Purchase of Produce - 10807.1-Jul-1975
Produce (fresh fruit and vegetables) is purchased for state institutions by the Office of Procurement, Department of General Services. Purchase orders will provide for inspection of the produce by the United States Department of Agriculture or the California Department of Agriculture if the vendor and/or the ordering institution are in an area served by either of these departments. Wherever practical, inspections will be made at the institution. If they cannot be made there, they will be made at the point of origin or the vendor's establishment. If they are made at other than the institution, an inspection certificate will accompany the shipment.
Even though a shipment is accompanied by a certificate, the receiving institution may judge the commodities to be unacceptable. In this case the institution is to contact the Office of Procurement, Department of General Services, which will arrange for a re- inspection. If upon re-inspection the inspector finds that the produce meets specifications, the institution must accept the produce and pay for the cost of re- inspection. If the inspector finds that the produce does not meet the specifications, it is to be replaced and the vendor is to pay the cost of re-inspection.
If neither the institution nor the vendor is in an area served by either of the departments, the institution, upon receiving substandard produce, will contact the Office of Procurement for instructions on how to proceed. The Office of Procurement prefers that the institutions not contact the vendors directly.