more than 43,000 items of medical materiel and 9 million people a day are fed. The
food item ranking first in terms of weight and volume is potatoes. The largest dollar
value subsistence items procured are Meals-Ready-to- Eat (MRE).
1-5.
OTHER DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY ACTIVITIES
Three of the four DLA defense depots have the responsibility for the receipt,
storage, and issue of semiperishable supplies. Perishable foods are normally stored
and distributed (at supply points) through a national network of commercially owned
refrigerated warehouses under contract to DPSC. The DLA service centers maintain
technical documentation. The DLA defense contract administration services are
responsible for the management of all DLA contracts.
1-6.
DEFENSE PERSONNEL SUPPORT CENTER CONTRACTING SYSTEM
a. General. All Department of Defense (DOD) subsistence (food items) are
procured (bought) under a contract of some kind. The contracts are formal, written
agreements between the ordering office and the contractor, who is the food processor
or vendor who sells the food items. The terms and provisions of a contract provide food
inspection personnel with information necessary to base an inspection. Many essential
documents are not physically part of the contract, but the terms of the referenced
documents must be met. For this reason, the veterinary food inspection specialist must
have access to these documents to perform his inspection.
b. Inspection Reporting. As a veterinary food inspection specialist, you will
inspect the subsistence bought by DPSC and will report your inspection findings to your
supervisor who will, in turn, contact the Contract Quality Assurance Function (CQAF) at
DPSC. The CQAF is the office that the veterinary food inspection specialist keeps in
frequent contact with.
c. Documents Used in Subsistence Supply. The veterinary food inspection
specialist must be familiar with the major documents used in the contracting system, to
include master solicitations (MS), bids, contracts, invoice/inspection reports, Technical
Data Sheets, and specifications.
(1) Solicitation. The DPSC writes a solicitation, sometimes called an
Invitation for Bid (IFB) requesting interested companies to bid to furnish food supply
services to the installation. This solicitation describes the food group, identifies the
specific kinds of meat, cheese, or poultry, and explains any special requirements such
as the delivery date, address, and any special marking information. The solicitation
may also make minor changes to the MS. This solicitation is sent to all food
processors, the concerned ordering officer, and the unit responsible for inspecting the
food when it is delivered. The solicitation is filed at the inspection unit and at the
ordering officer's office. A potential contractor interested in supplying the food items to
the military uses information in the solicitation and the referenced MS to determine a
bid.
MD0705
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