FSC 8935/8940 

METRIC 

A-A-20329B 

March 31, 2022 

SUPERSEDING

A-A-20329A 

August 24, 2000 

COMMERCIAL ITEM DESCRIPTION

SOUP MIXES, DEHYDRATED

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

the use of this Commercial Item Description (CID).

1. SCOPE. This CID covers dehydrated soup mixes (soup mixes), 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: 

• Type(s), style(s), flavor(s), nutrient content claim(s), and agriculture practice(s) of the soup 

mixes required (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 soup mixes 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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Types, styles, flavors, nutrient content claims and agriculture.2

Type I - Instant 

Type II - Quick-cooking 

Type III - Slow-cooking

Style A - Non-animal based product (vegetarian or vegan)

 Flavor 1 - Garden vegetable

 Flavor 2 - Cream of vegetable

Flavor 3 - Spicy vegetable blend 

Flavor 4 - Minestrone 

Flavor 5 - Beans

Flavor 6 - Peas

Flavor 7 - Tomato

Flavor 8 - Lentils

Flavor 9 - Corn chowder 

 Flavor 10 - Onion 

Flavor 11 - Mushroom barley 

Flavor 12 - Sea vegetable

Flavor 13 - Other (as specified by the purchaser) 

Style B - Animal based product

Flavor 1 - Poultry 

Flavor 2 - Beef

Flavor 3 - Pork

Flavor 4 - Seafood other than sea vegetable

Flavor 5 - Two or more blended

Flavor 6 - Other (as specified by the purchaser) 

Nutrient content claim a - Reduced sodium

Nutrient content claim b - Low sodium

Nutrient content claim c - No salt added

Nutrient content claim d - Healthy

Agricultural practice (1) - Conventional 

Agricultural practice (2) - Organic 

2 Not all options are available from every manufacturer. Check with the manufacturer/distributor for availability. 
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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 soup mixes must be processed in accordance with Current Good 

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

(21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 117). When poultry is used in the soup mixes and

prepared according to the directions on the consumer packaging, containing 2% or more moist, 

cooked poultry, they must be processed in accordance with the provisions of the USDA, Food 

Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), Poultry Products Inspection Regulations (9 CFR 

Part 381) if applicable; and 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). 

5.2 Food defense. The Style A, seafood, beef, and pork soup mixes must be processed and 

transported in accordance with Mitigation Strategies to Protect Food Against Intentional 

Adulteration (21 CFR Part 121). The poultry soup mixes 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

 These documents identify 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. 

5.3 Organic ingredients. When organic soup mixes are specified in the solicitation, contract, 

or purchase order, the soup mixes 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. 

3 FSIS Food Defense Guidelines for the Transportation and Distribution of Meat, Poultry, and Processed Egg Products is available at: 

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/node/2032. 
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6. SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS.

6.1 Definitions.

6.1.1 Instant. Soup mixes are considered instant when they can be reconstituted in boiling 

water in approximately one minute.

6.1.2 Quick-cooking. Soup mixes are considered quick cooking when they can be prepared by 

cooking in boiling water for 5 minutes. 

6.1.3 Slow-cooking. Soup mixes are considered slow cooking when they can be fully 

reconstituted in boiling water within 40 minutes. 

6.1.4 Reduced sodium. The reduced sodium soup mixes must comply with all applicable 

Federal regulations including those contained in 9 CFR §381.461(b)(6) or 21 CFR 

§101.61(b)(6). (The reference food may not be Low Sodium.) 

6.1.5 Low sodium. The low sodium soup mixes must contain no more than 140 milligrams 

(mg) of sodium per reference amount customarily consumed (RACC)4 (9 CFR §381.461(b)(4) or 

21 CFR §101.61(b)(4)). 

6.1.6 No salt added. The no salt added soup mixes must contain no added salt and must meet 

the conditions of use and must declare “This is Not a Sodium Free Food” as required if the food 

is not “Sodium Free” in accordance with 9 CFR §381.461(c)(2) or 21 CFR §101.61(c)(2). 

6.1.7 Healthy. Food must be in accordance with 9 CFR §381.463, or 21 CFR §101.65(d)(2), 

and regulatory guidance in effect on the date of the solicitation, contract, or purchase order. 

6.2 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, or 9 

CFR Part 381 as applicable.

6.3 Ingredients.

6.3.1 Vegetables. The vegetables used in the preparation of the soup mixes must be prepared 

from the latest season's crop, and be properly mature, wholesome, clean vegetables. 

6.3.2 Animal-based products. The Style B, animal based soup mixes may contain, but not 

limited to, dehydrated beef, pork, poultry, or seafood appropriate for the specific flavor. The 

soup mixes containing poultry must meet the requirements of 9 CFR §381.167. Style A soup 

4 RACC for dry soup mixes is 245 grams (21 CFR 101.12(b)) Table 2 - Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed Per Eating Occasion: 

General Food Supply
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mixes must not contain any animal-based products. Style B soup mixes may or may not contain 

vegetable components.

6.3.3 Noodles. When present in the soup mixes, the noodles must contain eggs or egg yolks, 

enriched wheat flour, durum semolina flour and/or whole wheat flour (21 CFR §139.150). 

6.3.4 Macaroni. When present in the soup mixes, the macaroni must contain enriched wheat 

flour, durum semolina flour and/or whole wheat flour, and may be formed into various shapes 

such as but not limited to, elbows, shells, twists, or ribbons (21 CFR §139.110). 

6.3.5 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 soup mixes must have appropriate characteristic flavors and 

odors. There must be no foreign flavors and odors such as, but not limited to, burnt, scorched, 

stale, rancid, musty, or moldy. 

6.4.2 Color. The soup mixes must possess a color representative of the specific flavor. 

6.4.3 Texture. The texture of the soup mixes including discernible pieces or particles must be 

applicable to the type and style specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order. 

6.5 Defects and foreign material. The dehydrated vegetables used to produce the soup mixes 

that have Defect Action Levels must not exceed those tolerances specified in 21 CFR §117.110. 

All other ingredients must be clean, sound, wholesome, and free from foreign material, such as, 

but not limited to, extraneous plant material, dirt, plastic, insects, insect pieces or rodent or insect 

infestation.

7. ANALYTICAL REQUIREMENTS. 

7.1 Analytical and microbiological requirements. Unless otherwise specified in the 

solicitation, contract or purchase order, the following analytical and microbiological 

requirements for the soup mixes must conform to those in Table I: 
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TABLE I. Analytical and microbiological requirements

Test Requirement

Sodium - Reduced sodium Must have at least 25 percent less sodium per 

RACC5

Sodium - Low sodium Must have 140 mg or less sodium per RACC5 

Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) Must be negative 

Salmonella Must be negative 

Coliform Less than 10 Colony Forming Units (CFU) 

per gram (g) or MPN per g6

Mold Less than 10 CFU per g or MPN per g6 

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 

Analysis (OMA) or as specified in Table II. Any result not conforming to the analytical 

requirements may be cause for rejection of the lot.

5 See footnote 4 on page 4. 6 Findings indicate zero colonies (CFU) per plate or zero tubes producing gas for MPN.
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TABLE II. Analytical and microbiological testing and reporting

Test Method Reported as

Sodium AOAC 985.35, 984.27, 2011.14 Nearest 0.1 percent

L. monocytogenes AOAC 2003.12, 2004.02, 2016.08 or 

BAM Ch 107

Must be reported as positive 

or negative 

Salmonella AOAC 967.28, 996.08, 2013.09 or 

BAM Ch 57 

Must be reported as positive 

or negative 

Coliform AOAC 992.30, 966.24, 991.14, 

2000.15, or BAM Ch 47 

Nearest CFU or MPN per g

Mold AOAC 995.21, 997.02 Nearest CFU or MPN per g

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

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

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

soup mixes offered for sale in the commercial market. The purchaser reserves the right to 

require proof of conformance. 

9. REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS. The delivered soup mixes 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 soup mixes in the 

commercial marketplace. Delivered soup mixes 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, and Crustacean 

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

soup mixes are used for the Child Nutrition (CN) Programs, the soup mixes must comply with all 

applicable provisions of those programs. 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 10.3 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. 

7

 8th Edition, FDA Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) or the FDA BAM Online. https://www.fda.gov/food/laboratory-methodsfood/bacteriological-analytical-manual-bam
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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, 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 

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) and if applicable, FSIS Food Defense Guidelines for the Transportation and 

Distribution of Meat, Poultry, and Processed Egg Products.8

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) and if applicable, FSIS Food 

Defense Guidelines for the Transportation and Distribution of Meat, Poultry, and Processed Egg 

Products.8

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 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 

8 See footnote 3 on page 3.
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Controls for Human Food (21 CFR Part 117). For poultry soup mixes, the manufacturer must 

comply with the provisions of Conditions for Receiving Inspection (9 CFR §§304.3 and 381.22). 

10.2.2 PSA. A PSA conducted by USDA, AMS 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. For poultry soup mixes, the manufacturer must 

comply with the provisions of Conditions for Receiving Inspection (9 CFR §§304.3 and 381.22). 

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

or purchase order, the manufacturer/distributor must certify that the soup mixes 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 soup mixes 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, Livestock and Poultry 

(LP) Quality Assessment Division (QAD) or the SCP, SCI Division inspectors, must be the 

certifying program. AMS inspectors must certify the quality and acceptability of the soup mixes 

in accordance with AMS procedures, which include selecting random samples of the soup mixes, 

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 AMS score sheets and/or certificates. In addition, when required in the solicitation, 

contract, or purchase order, AMS inspectors will examine the soup mixes 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 soup mixes and compliance with requirements in the following areas:

• Processing guidelines (Sec. 5). 

• Salient characteristics (Sec. 6).
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• 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 and Technology Program 

(S&T) 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 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.

13.1.2 USDA certification. For USDA certification information contact: National Program 

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

SCIinspectionoperations@usda.gov.

13.1.3 USDA FDSS, plant survey, and PSA. For 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.

13.1.4 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.

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, 
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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 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 and Nutrition 

Service (FNS) Regulations are contained in 7 CFR Part 210, APPENDIX C to Part 210, the Food 

Safety and Inspection Service are contained in 9 CFR Parts 300 to 599, 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: 

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: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/node/2032. 

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: 

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

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

Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) on the Internet at: 

https://www.fda.gov/food/laboratory-methods-food/bacteriological-analytical-manual-bam.

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: http://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/cids

and https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2019-title7-vol2/pdf/CFR-2019-title7-vol2-

part42.pdf.
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CIVIL AGENCY COORDINATING ACTIVITY:

DOJ - BOP

HHS - FDA

USDA - SCP, FSIS

VA - OSS

PREPARING ACTIVITY:

USDA - SCP

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