17. This announcement constitutes a Sources Sought Synopsis. Responses to this publication are solicited to identify qualified sources. Qualified sources are those that have the interest and ability to provide FDA’s Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) with the services detailed below. This synopsis seeks to identify the interest from prospective contractors for the “use of packaging film oxygen permeability as a barrier against toxin formation by Clostridium botulinum in fresh fish packaged under Modified Atmospheres (MA)”. Contractors expressing an interest should submit a proposal. Prospective contractor’s should be experienced in (1) determining an O2 transmission rate for packaging films used in MA packaged fresh fish that will ensure fresh fish spoilage (and corresponding absolute consumer rejection) prior to toxin formation by C. botulinum and (2) examining the effect of other intrinsic and extrinsic properties of food and packaging materials that can influence the time to toxin formation by C. botulinum. NOTE: Full specifications will be provided with the solicitation. The solicitation will be available on or about 17 June 2003 on the FedBizOpps website at http://www.fedbizopps.gov. No questions will be accepted later than 10 calendar days after the solicitation issue date. Submit Offers to the FDA/OAGS/DCGM/Contract Operations Branch, Attn.: John D. Speer, HFA-530, 5630 Fishers Lane, Room 2129, Rockville, Maryland 20857-0001.

Bid Protests Not Available