FSC 8920 

METRIC 

A-A-20245B 

May 17, 2023 

SUPERSEDING

A-A-20245A 

January 10, 2003 

COMMERCIAL ITEM DESCRIPTION

GRANOLA BARS (WITH OR WITHOUT NUTS) AND NUT BARS

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

the use of this Commercial Item Description (CID).

1. SCOPE. This CID covers granola bars (with or without nuts) and nut bars (bars), packed in 

commercially acceptable containers, suitable for use by Federal, State, local governments, and 

other interested parties. Please note: This document does not guarantee purchase of this 

item by USDA.1

2. PURCHASER NOTES.

2.1 Purchasers must specify the following:

• Base type(s), coating(s), and agricultural practice(s) (Sec. 3). 

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

• Manufacturer’s/distributor’s certification (Sec. 10.3) or USDA certification (Sec. 10.4).

2.2 Purchasers may specify the following:

• Food Defense (Sec. 10.1) and Manufacturer’s Quality Assurance (Sec. 10.2). Purchaser may 

specify one of the following combinations: Sec. 10.1.1 with 10.2.1 or 10.1.2 with 10.2.2. 

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

3. CLASSIFICATION. The bars must conform to the following list which must be specified in 

the solicitation, contract, or purchase order.

1 USDA purchase specifications are available at: https://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food/product-specs.
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Base types, coatings, and agricultural practices.2

Base type I - Oats

Base type II - Nuts (peanuts and/or tree nuts) 

Base type III - Mixed (oats and nuts)

Base type IV - Other (as specified by the purchaser) 

Coating A - Uncoated

Coating B - Coated

Coating C - Drizzled

Agricultural practice a - Conventional 

Agricultural practice b - 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). 

5. PROCESSING GUIDELINES.

5.1 Processing. The bars must be processed in accordance with Current Good Manufacturing 

Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food (21 CFR 

Part 117). 

5.2 Food defense. The bars must be processed and transported in accordance with Mitigation 

Strategies to Protect Food Against Intentional Adulteration (21 CFR Part 121). This regulation 

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. 

2 Not all options are available from every manufacturer. Check with the manufacturer/distributor for availability. 
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5.3 Organic ingredients. When organic bars are specified in the solicitation, contract, or 

purchase order, the bars 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. 

5.4 Shelf life. The packaged bars must have a remaining shelf life of at least six to eight months 

when the product is stored in ambient conditions. 

6. SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS.

6.1 Labeling. All ingredients must be declared by their common or usual name in descending 

order of predominance by weight (21 CFR §101.4) unless exempted by 21 CFR §101.100. 

6.2 Ingredients. The bars should be prepared from ingredients such as, but not limited to oats, 

nuts and/or peanuts,

3 sweeteners (nutritive and non-nutritive). and natural and artificial flavors. 

The bars may also contain fruits, dried fruits, coconut, cocoa, chocolate, coffee powder, dried 

yogurt, caramel, maple syrup, honey, nut and/or peanut butters, nut flours, grain flours, dried 

milk powders, protein powders, leavening agents, thickening agents, sea salt, spices, flavorings, 

concentrates, and extracts, oils, antioxidants, and other ingredients as applicable to the flavor as 

specified by the purchaser.

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 Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

6.4 Finished product.

6.4.1 Flavor and aroma. The bars should represent the flavor as specified in the solicitation, 

contract, or purchase order. The bars will have no foreign odors or flavors, such as, but not 

limited to stale, burnt, musty, rancid, or moldy. 

6.4.2 Color. The bars must be typical color based on the ingredients representative of the flavor 

or the coating as specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order. 

3 Upon request, the manufacturer should provide proof of conformance to aflatoxin requirements (See Sec. 6.5). 
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6.4.3 Texture. The bars must be cohesive throughout. The finished product must not be 

crushed, broken, or disintegrate when handled from manufacturing through the normal 

transportation process to the ultimate user. 

6.5 Aflatoxin testing. When nuts are specified to be used in the bars, the manufacturer must 

provide a Certificate of Analysis from the supplier as verification of aflatoxin testing. The 

aflatoxin content must not be greater than 15 parts per billion (ppb) (7 CFR §996.11). 

6.6 Foreign material. All other ingredients must be clean, sound, wholesome, and free from 

foreign material, such as, but not limited to, extraneous matter, metal, plastic, rodent or insect 

infestation. 

7. ANALYTICAL REQUIREMENTS. 

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

purchase order, the following analytical requirements for the bars must conform to those in 

Table I: 

TABLE I. Analytical requirements

Test Requirement

Moisture content Must not exceed the limit specified by the 

purchaser in the solicitation, contract, or 

purchase order.

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

(Sec. 10.3) or USDA certification (Sec. 10.4). 

7.3 USDA verification procedures. When USDA certification (Sec. 10.4) 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 (7 CFR §52.38). 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 

Association of Official Analytical Collaboration (AOAC) International Official Methods of 
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Analysis (OMA) or as specified in Table II. Any result not conforming to the analytical 

requirements may be cause for rejection of the lot.

TABLE II. Analytical testing and reporting

Test Method Reported as

Moisture content AOAC 925.09 Nearest 0.1 percent

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

distributor must certify that the bars provided meet the salient characteristics of this CID, 

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

bars offered for sale in the commercial market. The purchaser reserves the right to require proof 

of conformance. 

9. REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS. The delivered bars 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 bars in the commercial marketplace. 

Delivered bars must comply with all applicable provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and 

Cosmetic (FD&C) 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 wheat, fish, milk, soy, tree nuts, eggs, peanuts, sesame, and Crustacean shellfish or 

those in effect on the date of the solicitation, contract, or purchase order. 

10. QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS. Purchaser must specify 10.3 or 10.4. 

Purchaser may specify one of the following combinations: 10.1.1 with 10.2.1 or 10.1.2 with 

10.2.2. 

10.1 Food defense. When required in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order, a Food 

Defense Systems Survey (FDSS) or audit must be conducted by USDA, Agricultural Marketing 

Service (AMS), Specialty Crops Program (SCP), Specialty Crops Inspection (SCI) Division. 

Food defense requirements include a documented and operational food defense plan that 

provides for the security of a plant’s production processes and includes the storage and 

transportation of pre-production raw materials and other ingredients and post-production finished 

product. The plan must address the following areas: (1) food security plan management; (2) 

outside and inside security of the production and storage facilities; (3) processing, including all 

raw material sources; (4) shipping and receiving; (5) storage; (6) water and ice supply; (7) mail 

handling; (8) personnel security; and (9) transportation, shipping, and receiving. 

10.1.1 FDSS. When required in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order, a FDSS must be 

conducted by USDA, AMS, SCP, SCI Division. The FDSS verifies that operators of food 
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establishments have implemented measures to minimize the risk of tampering or other criminal 

actions against the food under their control. An AMS FDSS verifies the participating company’s 

adherence to Mitigation Strategies to Protect Food Against Intentional Adulteration (21 CFR 

Part 121). 

10.1.2 Food defense section of the Plant Systems Audit (PSA). When required in the 

solicitation, contract, or purchase order, a food defense audit will be conducted as part of the 

PSA. The audit will be conducted by USDA, AMS, SCP, SCI Division auditors. This verifies 

that operators of food establishments have implemented measures to minimize the risk of 

tampering or other criminal actions against the food under their control. The food defense 

section of the PSA verifies the participating company’s adherence to Mitigation Strategies to 

Protect Food Against Intentional Adulteration (21 CFR Part 121). 

10.2 Manufacturer’s quality assurance. When required in the solicitation, contract, or 

purchase order, the product manufacturer will be required to provide evidence, by certificate that 

the manufacturing plant has undertaken one of the following quality assurance measures within 

12 months prior to providing a bid or no later than 10 business days from the date of the 

awarding of the contract. Failure to provide this documentation within the proper time frame 

may result in the contract being terminated for cause.

10.2.1 Plant survey. A plant survey conducted by USDA, AMS, SCP, SCI Division is required 

within 12 months prior to the date of the awarding of the contract. The plant survey audit 

verifies that, at the time of the survey, the manufacturer produces products in a clean, sanitary 

environment in accordance with Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and 

Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food (21 CFR Part 117). 

10.2.2 PSA. A PSA conducted by USDA, AMS, SCP, SCI Division is required within 12 

months prior to the date of the awarding of the contract. The PSA verifies the manufacturer’s 

capability to produce products in a clean, sanitary environment in accordance with Current Good 

Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food

(21 CFR Part 117) and verifies that the manufacturer has in place an internal quality assurance 

program that meets or exceeds USDA requirements. 

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

or purchase order, the manufacturer/distributor must certify that the bars 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 bars

meet analytical requirements specified in Sec. 7 of this CID.

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

product quality and acceptability or both be determined, the USDA, AMS, SCP, SCI Division 

inspectors, must be the certifying program. SCI Division inspectors must certify the quality and 

acceptability of the bars in accordance with SCI Division procedures, which include selecting 
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random samples of the bars, 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 SCI Division score sheets and/or certificates. In addition, 

when required in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order, SCI Division inspectors will 

examine the bars for conformance to the 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. 10.4 is specified in the solicitation, contract, 

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

of samples of bars 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, SCI Division inspection personnel must 

select samples and submit them to the USDA, AMS, Science &Technology 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. For USDA certification information contact: National Program 

Mission Support, SCI Division, SCP, AMS, USDA, via E-mail: 

SCIinspectionoperations@usda.gov.

13.1.2 USDA FDSS, plant survey, and PSA. For a USDA FDSS, plant survey, and PSA 

contact the Chief, Auditing Services Branch, SCI Division, SCP, AMS, USDA, Room 1566 

South Building, STOP 0247, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-

0247, telephone (202) 720-5021, fax (866) 230-9168, or via E-mail: SCAudits@usda.gov.

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

analytical testing, contact the Laboratory Approval and Testing Division, S&T, AMS, USDA, 

STOP 0272, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0272, telephone 

(202) 690-4089 or via E-mail: LATD@usda.gov. Samples for specified USDA analytical 

testing should be sent to the USDA, AMS, S&T laboratory for analysis at: USDA, AMS, S&T, 

National Science Laboratory, 801 Summit Crossing Place, Suite B, Gastonia, NC 28054.
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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: https://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: 

https://www.usp.org.

13.2.2 Sources of information for governmental documents are as follows:

Applicable provisions of the 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 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 at (866) 512-1800, (202) 512-1800. 

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

https://www.ecfr.gov/. 

Copies of U.S. standards and inspection instructions for fruits, vegetables, and other specialty 

products may be obtained from: USDA, AMS, SCP, SCI Division, 100 Riverside Parkway, 

Suite 101, Fredericksburg, VA 22406, telephone (650) 552-9073, fax (650) 552-9147, or via 

E-mail: FVSupplyDepot@usda.gov or on the Internet at: 

https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards and https://www.ams.usda.gov/gradesstandards/how-purchase-equipment-and-visual-aids.

Copies of this CID and the 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: https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/cids

and https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-42.
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CIVIL AGENCY COORDINATING ACTIVITY:

DOJ - BOP

HHS - FDA

USDA - SCP

VA - OSS

PREPARING ACTIVITY:

USDA - SCP

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