FSC 8940 

A-A-20271B 

May 14, 2013 

SUPERSEDING 

A-A-20271A 

March 18, 2013 

COMMERCIAL ITEM DESCRIPTION 

CHICKEN CHOW MEIN, FROZEN

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

the use of this Commercial Item Description (CID). 

1. SCOPE. This CID covers frozen chicken chow mein, (chicken chow mein) packed in 

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

other interested parties. 

2. PURCHASER NOTES. Purchasers shall specify the following: 

 - Type(s) and style(s) of chicken chow mein desired (Sec. 3). 

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

 - When analytical requirements need to be verified (Sec. 7.2). 

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

3. CLASSIFICATION. The chicken chow mein shall conform to the following list which shall 

be specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order. 

Types and styles.1

Type I - Noodles

Type II - Rice

Type III - Other (as specified by the purchaser)

Style A - Regular

Style B - Lean (9 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 381.462(e))

Style C - Other2 (as specified by the purchaser)

 

1

 Not all options are available from every manufacturer. Check with the manufacturer/distributor for availability. 2

 May include products making nutrient content claims that shall meet the applicable provisions of the Specific Requirements for Nutrient 

Content Claims (21 CFR Sections 101.54 through 101.65) 

METRIC
A-A-20271B 

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

products shall 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 chow mein shall be processed in accordance with Current Good 

Manufacturing Practices (21 CFR Part 110). 

5.2 Food security. The chicken chow mein shall be processed and transported in accordance 

with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Guidance for Industry: Food Producers, 

Processors, and Transporters: Food Security Preventive Measures Guidance.3 This guidance 

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 security preventive 

measures provides for the security of a plant’s production processes and includes the st orage and 

transportation of pre-production raw materials, other ingredients, and postproduction finished 

product. 

5.3 Age requirement. Unless otherwise specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase 

order, the chicken chow mein shall be manufactured not more than 90 days prior to delivery. 

6. SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS. 

6.1 Ingredients. The chicken chow mein shall consist of chicken, vegetables, sauce and spices, 

safe and suitable sweeteners and thickeners, and shall contain either noodles or rice. All 

ingredients shall be declared by their common or usual name in descending order of 

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

6.1.1 Chicken. The chicken and chicken products shall conform to the applicable provisions of 

the Poultry Products Inspection Regulations (9 CFR Part 381) and shall meet the requirements 

for chow mein (9 CFR § 381.167). The chicken meat used in the finished product shall be 

boneless, cooked chicken meat. 

 

3

http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/GuidanceDocuments/FoodDefenseandEmergencyResponse/ucm083075.h

tm
A-A-20271B 

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6.1.2 Vegetables. The vegetables shall include celery, onions, carrots, and water chestnuts. The 

chicken chow mein may include other vegetables, such as, but not limited to, sweet bell peppers, 

spinach, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, peas, pea pods, bok choy, and cabbage. 

6.1.3 Sauce and spices. The sauce shall contain sweeteners, thickeners, and spices. Salt, 

turmeric and other spices may be used. 

6.1.4 Noodles. When noodles are specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order, the 

noodles in the chicken chow mein shall comply with the FDA Standard of Identity for Macaroni 

Products (21 CFR §139.110), or Enriched Macaroni Products (21 CFR § 139.115), or Whole 

Wheat Macaroni Products (21 CFR § 139.138), or Noodle Products (21 CFR § 139.150), or 

Enriched Noodle Products (21 CFR § 139.155). 

6.1.5 Rice. When rice is specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order, the rice in the 

chicken chow mein shall comply with the FDA Standard of Identity for Enriched Rice (21 CFR § 

137.350). 

6.1.6 Additional ingredients. The chicken chow mein may contain food ingredients permitted 

by the FDA for thickening, emulsifying, stabilizing, preserving, or enhancing flavor. Food 

additives or generally recognized as safe (GRAS) substances shall be of Food Chemicals Codex 

purity or US Pharmacopeia-National Formulary quality and meet the related FDA regulations on 

food additives or GRAS requirements. Any additional ingredients added directly to the meat or 

poultry components shall comply with the Food Ingredients and Sources of Radiation section of 

the Regulatory Requirements Under the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products 

Inspection Act (9 CFR § 424.21), or Safe and Suitable Ingredients Used in the Production of 

Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products (FSIS Directive 7120.14). 

6.1.7 Foreign material. All ingredients shall be clean, sound, wholesome, and free from 

foreign material such as plastic pieces, evidence of rodent or insect infestation, and metal 

contaminants, including, but not limited to, ferrous, non-ferrous, and stainless steel. 

6.2 Finished product. The finished chicken chow mein shall show no evidence of spoilage, 

thawing and refreezing, or excessive heating (materially scorched). 

6.2.1 Appearance. The overall appearance of the chicken chow mein shall not be dry or 

mushy. There shall be no foreign color to the product. 

6.2.2 Aroma and flavor. The chicken chow mein shall have an aroma and flavor characteristic 

of prepared chicken chow mein. There shall be no foreign odors or flavors such as, but not 

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

 

4 http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oppde/rdad/fsisdirectives/7120.1.pdf 
A-A-20271B 

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6.2.3 Texture and consistency. The texture of the chicken shall not be dry, rubbery, or mushy. 

The texture of the vegetables shall not be mushy, hard, fibrous, or tough. The sauce shall not be 

excessively thin, thick, or lumpy, and the rice or noodles shall not be undercooked (hard) or 

overcooked (mushy).

7. ANALYTICAL REQUIREMENTS. 

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

purchase order, the chicken chow mein shall comply with the following ranges and tolerances: 

Test Tolerance 

 Monosodium glutamate Less than 2.27g per 227 g (8 oz) (1 percent) of 

 (MSG) finished product 

 Fat Less than 4.0 g per 227 g (8 oz) of finished 

 product 

 Sodium Less than 823 mg per 227 g (8 oz) of finished 

 product

 Standard Plate Count Less than 50,000 CFU per g 

Escherichia coli Less than 3 per g using Most Probable Number 

 (E. coli) (MPN) or less than 10 Colony Forming Units 

 (CFU) per g 

E. coli O157:H7 Shall be negative 

Listeria monocytogenes Shall be negative 

(L. monocytogenes) 

Salmonella Shall be negative 

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

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

a composite sample. The composite sample shall be 1.134 kg (2.5 lb) per lot, prepared from a 

minimum of sixty representative subsamples or retail packages randomly selected from the lot. 

7.3 Analytical testing. When specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order, the 

analyses shall be made in accordance with the following methods from the AOAC International 

Official Methods of Analysis (OMA) or the Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) as 

specified below: 

Test Method 

 

MSG 970.37 

 Fat 985.15, 991.36, 2007.04, or 2008.06 

 Sodium 985.35 or 984.27

 Standard Plate Count 990.12 or BAM Ch 3 
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Test Method 

 

 E. coli 991.14, 998.08, 2011.17, or BAM Ch 4 

 E. coli O157:H7 2000.14, 2005.03, or BAM Ch 4A 

 L. monocytogenes 999.06, 2003.12, 2004.02, 2010.02, or BAM Ch 10 

 Salmonella 967.25, 967.27, 996.08, 2003.09, 2004.03, 2011.03, 

 2011.17, or BAM Ch 5 

7.4 Test results. Test results for MSG shall be reported to the nearest 0.1 percent. Test results 

for fat shall be reported to the nearest 0.1 g. Test results for sodium shall be reported to the 

nearest mg. The test results for standard plate count shall be reported to the nearest 100 CFU per 

g. The test results for E. coli shall be reported to the nearest MPN or CFU. The test results for 

E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenes, and Salmonella shall be reported as positive or negative. 

Any result not conforming to the analytical requirements shall be cause for rejection of the lot. 

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

distributor shall certify that the chicken chow mein provided shall meet the salient characteristics 

of this CID, conform to their own specifications, standards, and quality assurance practices, and 

be the same chicken chow mein offered for sale in the commercial market. The purchaser 

reserves the right to require proof of conformance. 

9. REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS. The delivered chicken chow mein shall comply with 

all applicable Federal and State mandatory requirements and regulations relating to the 

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

commercial marketplace. Delivered chicken chow mein shall comply with all applicable 

provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, 

and regulations promulgated thereunder. When a known allergen is included in the chicken 

chow mein, the chicken chow mein shall comply with the allergen labeling requirements of the 

Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. When the chicken chow mein is used for the National 

School Lunch Program, the chicken chow mein shall comply with all applicable provisions of 

the Child Nutrition (CN) Programs. 

10. QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS. Purchaser shall 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 shall certify that the finished chicken chow mein 

distributed meets or exceeds the requirements of this CID. 

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

product quality, acceptability or both be determined, the Specialty Crops Inspection Division 

(SCI), Fruit and Vegetable Program (FV), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), USDA, shall 

be the certifying agency. SCI inspectors shall certify the quality and acceptability of the chicken 

chow mein in accordance with SCI procedures, which include: selecting random samples of the 
A-A-20271B 

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chicken chow mein, evaluating the samples for conformance with the salient characteristics of 

this CID and other contractual requirements, and documenting the findings on official SCI score 

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

SCI will examine the chicken chow mein for conformance to the U.S. Standards for Condition of 

Food Containers (7 CFR Part 42) in effect on the date of the solicitation, contract, or purchase 

order. 

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

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

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

contract, or purchase order, USDA certification shall include evaluation of the quality and 

condition of samples of chicken chow mein 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 inspection personnel shall select 

samples and submit them to the USDA, Science and Technology Programs (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 certification. For a USDA certification, contact the Chief, Inspection Branch, 

SCI, FV, AMS, USDA, STOP 0240, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 

20250-0240, telephone (202) 720-2482, fax (202) 720-0393, or via E-mail: 

Nathaniel.Taylor@ams.usda.gov. 

13.2 Analytical testing and technical information contact. For USDA technical information 

on analytical testing, contact the Science & Technology Program (S&TP), AMS, USDA, 

STOP 0272, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0272, telephone (202) 

720-5231 or via E-mail: Alan.Post@ams.usda.gov or Ruihong.Guo@ams.usda.gov. 

13.3 Sources of documents.

13.3.1 Sources of information for nongovernmental documents are as follows:

Copies of the AOAC International OMA may be obtained from: AOAC International, 481 

North Frederick Avenue, Suite 500, Gaithersburg, MD 20877-2417, telephone (301) 924- 

 
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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. 

13.3.2 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 Poultry Products Inspection Regulations are contained in 9 CFR Part 381, 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 Guidance for Industry - Food Producers, Processors, and Transporters: Food Security 

Preventive Measures Guidance is available online from: FDA, Center for Food Safety and 

Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) on the Internet at: 

http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/GuidanceDocument

s/FoodDefenseandEmergencyResponse/ucm083075.htm.

Copies of FSIS Directive 7120.1, Safe and Suitable Ingredients Used in the Production of Meat, 

Poultry, and Egg Products, are available online from USDA, FSIS, at: 

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oppde/rdad/fsisdirectives/7120.1.pdf. 

Copies of the FDA Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) are available online from FDA at: 

http://www.fda.gov/Food/ScienceResearch/LaboratoryMethods/BacteriologicalAnalyticalM

anualBAM/default.htm. 

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

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

which may improve this CID are available from or provided to: Chief, Standardization 

Branch, SCI, FV, AMS, USDA, STOP 240, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, 

DC 20250-0240, telephone (202) 720-5021, Fax (202) 690-1527, via E-mail: 

CIDS@ams.usda.gov, or on the Internet at: 

www.ams.usda.gov/CommercialItemDescription.
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CIVIL AGENCY COORDINATING ACTIVITIES:

 DOJ - BOP 

 HHS - NIH, FDA 

 USDA - FV 

 VA - OSS 

PREPARING ACTIVITY:

 USDA - FV 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the 

bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, 

familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected 

genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to 

all programs and/or employment activities.) 

If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, found 

online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also 

write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 

690-7442 or email at program.intake@usda.gov.