Description
The Kansas City Commodity Office (KCCO), Farm Service Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture is a buyer of truck lots of food commodities for various domestic feeding programs. Additional information about the programs and/or submitting offers on commodities is available at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/daco/default.htm. All contractors interested in offering commodities shall comply with KCCO’s qualification requirements as required by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 9.202(f). The qualification requirements are available at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/daco/VendorQualifications/QualificationRequirements.pdf. The following commodities, which are classified under NAICS code 311513, are purchased by KCCO. Purchase for Domestic Feeding Programs For Dairy Products http://www.fsa.usda.gov/daco/CommRequirements.htm • Process Cheese (PCD): Except as otherwise required, the pasteurized process American cheese, including blended cheese, shall comply with the appropriate definition and standard of identity, and all regulations issued pursuant to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, relevant to cheese (21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 1-199, including Parts 133.169) as appropriate for the type of pasteurized process American cheese specified in the solicitation. The natural cheese and skim milk for processing shall have been manufactured in plants approved by the Dairy Grading Branch, Dairy Programs Division, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) from pasteurized, heat treated, or raw milk produced in the United States. The cheese shall not have been previously owned by CCC. The process cheese or blended cheese shall be made from commercial styles of cheddar cheese, cheddar cheese for manufacturing, colby cheese, colby cheese for manufacturing, granular (stirred curd) cheese, granular cheese for manufacturing, or any mixture of two or more of these cheeses. Blended cheese may use reduced fat cheddar cheese, skim milk, or skim milk cheese. The flavor of the cheese shall be free of all flavor defects except feed, acid, and bitter which are permitted to a slight degree. Skim milk cheese for manufacturing with an emulsifying agent may be used in the manufacturing of blended cheese as a nonstandardized product only. Cheese trimmings from the cutting of natural cheese at AMS-approved cheese packaging operations may be used in the blend provided that satisfactory arrangements are made at the contractor’s expense for unannounced AMS inspections to check and verify that: the kind of cheese and the cheese quality conforms to Section A.1; and the trimmings are clean and free of mold, soft spots, etc. When ready for grinding, the natural cheese or cheeses used to produce process cheese or blended cheese shall be properly cleaned; free from all impurities, mold, rind rot, thick dry rind, paraffin, soft spots, cheese pests, and any objectionable surface flavor or condition which may detract from the quality of the finished product. The cheese shall be pasteurized at a temperature of not less than 165 degrees Fahrenheit for a period of not less than 30 seconds. Except for cheeses used in the processing of ribbon-sliced, the weighted average age of all the natural cheeses in a blend shall be at least 20 days old or greater. “Rework” process cheese, which was generated at the same plant from production runs intended for sale to the Government, may be used in the blend of natural cheeses in limited amounts so as to not adversely affect the finished product. Process cheese and blended cheese shall not be manufactured more than 60 days prior to delivery. At the time of delivery to USDA, the cheese shall have a temperature of no higher than 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Its flavor shall be pleasing and characteristic of process cheese made from mild to medium-cured American cheese, and shall be free from undesirable flavors and odors. The body shall be smooth, medium firm, resilient, and free of pinholes, crystals or openings except those caused by trapped steam. Its texture shall be close and free from lumps graininess, or uncooked particles shall slice freely, show not more than slight brittleness or roughness, and the cheese shall not stick to the knife or break when cut into approximately 1/8 inch slices. Ribbon-sliced cheese shall contain 160 half-ounce slices. The slices shall be staggered stacked and shall easily separate from the stack. The process cheese shall have a uniform medium yellow color and an attractive sheen. No visible signs of mold shall be permitted. The cheese shall have been tested for meltability in accordance with AMS Methods of Laboratory Analysis, and shall be at Number 3 or higher. The cheese shall be packaged in 5 pound loaves, 5 pound ribbon-sliced loaves, or 2-pound loaves, as specified in the solicitation. Individual shipping containers shall be packed with 6/5 pound loaves, or 12/2 pound loaves, as specified in the solicitation. Individual shipping containers packed with 6/ 5 pound packs of cheese shall weigh not less than 29.85 pounds of net weight. Subdivided shipping containers packed with 12/2 pound packs shall weigh not less than 23.88 pounds net weight. Container and packaging requirements are the current in commercial shipping practices. The technical contact is Dairy Procurement and Inventory Branch at 816-926-6050. • Bulk Cheese (BCD): Except as otherwise required, the natural American cheese shall comply with the appropriate definition and standard of identity, and all regulations issued pursuant to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, relevant to cheese (21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 1-99, including Parts 133.113 for Cheddar cheese, Part 133.118 for Colby cheese, Part 133.144 for Granular cheese, and Part 133.146 for grated cheese), as appropriate for the type of natural American cheese specified in the solicitation (Barrel Cheese U.S. Extra Grade, Cheddar, Blocks/Prints U.S. Grade AA, Cheddar, Blocks/Prints U.S. Grade A, Shredded Cheddar, RDU FAT Shredded Cheddar, RDU FAT Block/Prints). The cheese delivered to the Government shall have been manufactured from pasteurized milk that was produced in the United States and not previously owned by the Government, and in plants that were inspected and approved by (AMS). Cheese used for cutting shall be clean, free from impurities, mold, rindrot, soft spots, salt spots, pests, and other similar defects. A mold inhibitor may be applied in accordance with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. All surfaces of the barrel cheese shall be reasonably smooth and closed to inhibit mold growth and penetration. However, if the surface is treated with an antimycotic and/or vacuum sealed, definite rough surface will be allowed. Each lot shall contain only one type and size container. Barrel cheese may contain a reasonable amount of whey on the surface of the cheese and the liner. Barrel cheese may not have visible mold at the time of grading. The cheese shall be packaged in approximately ten (10) pound prints/blocks, 40 pound blocks or other sizes stated in the offer and accepted by the Government. Shredded cheese shall be packaged in 6/5 pound pouches, and barrel cheese is packaged in a 500 pound drum. For random weight bloacks and cuts, contractor shall deliver the number of units specified by the Government. For barrel cheeses, the actual net weight delivered shall not vary more than 5% from the neight weight specified by the Government. Block cheese shall not weigh less than 40 pounds net weight but not more than 44 pounds net weight. Print cheese shall weigh not less than ten (10) pounds net weight but not more than 11 pounds net weight. Individual shipping containers of shredded cheese packed in 6/5 pound pouches shall weigh not less than 29.85 pounds. The primary and secondary packaging materials and shipping containers shall be of a type normally utilized in commercial channels. All closures and sealing methods shall be in accordance with good commercial practice. The technical contact is Dairy Procurement and Inventory Branch at 816-926-6050. • Mozzarella Cheese (MCD): Except as otherwise required, the natural Mozzarella cheese (low moisture part skim mozzarella and lite mozzarella) shall comply with the appropriate definition and standard of identity, and all regulations issued pursuant to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, relevant to cheese (21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 1-199, including Parts 133.155 through 133.158), as appropriate for the type of Mozzarella cheese specified in the solicitation. The mozzarella cheese delivered to the Government shall have been manufactured from pasteurized milk that was produced in the United States and not previously owned by the Government, and in plants that were inspected and approved by (AMS). The curd manufacturing shall be performed at the same plant as the mixing and molding. Mozzarella cheese shall be aged not less than 5 days and not more than 15 days at 38˚ to 42 degrees Fahrenheit (3.5 degrees to 5.5 degrees C), unless the mozzarella in manufactured and immediately shredded and frozen (i.e., IQF). All frozen cheese may not be more than 180 days old on the date of delivery based on the date of manufacture shown. All unfrozen cheese shall be delivered within 19 days of manufacture date. The mozzarella cheese shall have a mild pleasing flavor and may possess a slight acid and slight feed flavors, but not possess any undesirable flavors or odors. Vinegar flavor will not be acceptable. It shall have a natural white to light cream, uniform bright color, and an attractive sheen. The loaf style may possess waviness to a very slight degree and may have a slight variation in color due to salt penetration. The mozzarella cheese shall have no visible signs of mold. Shredded mozzarella shall be loose and free from clumps except those that readily break up with slight pressure; shall be free flowing and shall not be matted; and shall contain not more than 8.0 percent fines. The cheese shall be packaged as follows: 1) Frozen, LMPS and LITE shredded - 30 lb box; 2) Frozen, LMPS and LITE: 8/6-lb loaves; 3) Unfrozen, LMPS processor packs - totes (master bag) ie, 200/5-lb, 120/6-lb, 96/10-lb, 60/20 lb, 96/12-lb, 48/20-lb, 72/20-lb. The cheese packaged in totes shall not be individually-wrapped. Container and packaging requirements are those used in the current commercial shipping practice. For a complete listing of the commodity specifications for mozzarella cheese, please refer to the Commodity Requirements document MCD4. The technical contact is Dairy Procurement and Inventory Branch at 816-926-6050.