FSC 8920

METRIC

A-A-20285B

March 5, 2021

SUPERSEDING

A-A-20285A

August 20, 2020

COMMERCIAL ITEM DESCRIPTION

ENGLISH MUFFINS, FRESH OR FROZEN

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

the use of this Commercial Item Description (CID).

1. SCOPE. This CID covers fresh or frozen English muffins (English muffins), 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), size(s), slice type(s), enrichment type(s), when applicable, child nutrition 

meal pattern contribution(s), and agricultural practice(s) desired (Sec. 3).

• When the age requirement at the time of delivery is other than specified (Sec. 5.5).

• Manufacturer’s/distributor’s certificate (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 English muffins 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, sizes, slice types, enrichment types, when applicable, child nutrition meal 

pattern contribution, and agricultural practices.

2

Type I - Fresh (21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §101.95)

Type II - Frozen (21 CFR §101.95)

Style A - Plain

Style B - Wheat

Style C - Honey wheat

Style D - Raisin

Style E - Other (as specified by the purchaser)

Size 1 - 28 grams (g) (1 ounce (oz))

Size 2 - 57 g (2 oz)

Size 3 - 64 g (2 1⁄4 oz)

Size 4 - 99 g (3 1⁄2 oz)

Size 5 - Other (as specified by the purchaser)

Slice type a - Sliced or split

Slice type b - Unsliced

Slice type c - Partially linked or attached

Enrichment type 1) - Meet the standard for enrichment in 21 CFR §136.115, Enriched 

bread, rolls, and buns

Enrichment type 2) - Unenriched

When child nutrition meal pattern contribution information is required:3

Grain (ounce equivalent (oz eq)) a) - 1⁄4 oz eq = 7 g (0.25 oz)

Grain oz eq b) - 1⁄2 oz eq = 14 g (0.5 oz)

Grain oz eq c) - 3⁄4 oz eq = 21 g (0.75 oz)

Grain oz eq d) - 1 oz eq = 28 g (1.0 oz)

Agricultural practice (aa) - Conventional

Agricultural practice (bb) - Organic

2 Not all options are available from every manufacturer. Check with the manufacturer/distributor for availability. 3 The English muffins must be made from enriched and/or whole grains.
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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).

• 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 English muffins 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 English muffins 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 postproduction finished product.

5.3 Organic ingredients. When organic English muffins are specified in the solicitation, 

contract, or purchase order, the organic English muffins 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 Temperature. When frozen English muffins are specified, the fresh product must be frozen 

within 24 hours of baking and reach a temperature lower than -12°C (10°F) within 24 hours after 

being placed in the freezer.

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

order, the fresh English muffins must be delivered within 72 hours after baking. Unless 

otherwise specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order, the frozen English muffins

must be manufactured not more than 365 days prior to delivery and must not exceed -12°C 

(10°F) at any time during storage and delivery.
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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(a)) unless exempted by 21 CFR §101.100.

6.2 Ingredients. The English muffins must consist of flour, water, salt, yeast, leavening agents, 

emulsifiers or other stabilizers, mold inhibitors, and other ingredients appropriate for the type of 

English muffins specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order. When enriched English 

muffins are specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order, the English muffins will 

conform to the U.S. Standard of Identity for Enriched bread, rolls, and buns (21 CFR §136.115) 

and the flour must be milled from a variety of hard and/or soft wheat.

6.3 Additional processing ingredients. The mold inhibitors must be of proper levels as 

allowed by the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act. 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 Appearance and color. The English muffins must have a uniformly brown crust 

characteristic of the product. The English muffins must have a typical volume, characteristic 

grain, and be evenly baked without any evidence of scorching, burning, or foreign color. When 

specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order, the English muffins must be sliced or 

split. The delivered English muffins must not be crushed or damaged.

6.4.2 Flavor and aroma. The English muffins must have a flavor and aroma characteristic of 

the type of English muffins specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order. There must 

not be any foreign odors or flavors such as but not limited to burnt, scorched, stale, rancid, or 

moldy.

6.4.3 Texture. The English muffins must have a characteristic texture for the type of English 

muffins specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order. The English muffins must be 

firm, tender crumb, with a uniformly brown crust characteristic of the product. The baked 

English muffins must not contain specks of flour on the bottom.

6.4.4 Enrichment. The English muffins must have the enrichment ingredients evenly 

distributed in the finished product.
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6.5 Foreign material. All 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. NOT APPLICABLE.

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

distributor must certify that the English muffins provided meet the salient characteristics of this 

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

same English muffins offered for sale in the commercial market. The purchaser reserves the 

right to require proof of conformance.

9. REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS. The delivered English muffins 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 English muffins in the 

commercial marketplace. Delivered English muffins must comply with all applicable provisions 

of the Federal FD&C Act, the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, the 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 English muffins are 

used for the National School Lunch Program, the English muffins 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 10.3 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, 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 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 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 English muffins delivered

meet or exceed 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, SCI Division 

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

acceptability of the English muffins in accordance with SCI Division procedures, which include 

selecting random samples of the English muffins, evaluating the samples for conformance with 

the salient characteristics and analytical requirements of this CID and other contractual 
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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 English muffins 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 English muffins and compliance with requirements in the following areas:

• Processing guidelines (Sec. 5).

• Salient characteristics (Sec. 6).

• 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 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: 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.

13.2 Sources of documents.

13.2.1 Sources of information for nongovernmental documents are as follows:

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.
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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: 

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

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-2015-title7-vol2/pdf/CFR-2015-title7-vol2-

part42.pdf.

CIVIL AGENCY COORDINATING ACTIVITY:

DOJ - BOP

HHS - FDA

USDA - SCP

VA - OSS

PREPARING ACTIVITY:

USDA - SCP

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