A purchase unit will total 48,000 pounds (21,772 kg). Invitations will be issued inviting offers due the first and third Monday of each month. 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. 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. Under the commercial labeling requirements, shipping containers must bear nutrition facts and ingredients statements. Under the microbiological requirements, the Standard Plate Count must not exceed 1,000 colony forming units (CFU) per gram. Additionally, the list of USDA-Approved laboratories for microbiological analysis of the commodity has been updated. Although most other provisions of the program are similar to the program operated last year, offerors are urged to carefully read all applicable terms and conditions of the Master Solicitation for Commodity Purchases dated April 2009; Qualification Requirements for Prospective Contractors dated April 2009; the Commodity Specification for Whole Eggs dated June 2010, and Invitation No. 001. 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, DC 20250. An electronic version of this Food Purchase Report can be obtained through the world wide web via the Commodity Procurement Home Page at: 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.