USDA Kosher Fruits and Vegetables Products Purchase Program

U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service Commodity Procurement Staff DATE: February 23, 2017 USDA KOSHER FRUITS AND VEGETABLES PRODUCTS PURCHASE PROGRAM ANNOUNCED: The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced plans to purchase the following kosher products: WBSCM MATERIAL CODE MATERIAL DESCRIPTION 110053 K APPLESAUCE CAN-6/10 110054 K PEACHES CLING CAN-6/10 110055 K PEARS SLICES CAN-6/10 110056 K PEACH FREESTONEDICED FRZ CUP-96/4.4 OZ 110058 K BEANS GREEN CAN-6/10 110059 K CORN WHOLE KERNEL(LIQ) CAN-6/10 110060 K PEAS CAN-6/10 110062 K PEAS GREEN FRZ CTN-30 LB 110063 K BEANS GREEN FRZ CTN-30 LB 110064 K CARROTS FRZ CTN-30 LB 110066 K BEANS GREAT NORTHERN DRY BAG-25 LB 110101 K TOMATO SAUCE CAN - 6/10 110102 K TOMATO PASTE CAN - 6/10 110360 K CARROTS CAN - 6/10 110483 K BEANS GARBANZO CAN - 6/10 A solicitation for fruit materials and a solicitation for vegetable materials listed above will be issued in the near future for Kosher materials for use in the National School Lunch Program. This purchase is intended to meet the needs of the NSLP for these materials for the 2017/2018 school year. Deliveries will be between August 16, 2017 and January 15, 2018. All delivery locations will be in the state of New York (exact delivery addresses will be identified in the solicitation). All offers must be submitted electronically through the Web-Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) website at http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=WBSCM. Offers submitted by any means other than WBSCM will be considered non-responsive. Offerors are urged to review all documents as they pertain to this program, including the AMS Master Solicitation for Commodity Procurements dated January 1, 2017; the applicable Commodity Specification(s) identified in the subsequent Solicitation(s); and the Qualification Requirements for Prospective Vendors dated April 2016. These documents are available on the AMS Commodity Procurement website at www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food. Offerors must comply with the applicable dietary (KOSHER) laws as established by the "613 COUNCIL OF KASHRUTH" in the production of these commodity products. Offerors must not bid on these purchase units unless they can be properly certified. Vendors receiving purchase order items identified as "KOSHER" must contact the Board of Jewish Education of Greater New York (BJENY) at telephone 646-472-5365 prior to manufacturing the commodity product to arrange for certification of compliance with the applicable dietary (kosher) laws. Offerors must read all terms of the applicable Solicitation(s) when it is issued. To receive electronic (e-mail) notification of the issuance of these solicitations, see the "Stay up to date on USDA food purchases" available on the AMS Commodity Procurement website. Inquiries may be made by telephoning the Contract Specialists for Kosher programs. For kosher fruit products, contact Kimberly Polk at kimberly.polk@ams.usda.gov; for kosher vegetable products, contact Carol Givens-Verser at carol.givens-verser@ams.usda.gov; or addressing the Contracting Officer, USDA/AMS Commodity Procurement Staff, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, STOP 0239, Washington, DC 20250-0256. An electronic version of this Purchase Announcement can be found at the Commodity Procurement Website: http://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food. The USDA prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users). Together We're Making a Difference: American Agriculture for the American People