FSC 8940

A-A-20351A

December 7, 2012

SUPERSEDING

A-A-20351

September 20, 2006

COMMERCIAL ITEM DESCRIPTION

NATURAL BUTTER FLAVOR GRANULES, SPRAY-DRIED

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

the use of this Commercial Item Description (CID).

1. SCOPE. This CID covers spray-dried natural butter flavor granules (butter flavor granules), 

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

governments, and other interested parties; and as a component of operational rations.

2. PURCHASER NOTES.

2.1 Purchasers shall specify the following:

- Type(s), style(s), and package(s) of butter flavor granules 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. 10.3) or USDA certification (Sec. 10.4).

2.2 Purchasers may specify the following:

- When the butter flavor granules are to be graded or inspected by the Dairy Grading Branch 

(DGB), Dairy Programs (DP), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), USDA (Sec. 10).

- Food defense section 10.1: Food defense system survey (FDSS) (Sec. 10.1).

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

3. CLASSIFICATION. The butter flavor granules shall conform to the following list which 

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

METRIC
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Types, styles, and packages.

Type I - Regular

Type II - Light in sodium (in accordance with 21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §

101.56(c) (2))

Style A - Granules/sprinkles

Style B - Mix (with water and use like melted butter)

Package 1 - 2 g (0.07 oz) packet 

Package 2 - 113.4 g (4 oz) packet

Package 3 - 156 g (5.5 oz) container

Package 4 - Other (as specified by the purchaser)

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 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 butter flavor granules shall be processed in accordance with Current Good 

Manufacturing Practices (21 CFR Part 110).

5.2 Food security. The butter flavor granules should 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.1 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 

 

1

http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/GuidanceDocuments/FoodDefenseandEmergencyResponse/ucm083075.htm
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storage 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 butter flavor granules shall be processed and packaged not more than 90 days prior to 

delivery to the purchaser. Age requirements for Department of Defense (DoD) procurements 

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

6. SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS.

6.1 Ingredients. The butter flavor granules shall contain dried butter, natural butter flavoring, 

maltodextrin (natural carbohydrate derived from corn), and salt. The butter flavor granules may 

contain buttermilk solids, whey, other natural flavorings, cornstarch, partially hydrogenated 

soybean oil, shortening, paprika, annatto, turmeric, sugar, guar gum, and sodium bicarbonate. 

All ingredients, including food grade bulking and anticaking agents, used in the preparation of 

the butter flavor granules shall be of Food Chemicals Codex purity or U.S. PharmacopeiaNational Formulary quality, and meet the related FDA regulations on food additives or generally 

recognized as safe (GRAS) requirements.

6.1.1 Dairy ingredients. Dairy ingredients used in the manufacture of butter flavor granules

shall originate from a plant that has been approved by the DGB, DP, AMS, USDA.

6.1.2 Manufacturing plants. The manufacturing plants shall be eligible for Section I listing in 

the most recent version of the publication Dairy Plants Surveyed and Approved for USDA 

Grading Service.

6.2 Finished product.

6.2.1 Appearance. The butter flavor granules shall be a free flowing, uniform, granular powder, 

and shall be free from lumps.

6.2.2 Color. The butter flavor granules shall have an off white/light yellow to medium yellow 

color.

6.2.3 Odor and flavor. The butter flavor granules shall have a mild butter odor and flavor. The 

butter flavor granules shall be free from foreign odors or objectionable flavors, such as, but not 

limited to, rancid, sour, stale, malty, soapy, tallowy, bitter, or scorched.

6.2.4 Texture. The butter flavor granules shall have a fine granule shape that readily dissolves 

in the mouth or on hot, moist food.
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6.3 Reconstituted product. After reconstitution in accordance with the manufacturer’s 

directions; the product shall meet the following.

6.3.1 Dispersability. The reconstituted butter flavor granules shall readily dissolve and show no 

evidence of curdling, feathering, or undissolved floating particles.

6.3.2 Odor. The reconstituted butter flavor granules shall have an odor of melted butter.

6.3.3 Flavor. The reconstituted butter flavor granules shall have the flavor of melted butter.

6.3.4 Color. The reconstituted butter flavor granules shall have a translucent light to pale 

yellow color.

6.4 Foreign material. The butter flavor granules shall be clean, sound, wholesome, and free 

from evidence of rodent or insect infestation. The product shall be free from foreign material 

such as, but not limited to dirt, insect parts, hair, wood, glass, or metal.

7. ANALYTICAL REQUIREMENTS.

7.1 Analytical and microbiological requirements. Unless otherwise specified in the 

solicitation, contract, or purchase order, the analytical and microbiological requirements for the 

butter flavor granules shall be as follows.

Moisture Not more than 6.0 percent

Water activity (aw) Shall not exceed 0.62

Sodium, Type I Not more than 180 mg2

Sodium, Type II Not more than 45 mg2

Aerobic plate count (APC) Not more than 50,000 Colony Forming Unit (CFU)

per gram

Yeast and mold Not more than 100 CFU per gram

Coliform Less than 10 CFU per gram or less than 3 Most 

Probable Number (MPN) per gram using the 

CFU/MPN technique3

Salmonella Negative

Listeria monocytogenes Negative

Enterobactericeae Negative

Staphylococcus aureus Not more than 10 CFU per gram3

 (coagulase positive)

 

2

Sodium is per a 2 g serving of butter flavored product.

3

Finding indicates zero colonies (CFU) per plate or zero tubes producing gas for MPN.
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E. coli Less than 3 MPN per gram using the MPN

technique3

7.2 Product verification. When USDA verification of analytical requirements is specified in 

the solicitation, contract, or purchase order, the following procedures shall be followed.

7.2.1 Sampling procedures. For analytical testing, USDA inspection service will select the 

number of product containers based on USDA inspection service sampling procedures and plans.

For microbiological testing, except Salmonella collect ten 227 g (8 oz) subsamples (or packages) 

at random. Do not break or cut larger packages to obtain a 227 g (8 oz) sample. Collect the 

intact retail unit as the subsample even if it is larger than 227 g (8 oz). For Salmonella, collect 60 

packages at random.

7.2.2 Composite sample. Analytical testing shall be performed on a composite sample. The 

composite sample shall be 600 g (21.2 oz) prepared from subsamples drawn from randomly 

selected containers. The number of subsamples used to create the composite sample shall be 

based on USDA procedures. For microbiological testing, except Salmonella, each sample should 

be tested as required, For Salmonella testing, six composite samples each consisting of 10 

packages should be prepared and tested.

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

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

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

methods:

Test Method

Moisture 927.05 or 985.14

aw 978.18

Sodium 969.23, 984.27, 985.35, or 2011.14

APC 966.24, 990.12, or 2008.10

Yeast and mold 995.21, 997.02, or 2002.11

Coliform 989.10, 991.14, 996.02, 2000.15, 2005.03, or 

2008.10

Salmonella 986.35, 996.08, 994.04, 967.26, 2003.09, or 

2011.03

Listeria monocytogenes 2003.12, 2004.02, or 2010.02

Enterobactericeae 991.13, 2003.01, or 2011.17

Staphylococcus aureus 975.55, 987.09, 2001.05, or 2003.08 

 (coagulase positive)
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Test Method

E. coli 966.24, 991.14, 2009.02, 2011.17, or BAM Ch 4 

(IC & IF)

7.4 Test results. The test results for moisture shall be reported to the nearest 0.1 percent. The 

test result for aw shall be reported to the nearest 0.01. The test results for sodium shall be 

reported to the nearest 1.0 mg. The test results for APC shall be reported to the nearest 1,000 

CFU per g. The test results for yeast and mold shall be reported to the nearest 10 CFU per g. 

The test results for Coliform count and Staphylococcus aureus (coagulase positive) shall be 

reported to the nearest CFU per g. The test results for Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, 

Enterobacteriaceae, and E. coli shall be reported according to the test method. Any result not 

conforming to the analytical and microbiological requirements shall be cause for rejection of the 

lot.

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

distributor shall certify that the butter flavor granules provided shall meet the salient 

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

practices, and be the same butter flavor granules offered for sale in the commercial market. The 

purchaser reserves the right to require proof of conformance.

9. REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS. The delivered butter flavor granules shall comply 

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

preparation, packaging, labeling, storage, distribution, and sale of the butter flavor granules in the 

commercial marketplace. Delivered butter flavor granules shall comply with all applicable 

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

and regulations promulgated thereunder. The delivered butter flavor granules shall comply with 

the allergen labeling requirements of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

10. QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS. Purchaser shall specify 10.2, 10.3 or 10.4; 

purchaser may specify 10.1.

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

be conducted by USDA, AMS, Fruit and Vegetable Program (FV), Specialty Crops Inspection 

Division (SCI). 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 postproduction finished 

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

outside and inside security of the production and storage facilities; (3) slaughter, when 

applicable, and 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. (An AMS, FDSS verifies the participating company’s 
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adherence to the FDA’s “Guidance for Industry - Food Producers, Processors, and 

Transporters: Food Security Preventive Measures Guidance.”) For further information, see 

section 13.2 and 13.4.2.

10.2 Manufacturer’s quality assurance and plant survey. When required in the solicitation, 

contract, or purchaser order, the product manufacturer shall be required to have their facilities 

inspected by USDA, AMS, DP, DGB, and be eligible for listing in Section I of the AMS

publication Dairy Plants Surveyed and Approved for USDA Grading Service. (An AMS plant 

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

sanitary environment in accordance with 21 CFR Part 110 - Current Good Manufacturing 

Practice in Manufacturing, Packing, or Holding Human Food and the requirements contained in 

7 CFR Part 58 General Specification for Dairy Plants Approved for USDA Inspection and 

Grading Service.)

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

or purchase order, the manufacturer/distributor will certify that the butter flavor granules 

distributed meets or exceeds the requirements 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, DP, DGB, shall be the 

certifying program. DGB inspectors shall certify the quality and acceptability of the butter flavor 

granules in accordance with DGB procedures which include selecting random samples of the 

butter flavor granules, evaluating the samples for conformance with the salient characteristics of 

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

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

inspectors will examine the butter flavor granules for conformance to the U.S. Standards for 

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

qualify for this option the plant must be listed in Dairy Plants Surveyed and Approved for USDA 

Grading Service (see Sec. 10.2).

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 10.4 is specified in the solicitation, 

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

condition of samples of butter flavor granules, 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. 7.1). When USDA analytical testing is specified, DGB inspection personnel shall 
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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 contact. For USDA certification, contact the Branch Chief, DGB, 

DP, AMS, USDA, STOP 0230, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-

0230, telephone (202) 720-7471 or on the Internet at: www.ams.usda.gov/dairy/grade.htm.

13.2 FDSS contact. For a FDSS survey, 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.

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

analytical testing, contact the Director, USDA, AMS, S&T, Laboratory Division, 801 Summit 

Crossing Place, Suite B, Gastonia, NC 28054, telephone (704) 867-3873, Fax (704) 853-

2800, or via E-mail: AMSLaboratoryDivision@ams.usda.gov.

13.4 Sources of documents.

13.4.1 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 20877-2471, telephone (301) 924-

7077. Internet address: http://www.aoac.org for non-members 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 Pharmacopeial Convention, 12601 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD 20877-1790, 

telephone (800) 227-8772 or (301) 881-0666, Fax (301) 816-8148. Internet address: 

www.usp.org.

13.4.2 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 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 
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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 General Specifications for Dairy Plants Approved for USDA Inspection and 

Grading Service and Dairy Plants Surveyed and Approved for USDA Grading Service are 

available from: DGB, DP, AMS, USDA, STOP 0230, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, 

Washington, DC 20250-0230, telephone (202) 720-7471 or on the Internet at: 

www.ams.usda.gov/dairy/stand.htm.

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

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

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

anualBAM/default.htm.

Copies of Guidance for Industry - Food Producers, Processors, and Transporters: Food Security 

Preventive Measures Guidance is available online from: FDA, CFSAN on the Internet at: 

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

s/FoodDefenseandEmergencyResponse/ucm083075.htm.

Copies of this CID and 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 and/or provided to: Chief, Standardization 

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

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

Robin.Chilton@ams.usda.gov or on the Internet at: 

http://www.ams.usda.gov/CommercialItemDescription.

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

ASSIST Quick Search (https://assist.dla.mil/quicksearch) or from the Standardization 

Documents Order Desk, Document Automation and Production Service, 700 Robbins 

Avenue, Building 4D, Philadelphia, PA 19111-5094.
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MILITARY INTERESTS: CIVIL AGENCY COORDINATING ACTIVITIES:

Military Coordinating Activity DOJ - BOP

HHS - NIH, IHS, FDA

Army - GL USDA - FV

VA - OSS

Custodians

Army - GL PREPARING ACTIVITY:

Navy - SA

Air Force - 35 USDA - FV

Review Activities

Army - MD, QM

Navy - MC

DLA - SS

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.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all of its programs and activities on the basis of race, 

color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual 

orientation, political beliefs, genetic information, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any 

public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative 

means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center 

at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for 

Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call toll-free at (866) 632-9992 

(English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federal-relay). 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.