Agricultural Marketing Service

Commodity Procurement Staff 

P.O. Box 419205, Mailstop 8718

Kansas City, MO 64141-6205 

USDA Commodity Requirements

WR1

Wild Rice

For use in Domestic Programs

Effective Date: June 3, 2016
USDA Commodity Requirements

WR1

Wild Rice

For use in Domestic Programs

Table of Contents

Part 1 Commodity Specifications.................................................................................................................... 1

Section 1.1 Commodities............................................................................................................................... 1

Section 1.2 Quality Assurance ...................................................................................................................... 1

Part 2 Container and Packaging Requirements............................................................................................ 2

Section 2.1 Commercial Packaging.............................................................................................................. 2

Section 2.2 Unitization Requirements.......................................................................................................... 2
WR1 Page 1 of 3

Part 1 Commodity Specifications

Section 1.1 Commodities

A. The wild rice delivered for use in USDA domestic food assistance programs shall meet 

the requirements as specified in the Commercial Item Description (CID) A-A-20378

(March 30, 2016) for Wild Rice, and as clarified and supplemented below:

(1) Classification: In accordance with CID A-A-20378, Section 3. Classification:

Type I or II: Wild rice (Zizania palustris L. or Zizania aquatica)

Growing condition 1: Lake and/or river grown

Harvesting a: Hand harvested

Processing 1): Wood (hand) parched

(2) Broken kernels: The delivered wild rice shall contain no more than 10% broken 

kernels. Mill run wild rice is acceptable if the broken percentage is less than 10%. 

Broken kernels shall be determined by the use of equipment and procedures prescribed 

in USDA Federal Grain Inspection Service instructions, or by any method which gives 

equivalent results. 

(3) Age Requirement: In accordance with CID A-A-20378, Section 5.4. Age 

Requirement:

The wild rice must be processed and packaged from the latest year’s crop and must 

be less than 12 months old prior to delivery.

Section 1.2 Quality Assurance:

A. Analytical Requirements: Replace CID A-A-20378, Section 7. Analytical Requirements

with the following:

Testing of the wild rice shall be completed in accordance with customary commercial 

practices.

B. Quality Assurance: In accordance with CID A-A-20378, Section 10. Quality Assurance 

Provisions, the following shall apply:

10.3. Manufacturer’s/distributor’s certification:

The manufacturer/distributor must certify via a Certificate of Conformance or other 

adequate documentation (in accordance with customary commercial practices) that the 

wild rice distributed meets or exceeds the requirements of this CID. 

C. Contractors shall notify the Government immediately of lots that fail to meet contract 

requirements. 
WR1 Page 2 of 3

Part 2 Container and Packaging Requirements

Section 2.1 Commercial Packaging 

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. 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 for Commodity Procurement, Regulatory 

Requirements for Commodities and Packaging.

C. Questions concerning the containers and materials should be directed to: 

Senior Contracting Officer 

Roy (Ray) Boyd

Telephone (816) 926 2612 or Email Roy.Boyd@ams.usda.gov

D. 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 2.2 Unitization Requirements

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 shall be:

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. 
WR1 Page 3 of 3

D. Pallet loads shall be: 

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 during transit. 

E. USDA does not participate in pallet exchange.