Food Management Services - Questions and Answers No. 1

Shelby County
Tennessee
Lee Harris, Mayor
Questions and Answers No. 1
ISSUED: April 9, 2026
RFP # 26-002-76 Food Management Services
(Shelby County Sheriff Department)
TO ALL PROSPECTIVE BIDDERS:
The following questions were submitted by a potential bidder. Our answers
are listed below in red:
The below questions pertain to IX. PURPOSE / SCOPE OF WORK
Section 20, Page 21 of the RFP document.
* Please provide a breakdown of diets, and number of inmates on each
per day
o For example: diabetic - 3 inmates, cardiac - 5 inmates, etc.

* Is a Lacto-ovo vegetarian or vegan menu acceptable to provide for all
religious diets? No.
* Please provide the number of individuals receiving a religious diet per
day. 49 detainees, main Jail
* What are the current Ramadan & Passover meal accommodation
requirements currently in place? Jail facilities in Tennessee, under
T.C.A. 41-4-109 and TN Corrections Institute rules, must provide
adequate, wholesome food, which includes accommodating religious
diets like Ramadan. Inmates must formally request an altered
schedule, typically via the chaplain, to receive meals before sunrise
and after sunset. Facilities often provide vegetarian or halal-
alternative meal options.
* Key Ramadan Requirements & Accommodations in TN Jails:
* Meal Schedule Adjustments: Facilities are expected to provide
meals before dawn (Suhur) and after sunset (Iftar) to accommodate
fasting.
* Alternative Meals: While Tennessee courts have held that prisons
do not necessarily have to provide specific Halal-certified meat,
they must provide non-pork, vegetarian, or meat-free alternatives.
* Does the county wish to continue with this? Yes.
o Please provide the most recent Ramadan participant count.
200
o Please provide the most recent Passover participant count. 0
* Are there any specific menu or product requirements for the special
holiday meals listed (Easter Sunday, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving
Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day)? For Easter
Sunday/Christmas Day/New Year's Day/Etc: chicken, turkey with
dressing, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, corn, yams,
dinner rolls, pies (pumpkin, apple, for example); for Fourth of July:
BBQ chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, etc. These are all examples.
Vendors will be allowed to provide example menu details in their
proposals. Remember, no pork is allowed.
* Is soy acceptable for use in casserole/mixes dishes on the menu?
No.

Sincerely,
Signed Original on File
Carla Hayes, Buyer
Purchasing Department
Shelby County Government