AMSC N/A FSC 8905

METRIC

A-A-20352C

April 21, 2020

SUPERSEDING

A-A-20352B

July 19, 2012

COMMERCIAL ITEM DESCRIPTION

CHICKEN CHUNKS, WHITE, COOKED, CANNED OR IN FLEXIBLE POUCHES

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has authorized

the use of this Commercial Item Description (CID).

1. SCOPE. This CID covers canned or flexibly pouched cooked white chicken chunks (chicken 

chunks), packed in commercially acceptable containers, suitable for use by Federal, State, local 

governments, other interested parties, and as a component of operational rations. Please note: 

This document does not guarantee purchase of this item by USDA.1

2. PURCHASER NOTES.

2.1 Purchasers must specify the following:

• Type(s), style(s), and agricultural practice(s) of chicken chunks required (Sec. 3).

• When analytical requirements are different than specified (Sec. 7.1).

• When compliance with analytical requirements must be verified (Sec. 7.2).

• Manufacturer’s/distributor’s certification (Sec. 10.1) or USDA certification (Sec. 10.2).

2.2 Purchasers may specify the following:

• Packaging requirements other than commercial (Sec. 11).

3. CLASSIFICATION. The chicken chunks must conform to the following list which must be 

specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order.

Types, styles, and agricultural practices.

2

Type I - Can - 142 grams (g) (5 ounces (oz))

Type II - Can - 283 g (10 oz) 

1 USDA purchase specifications are available at: https://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food/product-specs. 2 Not all options are available from every manufacturer. Check with the manufacturer/distributor for availability.
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Type III - Can - 354 g (12.5 oz)

Type IV - Pouch - 85 g (3 oz)

Type V - Pouch - 142 g (5 oz)

Type VI - Pouch - 198 g (7 oz)

Type VII - Other (as specified by the purchaser)

Style A - Regular

Style B - No salt added (21 CFR §101.61(c)(2))

Agricultural practice 1 - Conventional

Agricultural practice 2 - Organic

4. MANUFACTURER’S/DISTRIBUTOR’S NOTES. Manufacturer’s/distributor’s 

products must meet the requirements of the:

• Processing guidelines (Sec. 5).

• Salient characteristics (Sec. 6).

• Analytical requirements: as specified by the purchaser (Sec. 7).

• Manufacturer’s/distributor’s product assurance (Sec. 8).

• Regulatory requirements (Sec. 9).

• Quality assurance provisions: as specified by the purchaser (Sec. 10).

• Packaging requirements other than commercial: as specified by the purchaser (Sec.11).

5. PROCESSING GUIDELINES.

5.1 Processing. The chicken chunks must be processed in accordance with the applicable 

provisions of the USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), Poultry Products Inspection 

Regulations (9 CFR Part 381), be manufactured under Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures 

(SSOP) (9 CFR Part 416), and comply with the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point 

(HACCP) Systems requirements (9 CFR Part 417) and Thermally Processed, Commercially 

Sterile Products (9 CFR Part 431).

5.2 Food defense. The chicken chunks must be processed and transported in accordance with 

the FSIS Food Defense Guidelines for the Transportation and Distribution of Meat, Poultry, and 

Processed Egg Products.

3

 This document identifies the kinds of preventive measures food 

manufacturers, processors, or handlers may take to minimize the risk that food under their 

control will be subject to tampering or other malicious, criminal, or terrorist actions. The 

implementation of enhanced food defense preventive measures provides for the security of a 

plant’s production processes and includes the storage and transportation of pre-production raw 

materials, other ingredients, and post-production finished product.

3 http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/4f9d737a-1f3e-49ff-851b74884fa946bd/Transportation_Security_Guidelines.pdf?MOD=AJPERES.
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5.3 Organic ingredients. When organic chicken chunks are specified in the solicitation,

contract, or purchase order, the organic chicken chunks must be produced, handled, and labeled 

in accordance with the USDA organic regulations by an operation that is certified organic in 

accordance with the requirements of the National Organic Program (7 CFR Part 205). A 

Certificate of Organic Production or Handling must be provided to verify that the product was 

processed and handled in accordance with the USDA organic regulations.

6. SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS.

6.1 Labeling.

6.1.1 Ingredients. All ingredients must be declared by their common or usual name in 

descending order of predominance by weight (9 CFR §381.118 (a) and 9 CFR Subpart N). 

6.1.2 Nutritional labeling. When broth or water is drained before consumption, the nutrient 

content must be of the drained solids. When broth or water is consumed, the nutrient content 

must include the liquid and solids.

6.2 Raw ingredients. The chicken chunks must contain chicken breast meat and water. The 

chicken chunks may contain chicken rib meat, salt, modified food starch, rice starch, sodium 

phosphate, roasted chicken flavor (maltodextrin, natural flavoring, autolyzed yeast extract, salt, 

yeast extract), or chicken powder (ground chicken and natural flavoring). The chicken from 

which the breast and rib meat are derived must be fresh chilled broilers, fryers, or roasters that 

were slaughtered not more than 7 days prior to production of the chicken chunks or as specified 

in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order.

6.3. Additional processing ingredients. When used, all additional ingredients must meet the 

standards specified in the Food Chemicals Codex (FCC) or, in the absence of FCC specification 

at a minimum, meet the specifications for quality set by the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP)-National 

Formulary. The additional ingredients must be approved food additives (21 CFR Part 170) or 

meet Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) requirements (21 CFR Parts 182 and 184) for those 

uses by FDA.

6.4 Finished product.

6.4.1 Appearance and color. Immediately upon opening the container, the chicken chunks 

may appear pink in color which will fade to a typical cooked chicken color after exposure to 

room air (atmospheric oxygen) for 10-15 minutes. The broth must have a golden translucent 

appearance. The packaged product must be discernible chunks and must be practically free of 

skin, blood spots, bone or bone fragments, cartilage, coarse connective tissue, tendons or 

ligaments and glandular material.
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6.4.2 Odor and flavor. The odor and flavor of the chicken chunks must be typical of heat 

processed cooked chicken and may possess a slightly salty taste. There must be no foreign 

odors or flavors such as, but not limited to, burnt, scorched, rancid, sour, or warmed-over.

6.4.3 Texture. The chicken chunks must be tender and moist, but firm. The chicken chunks 

must not be dry, tough, or mushy.

6.4.4 Chunk size. Canned chicken chunks (Types I - III) must have at least 65 percent of the 

product remaining on 1.27 centimeters (cm) (1/2-inch (in)) sieve, and no more than 10 percent 

passing through a 0.63 cm (1/4 in) sieve. Pouched chicken chunks (Types IV - VI) must have at 

least 55 percent of the product remaining on a 1.59 cm (5/8 in) sieve, and no more than 5 percent 

passing through a 0.63 cm (1/4 in) sieve. Cumulative amount of product remaining on both 

sieves shall be at least 90 percent (canned) and 95 percent (pouched), respectively. The test 

results for chunk size must be reported to the nearest percent.

6.4.5 Drained weight requirements.

6.4.5.1 Pouched drained weight. The pouched drained weight must be as specified in the 

solicitation, contract, or purchase order.

6.4.5.2 Canned drained weight. The individual and average drained weights of Type I chicken 

chunks in a 142 g (5 oz) can must not be less than 85.0 g (3.0 oz) and 93.6 g (3.3 oz), 

respectively. The individual and average drained weights of Type II chicken chunks in a 283 g 

(10 oz) can must not be less than 141.7 g (5.0 oz) and 158.8 g (5.6 oz), respectively. The 

individual and average drained weights of Type III chicken chunks in a 354 g (12.5 oz) can must

not be less than 184.3 g (6.5 oz) and 212.6 g (7.5 oz), respectively.

6.4.5.3 Canned drained weight determination. The contents of the container must be poured 

into a flat-bottom container. A minimum of three times the container’s volume of water, that is 

not less than 60oC (140oF), must be added to the container to cover the contents. The contents 

and water must be gently agitated to liquefy rendered fat without undue breakup of the chicken 

chunks. The contents must then be poured into a U.S. Standard No. 8 sieve in a manner that will 

distribute the product over the sieve without breaking the chicken chunks. The sieve area must

be such that the distributed product does not completely cover all the openings of the sieve. The 

sieve must be tilted at such an angle to assure complete drainage of all liquid from the product. 

The product must be drained for 2 minutes before determining the drained weight. Determine 

the drained weight by subtracting the sieve tare weight from the gross weight. The test results 

for drained weight must be reported to the nearest 14.2 g (0.5 oz).

6.5 Foreign material. All ingredients must be clean, sound, wholesome, and free from foreign 

material, such as, but not limited to, metal, extraneous plant material, dirt, plastic, insects, insect 

pieces or rodent or insect infestation. 
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7. ANALYTICAL REQUIREMENTS.

7.1 Analytical requirements. Unless otherwise specified in the solicitation, contract or 

purchase order, the following analytical requirements for the chicken chunks must conform to 

those in Table I: 

TABLE I. Analytical requirements

Test Type Requirement

Salt4 Types I - III Canned Not more than 2.0 percent 

Salt4 Types IV - VI Pouched Not more than 1.2 percent 

Fat Types I - VI Not more than 3.0 percent 

Protein Types I - VI Not less than 18.0 percent 

7.2 Analytical verification. Purchaser must specify manufacturer’s/distributor’s certification 

(Sec. 10.1) or USDA certification (Sec. 10.2).

7.3 USDA verification procedures. When USDA certification (Sec. 10.2) is specified in the 

solicitation, contract, or purchase order, analytical testing must be performed as follows.

7.3.1 Product verification sampling. When USDA verification of analytical requirements is 

specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order, analytical testing must be performed on 

subsamples of packages randomly selected from the lot. The number of subsamples must be 

based on USDA inspection service sampling procedures and plans. The contents of each will be 

used to create a composite sample that will be used in the analytical testing.

7.3.2 Analytical testing and reporting. When specified in the solicitation, contract, or 

purchase order, the analyses must be made in accordance with the following methods from the 

AOAC International Official Methods of Analysis (OMA) or as specified in Table II. Any result 

not conforming to the analytical requirements may be cause for rejection of the lot.

4 Style A, Regular
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TABLE II. Analytical testing and reporting

Test Method Reported as

Salt 935.47 or 971.27 Nearest 0.1 percent

Fat 991.36, 2007.04, or 2008.06 Nearest 0.1 percent

Protein 984.13, 992.15, or 2007.04 Nearest 0.1 percent

8. MANUFACTURER’S/DISTRIBUTOR’S PRODUCT ASSURANCE. The manufacturer/ 

distributor must certify that the chicken chunks provided meet the salient characteristics of this 

CID, conform to their own specifications, standards, and quality assurance practices, and be the 

same chicken chunks offered for sale in the commercial market. The purchaser reserves the right 

to require proof of conformance.

9. REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS. The delivered chicken chunks must comply with all 

applicable Federal, State, and local mandatory requirements and regulations relating to the 

preparation, packaging, labeling, storage, distribution, and sale of the chicken chunks in the 

commercial marketplace. Delivered chicken chunks must comply with all applicable provisions 

of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, the 

Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act 

(FALCPA) and regulations promulgated thereunder. The allergen statement must be provided in 

a format which complies with FALCPA for any product which contains milk, eggs, fish, 

Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, soy or wheat or those in effect on the date of the 

solicitation, contract, or purchase order. When the chicken chunks are used for the National 

School Lunch Program, the chicken chunks must comply with all applicable provisions of the 

Child Nutrition (CN) Program. When a CN label is specified, the label must be approved in its 

final format by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS).

10. QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS. Purchaser must specify 10.1 or 10.2. 

10.1 Manufacturer’s/distributor’s certification. When required in the solicitation, contract, 

or purchase order, the manufacturer/distributor must certify that the chicken chunks delivered

meet or exceed the requirements of this CID. The manufacturer/distributor must certify via a 

Certificate of Conformance or other adequate documentation (as specified by the purchaser) that 

the chicken chunks meet the analytical requirements specified in Sec. 7 of this CID. 

10.2 USDA certification. When required in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order that 

product quality and acceptability or both be determined, the USDA, AMS, Livestock and Poultry 

Program (LP), Quality Assessment Division (QAD) or the Specialty Crops Program (SCP), 

Specialty Crops Inspection (SCI) Division must be the certifying agency. Division inspectors 
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must certify the quality and acceptability of the chicken chunks in accordance with Division 

procedures, which include selecting random samples of the chicken chunks, evaluating the 

samples for conformance with the salient characteristics and analytical requirements of this CID 

and other contractual requirements, and documenting the findings on official Division score 

sheets and/or certificates. In addition, when required in the solicitation, contract, or purchase 

order, Division inspectors will examine the chicken chunks for conformance to the U.S. 

Standards for Condition of Food Containers (7 CFR Part 42) in effect on the date of the 

solicitation.

11. PACKAGING. Preservation, packaging, packing, labeling, and case marking must be 

commercial unless otherwise specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order.

12. USDA INSPECTION NOTES. When Sec. 10.2 is specified in the solicitation, contract, 

or purchase order, USDA certification must include evaluation of the quality and condition 

of samples of chicken chunks and compliance with requirements in the following areas:

• Processing guidelines (Sec. 5).

• Salient characteristics (Sec. 6).

• Analytical requirements when specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order

(Sec. 7). When USDA analytical testing is specified, QAD or SCI Division inspection 

personnel must select samples and submit them to the USDA, AMS, Science and Technology 

Program (S&TP) laboratory for analysis.

• Packaging requirements (Sec. 11 or as specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase 

order).

13. REFERENCE NOTES.

13.1 USDA services.

13.1.1 USDA certification.

13.1.1.1 QAD certification. For QAD certification contact: Quality Assessment Division,

LP, AMS, USDA, Room 3932-S, STOP 0258, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, 

DC 20250-0201, telephone (202) 720-5705 or via E-mail: QAD.BusinessOps@usda.gov.

13.1.1.2 SCI certification. For SCI certification contact: Inspection Operations, SCI 

Division, SCP, AMS, USDA, Room 1536 South Building, STOP 0240, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0240, telephone (800) 811-2373, fax (202) 720-0393, 

or via E-mail: SClinspectionoperations@usda.gov.

13.1.1.3 Analytical testing and technical information. For USDA technical information on 

analytical testing, contact the Laboratory Approval and Testing Division, S&TP, AMS, 
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USDA, STOP 0272, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0272, 

telephone (202) 690-4089 or via E-mail: LATD@usda.gov.

13.2 Sources of documents.

13.2.1 Sources of information for nongovernmental documents are as follows:

Copies of the AOAC International OMA may be obtained from: AOAC International, 2275 

Research Boulevard, Suite 300, Rockville, MD 20850-3250, telephone (301) 924-7077. 

Internet address: http://www.aoac.org for nonmembers and http://www.eoma.aoac.org for 

members and AOAC OMA subscribers.

Copies of the Food Chemicals Codex and U.S. Pharmacopeia may be purchased from: United 

States Pharmacopeia Convention, 12601 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD 20877, 

telephone (800) 227-8772 or (301) 881-0666, Fax (301) 816-8148 or on the Internet at: 

http://www.usp.org.

13.2.2 Sources of information for governmental documents are as follows:

Applicable provisions of the U.S. Standards for Condition of Food Containers are contained in 7 

CFR Part 42, the National Organic Program are contained in 7 CFR Part 205, the Food Safety 

Inspection Service regulations are contained in 9 CFR Parts 300 to end, the Fair Packaging and 

Labeling Act are contained in 16 CFR Parts 500 to 503, and the Federal Food, Drug, and 

Cosmetic Act are contained in 21 CFR Parts 1 to 199. These documents may be purchased from: 

Superintendent of Documents, New Orders, P.O. Box 979050, St. Louis, MO 63197-9000. 

Credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover/NOVUS, and American Express) purchases may 

be made by calling the Superintendent of Documents on (866) 512-1800, (202) 512-1800. 

These documents may also be obtained free of charge on the Internet at: 

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collectionCfr.action?collectionCode=CFR.

Copies of the FSIS Food Defense Guidelines for the Transportation and Distribution of Meat, 

Poultry, and Processed Egg Products are available online from: USDA, FSIS on the Internet at: 

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/4f9d737a-1f3e-49ff-851b74884fa946bd/Transportation_Security_Guidelines.pdf?MOD=AJPERES.

Copies of this CID and the U. S. Standards for Condition of Food Containers (7 CFR Part 42) are 

available from: Director, SCI Division, SCP, AMS, USDA, Room 1536 South Building, 

STOP 0240, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0240, via E-mail: 

CIDS@usda.gov or on the Internet at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/cids

and https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2015-title7-vol2/pdf/CFR-2015-title7-vol2-

part42.pdf.
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Copies of this CID are also available online at: ASSIST Online (https://assist.dla.mil) or 

ASSIST Quick Search (https://quicksearch.dla.mil).

Beneficial comments, recommendations, additions, deletions, clarifications, etc., and any data 

which may improve this document should be sent to: DLA Troop Support, ATTN: FTSA, 

700 Robbins Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-5092 or via E-mail: dscpsubsweb@dla.mil.

MILITARY INTERESTS: CIVIL AGENCY COORDINATING ACTIVITY:

Custodians DOJ - BOP

HHS - FDA

Army - GL USDA - SCP

Navy - SA VA - OSS

Air Force - 35

DLA - SS PREPARING ACTIVITY:

Review Activities DLA - SS

(Project No. 8905-2020-001)

Army - MD, QM

Navy - MC

NOTE: The activities listed above were interested in this document as of the date of this 

document. Since organizations and responsibilities can change, you should verify the currency 

of the information above using the ASSIST Online database at https://assist.dla.mil.

Non-Discrimination Policy: In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations 

and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited 

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File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the 

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