Agricultural Marketing Service

Commodity Procurement Program

P.O. Box 419205, Mailstop 8718

Kansas City, MO 64141-6205

USDA COMMODITY REQUIREMENTS

CRACKER PRODUCTS

FOR USE IN DOMESTIC PROGRAMS

Effective Date: March 2020

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer
USDA COMMODITY REQUIREMENTS

CRACKER PRODUCTS

FOR USE IN DOMESTIC PROGRAMS

Table of Contents

Part 1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS .............................................................................. 1

Section 1.1 COMMODITIES................................................................................................ 1

Section 1.2 WARRANTY...................................................................................................... 1

Section 1.3 QUALITY ASSURANCE.................................................................................. 1

Part 2 CONTAINER AND PACKAGINGREQUIREMENTS................................................ 1

Section 2.1 GENERAL.......................................................................................................... 1

Section 2.2 COMMERCIAL PACKAGINGREQUIREMENTS...................................... 1

Section 2.4 UNITIZATIONREQUIREMENTS ................................................................. 2
Cracker Products

Commodity Requirements

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Part 1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS

Section 1.1 COMMODITIES

The commodity delivered shall meet the requirements as specified in the Commercial 

Item Description A-A-20286A (March 14, 2013), which can be found at 

https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/cids, as follows:

A. Crackers, Type I, Soda, Style A, Plain; or 

B. Crackers, Type II, Saltine, Style A, Plain, 

Section 1.2 WARRANTY

The product shall have a shelf life of at least nine (9) months from date of 

manufacture. Product shall not be manufactured more than 30 days prior to 

shipping.

Section 1.3 QUALITY ASSURANCE

A. The contractor shall perform the product testing and quality analysis to ensure

that the product meets the commodity specifications. The results shall be 

evidenced by a Certificate of Analysis(COA).

B. Contractors shall notify the Government immediately of lots that fail to

meet contractrequirements

Part 2 CONTAINER AND PACKAGINGREQUIREMENTS

Section 2.1 GENERAL

This part provides the container specifications and packaging 

materials requirements used under this contract.

Section 2.2 COMMERCIAL PACKAGINGREQUIREMENTS

A. Contractors shall supply commercial brand products only and shall certify at the 

time of submission of an offer that the commercial product being delivered has a 

history of successful distribution and use in domestic commercial channels and is 

sold on the commercial market with an established level of consumer acceptance.

B. Container and packaging requirements are those used in the current

commercial shipping practices and shall complywith:

(1) Unitization requirements in Section2.4.

(2) At contractor’s option, a statement such as “Not for Retail Sale” may

be printed on the principal display panel of the foodlabel.

(3) The manufacturer’s lot code/lot identification number shall be shown

on the commercial bill oflading.

(4) Shipping containers shall be marked to show the maximum safe

stacking height. It is the responsibility of the contractor in cooperation 

with the shipping container manufacturers to determine the safe stacking

height.
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(5) For identification upon receipt at delivery warehouses, all commerciallabeled product shipping documents shall specify “FOR USDA FOOD

DISTRIBUTION PROGRAMS.”

Section 2.3 CONTAINERS AND MATERIALS

A. All containers and packaging shall be constructed to meet the requirements of 

the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for safe contact with the packaged 

product. The contractor shall obtain and maintain documentation from the 

container or packaging material manufacturer to verify that the containers and 

packaging materials used in this contract were in compliance with the 

Government’s regulatory requirements for safe contact with food products as 

required in the Master Solicitation, Part 3, Section A, Number 3.

B. If the contractor purchases packaging and container ingredients from a foreign 

country and/or the package and container is manufactured in a foreign country, 

the package and container SHALL NOT display country of origin labeling. 

Phrases including, but not limited to, “Made in [Name of Foreign Country.]” 

or “Product of [Name of Foreign Country.]” are strictly prohibited.

Section 2.4 UNITIZATIONREQUIREMENTS

Shipments shall comply with the following unitization requirements:

A. Unless otherwise specified by the Government, all shipments of packaged 

products shall be unitized (palletized and stretch wrapped).

B. Pallets shall be:

(1) Constructed to facilitate the safe handling and transportation of the 

packaged product, as a unit, without loss or damage.

(2) A Number 2, four-way, reversible flush stringer with no broken runners or 

slats.

(3) Suitable for use in the shipment of food products.

C. Plastic stretch wrap shallbe:

(1) Constructed of a plastic film which is to be stretched a minimum of 50 

percent beyond its original length when stretched around the pallet load.

(2) Applied as tightly as possible around all tiers of the palletized shipping 

containers. The shipping containers shall be held firmly in place by the 

stretch wrap.

D. Pallet loads shall be:
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(1) Stacked in such a way as to minimize the amount that shipping containers 

overhang the edges of pallets.

(2) Blocked and braced or otherwise loaded into the conveyance in a manner 

that prevents shifting duringtransit.