Fruit & Specialty Crops 1400 Independence Avenue, SW. 

Vegetable Inspection Room 1536-S, STOP 0240

Program Division Washington, DC 20250-0240

January 13, 2016 

AMENDMENT NO. 4

COMMODITY SPECIFICATION 

FROZEN VEGETABLES – June 2014 

The purpose of this amendment is to amend Section II. Individual Commodity Specifications, to 

add a new part M. Part M will be for a new product, Vegetable Blends. Also added for that 

blend, will be Part N. Sweet Peppers and Part O. Onions. The additions are shown below: 

II. Individual Commodity Specifications

M. Frozen, Vegetable Blends Vegetable blends shall meet the salient characteristics 

specified in CID A-A-20294A, effective on the date of the Solicitation/IFB.

1. Sweet Peppers and Onion Blend -

a. Blend I – Two or more vegetable(s) packaged together

1. Vegetable 24, Sweet pepper, green; Designation d – Sliced (See Section II.N)

2. Vegetable 25, Sweet pepper, red; Designation d – Sliced (See Section II.N)

3. Vegetable 14, Onion; Designation c – strips (See section II.O)

2. b. Additional Quality Factors 

a. Proportion of ingredients: 34% Green Peppers, 33% Red Peppers, 33% Onions.

Tolerance of proportions: (+ or –) 10%.

b. The final product blend is reasonably free flowing, reasonably bright, and has

reasonably uniform units.

N. Frozen, Sweet Peppers 

1. Grade - U.S. Grade A.

2. Types of frozen sweet peppers.

a. Type: I, green.

b. Type: II, red.

c. Type: III, mixed (green and red).

3. Style: Sliced (strips).

4. Note from U.S. Standard - Uniformity: The units are practically uniform in size and

the aggregate weight of all strips less than 1-1/4 inches in length does not exceed 30

percent, by weight, of all the units.
5. Additional Quality Factors

a. Strip size: Width, approximately 3/8 inch; for length, see uniformity above.

O. Frozen, Onions

Style – Strips (width, approximately 3/8 inch, for length see uniformity below)

1. Additional Quality Factors 

a. Color: Good color. The onions have a good characteristic bright color typical of 

the varieties. 

b. Appearance: The product is reasonably free flowing, reasonably bright, and has 

reasonably uniform units. The overall appearance or edibility of the frozen

onions is slightly but not seriously affected by markedly variable units, small 

specks, or other factors.

c. Uniformity: The aggregate weight of all strips less than 1-1/4 inches in length 

does not exceed 30 percent, by weight, of all the units.

d. Defects: The onions are practically free of defects such as but not limited to, dark 

green units, blemishes, peel, mechanical damage, sprouts, root crown, and core 

material.

e. Character: Good character. The onions are uniformly firm and tender, and 

practically free of soft and spongy units. 

f. Flavor and odor: the frozen onions, before and after cooking, have a flavor and 

odor that is normal and typical for the variety and is free from objectionable 

flavors and odors.

2. The frozen onions have no grit or dirt present that affects the appearance or edibility 

of the product.

3. Net weight –

a. 30 pounds per case (1/30 pound case)

b. 30 pounds per case (6/5 pound bags) 

c. 30 pounds per case (12/2.5 pound bags)

 

All other terms and conditions remain unchanged.