APPROVED 

FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM SPECIFICATION 

(FPPS) FOR GROUND 

BISON AND BISON STEW 

MEAT, FROZEN 

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) 

Livestock, Poultry, and Seed (LPS) Program 

Food Safety and Commodity Specification (FSCS) Division 

Room 2633 S-Bldg, Phone: (202) 692-0342 

Supersedes: TDS-BIS-May 2012 – Changes from previous 

requirements in blue 

Effective: July 2016 

100 SCOPE 

110 This FPPS – Ground Bison and Bison Stew Meat (BIS) – 2016 is for use 

by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service 

(AMS), Commodity Procurement (CP) Staff for the procurement of frozen 

ground bison and bison stew meat. For this program, AMS shall utilize the 

Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications (IMPS) descriptions and 

requirements for ground beef and beef for stewing as specification 

requirements for the production of ground bison and bison stew meat, 

respectively. 

200 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS 

210 The following documents are incorporated as part of this USDA FPPSBIS-2016: 

210.1 Quality Assessment (QA) Division Procedures Manual. 

210.2 Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Directive 10,010.1, Revision 4. 

210.3 AMS Master Solicitation and Applicable Supplements. 

210.4 IMPS General Requirements, effective June 1996. 

210.5 IMPS for Fresh Beef Products, Series 100, effective November 2014. 

210.6 IMPS Quality Assurance Provisions, effective June 1997 

300 ORDERING DATA: TO BE SPECIFIED BY THE PURCHASER 

310 (Section in the IMPS 100 Series) For the purpose of this FPPS, references 

to “Ground Beef” (IMPS Item No. 136) and “Beef for Stewing” (IMPS Item 

No. 135A) are changed to Ground Bison and Bison Stew Meat, 

respectively. 

Approved by CMS 

Date Issued: 04/26/04 

Date Revised: 07/29/16 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

311 GROUND BISON AND BISON STEW MEAT 

312 The ground bison and bison stew meat shall be produced from bison 

harvested in, and the finished product shall be prepared and handled in, 

an establishment(s) operating under the Voluntary Exotic Animal 

Inspection Program of the USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service 

(FSIS) and shall comply with the Sanitation Performance Standards 

provisions of 9 CFR 416.1-416.6. 

312.1 Ground Bison – Ground bison shall be produced from fresh bison cuts and 

trimmings from any portion of the carcass, which yields product that meets 

the end item requirements for IMPS 136. Frozen, boneless bison 

(certified to the material requirements) may be used provided it is ground 

into the final product within 60 days from date of pack. 

312.2 Bison Stew Meat – Bison stew meat shall be prepared from fresh bison 

cuts and trimmings from any portion of the carcass, which yields product 

that meets the end-item requirements for IMPS Item 135A. 

320 MATERIAL 

321 The contractor’s production plan shall describe a process that includes 

procedures, records, forms, etc. that demonstrate conformance with the 

following Checklist of Requirements and have received a satisfactory 

onsite capability assessment by the QA Division. 

322 The contractor shall ensure, through their production plan that the product 

complies with the MATERIAL section of IMPS Item No. 136 for ground 

bison, IMPS Item No. 135A for bison stew meat, and the following 

additional criteria: 

322.1 Domestic Origin – All bison shall originate from U.S. produced livestock as 

defined in the Master Solicitation and Supplement. 

322.2 Harvest Requirements – Contractor shall have documentation and a 

program in place that verifies the source of raw materials used in each lot 

of production. All bison shall be harvested in facilities that comply with the 

following additional requirements: 

322.2.1 Humane Handling – All bison shall be humanely handled in accordance 

with all applicable FSIS regulations and AMS requirements. 

322.2.2 Pathogen Intervention Steps – The harvest process shall include at least 

two pathogen intervention steps. One of the intervention steps shall be a 

critical control point (CCP) in the supplier’s FSIS recognized harvest 

process HACCP plan and the CCP intervention(s) shall be scientifically 

validated to achieve a three-log reduction of enteric pathogens. 

322.2.3 Spinal Cord Removal – All spinal cord tissue shall be removed during the 

harvesting process. 

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Date Issued: 04/26/04 

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322.2.4 Traceability – Boneless bison shall be traceable to sources that comply 

with the above domestic origin and harvest requirements. 

322.3 Mechanical Separation – Bison meat that is mechanically separated from 

bone with automatic deboning systems, advanced meat (lean) recovery 

(AMR) systems, or powered knives shall not be allowed. 

322.4 Fresh Chilled Bison – Prior to processing, boneless bison shall be 

examined for compliance with IMPS Item No. 136 MATERIAL 

requirements by an AMS agent. Product failing this examination shall be 

rejected. 

330 PROCESSING 

331 Ground Bison – Ground bison meat shall be processed in accordance with 

IMPS and the following additional requirements: 

331.1 Ground Bison Processing – Ground bison shall be processed in 

accordance with the Processing section of IMPS Item No. 136. Frozen, 

boneless bison (certified to the material requirements) may be used 

provided it is ground into the final product within 60 days from date of 

pack. 

331.2 Ground bison production shall be traceable to the boneless bison lots and 

their associated microbial test results. 

331.3 Bone Collector / Extruder System – A bone collector/extruder system shall 

be in operation to remove remaining bone, cartilage, and heavy 

connective tissue during the final grind of product. 

332 Bison Stew Meat – Bison stew meat shall comply with the following 

additional requirements: 

332.1 Bison Stew Meat Processing – Bison Stew Meat shall be processed to 

meet the end item requirements listed within IMPS Item No. 135A. 

332.2 Dicing – The meat shall be either hand-diced or mechanically diced 

(grinding is not permitted). 

332.3 Handling – To facilitate dicing, meat may be frozen and/or tempered one 

time only. 

332.4 Shank or Heel Meat – No shank or heel meat is permitted. 

333 Product shall be delivered within 60 days of production date. 

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340 METAL DETECTION 

341 All products shall be free of metal contaminants. Detection of stainless 

steel, ferrous, and non-ferrous (e.g., lead, copper, and aluminum) metals 

is required. The contractor's production plan shall identify and describe 

the equipment, location, detection procedure, sensitivity levels, frequency 

of equipment validation, and corrective action procedures. 

400 STATE OF REFRIGERATION 

410 All finished bison products shall be frozen, in accordance with FREEZING 

OPTION 1 (Product shall be frozen to an internal temperature of not 

higher than 0°F (-17.8°C) within 72 hours from the time of final fabrication 

of the lot). Refer to I. MEAT HANDLING, A. STATE OF 

REFRIGERATION, and B. PRODUCTION, TEMPERATURE AND TIME 

LIMITATIONS section of the IMPS General Requirements. 

500 FAT LIMITATIONS 

510 Ground Bison 

510.1 The average fat content shall not exceed 10 percent, and the number of 

grams of fat per 112 gram serving shall be declared in the nutritional facts 

panel on the package label. The fat content shall be certified by AMS in 

accordance with IMPS QAPs. The 4 individual fat results shall be put into 

ascending order from the lowest to the highest value for evaluation (e.g., 

8.30, 9.79, 10.63, and 11.20). The 4 individual fat test results shall be 

used to calculate average, median and range. Results not meeting the 

following requirements shall cause rejection of the lot: 

510.1.1 Average – The average of the 4 individual results cannot exceed 10 

percent (e.g., average of the 4 test results = 9.98). 

510.1.2 Median – The median, which is the average of the middle two test results, 

cannot deviate from the average of the four individual samples by more 

than 2.0 percent (e.g., median is equal to the average of 9.79 and 10.63 = 

10.21). 

510.1.3 Range – The difference between the highest and lowest test results 

cannot exceed 5 percent (e.g., 11.20 – 8.30 = 2.90). 

511 Bison Stew Meat 

511.1 Surface and seam fat shall not exceed 1⁄4-inch in thickness at any point. 

600 PACKAGING AND PACKING – Refer to II. PACKAGING AND PACKING 

section of the IMPS General Requirements and the following additional 

requirements: 

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610 Packaging – All immediate containers (casings or packages) shall function 

as a tamper evidence indicator to provide added assurance of product 

integrity through the method of sealing or closure. 

610.1 Package Net Weight – Ground bison and bison stew meat shall be 

packaged as specified within the Contracting Officer’s invitation: 

610.1.1 Ground Bison 110001 1-pound. 

610.1.2 Bison Stew Meat 100085 1-pound. 

610.2 Package Method - Ground bison and bison stew meat shall be packaged 

using one of the following methods: 

610.2.1 Mechanical Packaged – Mechanically packaged into tamper-proof 

commercial casings. 

610.2.2 Vacuum Packaged – Vacuum packaged in accordance with the IMPS 

General requirements. 

620 Packing. 

620.1 Shipping Container Net Weight. 

620.1.1 Ground Bison – Forty (40) 1-pound packages of ground bison shall be 

packed into non-perforated shipping containers to a net weight of 40 

pounds, without slackfilling or overfilling. Spacers or fillers may not be 

used to satisfy this requirement. 

620.1.2 Bison Stew Meat - Forty (40) 1-pound packages of bison stew meat shall 

be packed into non-perforated shipping containers to a net weight of 40 

pounds, without slackfilling or overfilling. Spacers or fillers may not be 

used to satisfy this requirement. 

620.2 Style and Size of Container – Only one style and size of shipping 

containers may be used in any one-delivery unit. 

620.3 Commingling – Commingling of ground bison and bison stew meat in the 

same shipping container shall not be allowed. 

630 Closure – Shipping containers shall be closed by strapping, taping, or 

gluing. When strapping is used, the initial closure (usually the bottom of 

container) shall be secured by the gluing or taping method. 

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640 Marking of Containers* – Immediate and shipping containers shall be 

labeled to include all information required by FSIS regulations. In addition, 

each immediate and shipping container shall have the following markings: 

640.1 Immediate Container – Each immediate container (package) shall have 

the following information included on commercially labeled packages. 

640.1.1 Name of Product. 

640.1.2 Safe Handling Instructions. 

640.1.3 "Best-if-used-by" Date – A date that is 180 calendar days from the date of 

production. 

640.1.4 Traceability Code – A code that is traceable to production lot and date. 

640.1.5 Nutrition Fact Panel – Include fat declaration for number of grams of fat 

per 112 gram (ready-to-cook) serving. 

640.1.6 FSIS Establishment Number and any other FSIS required markings. 

640.2 Shipping container – The following markings shall be included on the 

shipping containers: 

640.2.1 Appendix A – Shipping containers shall be marked in accordance with 

Appendix A. However, contractors may vary the placement of the 

required information shown in Appendix A. Additional markings (e.g., 

company bar codes, logos, etc.), that are consistent with all other 

commercial labels may be included. 

640.2.2 Traceability Code – A code that is traceable to production lot and date. 

640.2.3 Nutrition Fact Panel – Include fat declaration for number of grams of fat 

per 112 gram (ready-to-cook) serving. 

640.2.4 The appropriate product name and material number listed in the table 

below for each of the items. 

Item Material Number 

Ground Bison, Frozen – 1-pound 110001 

Bison Stew Meat, Frozen – 1-pound 100085 

*All primary and shipping container labeling illustrations shall be 

provided within the production plan. 

Approved by 

Date Issued: 04/26/04 

Date Revised: 07/29/16 

CMS 

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640.2.5 USDA Shield (at least 2 inches high and appearing on the top of the 

container or on the principal display panel). 

640.2.6 Purchase Order Number. 

640.2.7 Ingredient declaration (including single ingredient products). 

640.2.8 An allergen statement in a format which complies with the Food Allergen 

Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) for any product which 

contains milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, or 

wheat; e.g. Allergen: This product contains ______. 

650 Palletized Unit Loads – Required, see IMPS General Requirements. 

700 USDA CERTIFCATION 

710 Product Shall Be Certified By USDA, AMS, QA Division – AMS agents 

shall perform examinations in accordance with IMPS General 

Requirements, IMPS QAPS, and QA Division Instructions and as specified 

below: 

710.1 Product Examinations. 

710.1.1 Ground Bison – Product examination for excellent condition and detailed 

item description requirements shall be in accordance with QAPS. In 

TABLE 100 I, delete defect numbers 218 and 219 in their entirety and 

replace with the following defect: 

710.1.1.1 218 Presence of any portion of the popliteal, prescapular, or prefemoral 

lymph glands or any other exposed lymph glands measuring 1.0 inch or 

more in one dimension and 0.5 inch in a second dimension. 

710.1.1.2 219 Presence of non-carcass components or fat from the thoracic, 

lumbar, pelvic, cod, and /or udder areas of the carcass measuring 2.0 

square inches or more and 0.5 inch or more in depth at any point. 

710.1.1.3 Delete defect 294 in its entirety. Insert the following note at the bottom of 

the table: 

710.1.1.4 Note: The presence of any non-meat components not listed as defects 

above (e.g., spinal cord, organ tissue, foreign materials, etc.) shall cause 

rejection of the product by AMS. 

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710.1.2 Bison Stew Meat – Refer to LOT ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA section for 

diced items within QAPS. In TABLE 100 H, delete defect numbers 218 in 

its entirety. Replace defect number 218 with the following defect: 

710.1.2.1 218 Presence of any portion of the popliteal, prescapular, or prefemoral 

lymph glands or any other exposed lymph glands measuring 1.0 inch or 

more in one dimension and 0.5 inch in a second dimension. 

710.1.2.2 Delete defect 194 in its entirety. Insert the following note at the bottom of 

the table: 

710.1.2.3 Note: The presence of any non-meat components not listed as defects 

above (e.g., spinal cord, organ tissue, foreign materials, etc.) shall cause 

rejection of the product by AMS. 

710.2 Condition of Container – Condition of containers shall be examined as 

follows: 

710.2.1 Production Container Examination – At time of production, shipping 

containers shall be randomly scan to ensure defective containers are 

corrected and replace. 

710.2.2 Shipping Container Examination – Final examination of condition of 

shipping containers shall be limited to scanning (without destructive 

sampling) the delivery unit for defects which may have occurred during 

handling and storage (e.g., crushed, torn, dirty, stained, etc.). All defective 

containers shall be replaced or corrected. 

710.3 Net Weight – Net weight shall be in accordance with the QAPS only. 

710.4 Fat Content Analysis – Fat content analysis shall be in accordance with 

the QAPS and FAT LIMITATIONS section of this specification. 

710.5 Traceability Code – Stamping (sealing) of shipping containers by the AMS 

agent is not required. The AMS agent shall ensure that each primary and 

shipping container has a traceability code that is traceable to a production 

lot and date. 

710.6 Temperature Examinations – Temperature shall be examined using 

Freezing Option 1. 

720 Lot Size and Purchase Unit: 

720.1 Lot Size – For finished product, the lot size shall not exceed the amount 

specified by the purchaser as a purchase unit. 

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720.2 Purchase Unit Size – The purchase unit size for ground bison and bison 

stew meat is 40,000 pounds net weight (1,000 shipping containers) plus 

the amount for use in making box fills at the time of laboratory sample 

withdrawal. 

730 The AMS Agent Shall: 

730.1 Certify and Issue Certificate – Certify and issue an official certificate 

indicating the status of each lot as required by QA Division Instructions. 

730.2 Supervise Loading and Sealing – Supervise the loading and sealing of 

each truck. All products shall be delivered to AMS assigned destinations 

under seal with tamper proof, tamper resistant, serially numbered, high 

security seals that meet the American Society for Testing and Materials 

Standard (ASTM) F1157-04 and/or the International Organization for 

Standards (ISO) 17712-2010 as required under the Master Solicitation. 

Seals shall be 1⁄8th-inch diameter cable, high-security bolt, or equivalent. 

740 Official Certificates Shall Include: 

740.1 Purchase Order Number and Purchase Order line item number; 

740.2 Sales Order Number/Sales Order Line Item Number; 

740.3 Destination of shipment; 

740.4 Name of Product and applicable Material Number; 

740.5 Shipping Date; 

740.6 Production lot number(s) and date each lot was produced along with 

shipping container and immediate container code(s) and the code used 

that provides traceability to establishment number, production lot and 

date; 

740.7 Count of shipping containers and total projected net weight in each 

production lot; 

740.8 Identity of car or truck (car numbers and letters, seals, truck license, etc.) 

as applicable; 

740.9 Sample average fat content analysis of each production lot for ground 

bison only (calculated to 2 decimal places, e.g., 8.25). 

800 MICROBIOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR GROUND BISON 

800.1 Boneless Bison for Grinding. 

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800.1.1 Lot – A lot shall consist of a single combo sized bin of approximately 2,000 

pounds of boneless bison produced within a day, between “cleanup to 

cleanup” and that is from a single harvester or from a single processor. 

800.1.2 Microbial Testing – Samples from all lots of fresh chilled boneless bison 

shall be sent to an AMS designated laboratory (ADL). Samples from each 

lot shall be tested for E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and indicator 

microorganisms. 

800.1.3 Sample Preparation and Handling - The ADL shall be responsible for 

supplying sampling procedures for sample selection, preparation, and 

submission. The laboratory shall require suppliers to submit a sample 

submission form as an official record with each sample. The laboratory 

shall also be responsible for supplying shipping supplies (including 

sampling bags and shipping materials) to each supplier. Suppliers’ 

production plan shall include and describe sample collection and 

preparation procedures provided by the ADL. 

800.1.4 For Bison Manufacturing Trimmings – The sample shall be selected as 

described within FSIS Directive 10,010.1 Revision 4 (N-60 Sections 8, 9 

and NOTE). 

800.1.5 For every lot of Bison Manufacturing Trimmings, two samples shall be 

prepared from 65 pieces of trim from 65 different pieces of beef product. 

The sample for co-enrichment of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella shall be 

60 pieces and weigh 325 grams ± 10 percent; the sample for indicator 

microorganisms (aerobic plate count, total coliform and generic E. coli) 

shall be five pieces and weigh 25 grams ± 10 percent. 

800.1.6 When boneless bison has been exposed to any anti-microbial treatment, 

no sample units shall be selected for at least 15 minutes after such 

treatment. All anti-microbial treatments (e.g. techniques and procedures) 

administered during production and post-production shall be described in 

the supplier’s production plan. 

800.2 Testing and Results. 

800.2.1 The microbiological testing for all microbes shall be in accordance with the 

applicable AMS-approved testing methodologies. 

800.2.2 Notification for presence of pathogens and exceeding critical limit criteria – 

When presence of E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella is presumptive positive 

or confirmed positive or any critical limit is exceeded for indicator 

microbes, the ADL shall immediately notify FSIS (pathogens only) and the 

FSCS Division. 

800.2.3 The ADL shall record results on spreadsheets for each Microbial Testing 

performed on each approximately 2,000 pound lot. 

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800.2.4 Any lot that tests positive for E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella or exceeds 

the critical limit criteria for indicator microbes set forth in Appendix B 

cannot be used to produce ground bison or any other product purchased 

by USDA. 

800.2.5 Any lot subjected to microbial analysis by FSIS or other regulatory 

authority that results in a positive finding for E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella 

or exceeds the critical limit criteria for indicator microbes set forth in 

Appendix B cannot be used to produce ground bison or any other product 

purchased by USDA. 

810 Ground Bison Microbial Requirements. 

810.1 Lot – For the purpose of microbiological testing, a lot is defined as the 

amount of finished ground bison product produced within a day, between 

“cleanup to cleanup” which shall be further divided into sub-lots not to 

exceed 10,000 pounds. 

810.1.2 Microbiological Testing – All lots of ground bison shall be tested for all 

microbes listed in Appendix B after final grinding and before freezing. All 

samples shall be sent to the ADL. 

810.1.3 Sample Preparation and Handling – The ADL shall be responsible for 

supplying sampling procedures for sample selection, preparation, and 

submission. The laboratory shall require suppliers to submit a sample 

submission form as an official record with each sample. The laboratory 

shall also be responsible for supplying shipping supplies (including 

sampling bags and shipping materials), to each supplier. Suppliers’ 

production plan shall include and describe sample collection and 

preparation procedures provided by the ADL. 

810.1.4 Sample Selection – Production processes of ground bison shall be subject 

to the following sampling strategy. 

810.1.4.1 Sub-lot Microbial Testing – For every sub-lot, two original and reserve 

samples shall be prepared from four individual sample units for each 

microbial test. The sub-lot samples shall be 325 grams ± 10 percent for 

co-enrichment of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella and 25 grams ± 10 

percent for indicator organism tests, respectively of finished ground bison, 

randomly selected throughout each 10,000 pounds of production. The four 

individual sample units shall be composited to produce a sample that 

represents each microbial test for each sub-lot. The contractor shall 

describe in their production plan the procedure in which the four sample 

units shall be selected throughout the sub-lot to be composited for each 

microbial test. These samples shall be submitted to the ADL for analysis. 

The reserve samples shall be held for testing in case the FSCS Division 

deems it necessary. The contractor shall describe, in their technical 

proposal the method to be used to maintain the identity and traceability of 

each sub-lot. No more than 10,000 pounds shall be produced during each 

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Date Issued: 04/26/04 

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sub-lot, except for the last sub-lot produced in the lot may exceed the 

10,000 pound limitation by five percent. 

810.1.5 Testing and Results – The sample from each sub-lot shall be analyzed by 

the ADL for all microbes listed in Appendix B. 

810.1.5.1 The microbiological testing for all microbes shall be in accordance with 

AMS-approved testing methodologies. 

810.1.5.2 Any sub-lot that tests positive for E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, or any 

critical limit criteria for indicator microbes set forth in Appendix B that is 

exceeded shall result in that sub-lot and adjoining sub-lots (one preceding 

and one following within “clean up to clean up”) being ineligible for this 

program or any other USDA purchase program. Additionally, any sub-lot 

subjected to microbial analysis by FSIS or other regulatory authority that 

results in a positive finding for E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella or exceeds 

the critical limit criteria for indicator microbes set forth in Appendix B shall 

result in that sub-lot and adjoining sub-lots being ineligible for this program 

or any other USDA purchase program. Other sub-lots produced within 

that lot unit shall be deemed ineligible for this program unless the 

contractor can demonstrate a scientific or other data-supported basis for 

defining the sub-lot(s) relative to test results and why ground bison 

produced from same source material that resulted in the ineligible 

determination should not be considered affected by the test results. 

810.1.5.3 Notification for presence of pathogens or when critical limit is exceeded – 

When presence of E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella is presumptive positive 

or confirmed positive; any critical limit is exceeded for indicator microbes: 

810.1.5.4 The ADL shall record results on spreadsheets for each test performed on 

each sub-lot. 

810.1.5.5 The ADL shall immediately notify FSIS (pathogens only) and the FSCS 

Division. 

810.1.5.6 The ground bison associated with the positive pathogen test results or 

critical limit is exceeded results shall be ineligible for any USDA purchase 

program. 

900 PRODUCT ASSURANCE 

900.1 WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION 

900.1.1 Warranty – The contractor shall guarantee that the product complies with 

all specification requirements, production plan declarations, and provisions 

set forth in the Master Solicitation. 

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900.1.2 Complaint Resolution – Customer complaint resolution procedures shall 

be included in the production plan. These procedures shall include: a 

point of contact, investigation steps, intent to cooperate with AMS, and 

product replacement or monetary compensation. The procedures shall be 

used to resolve product complaints from recipient agencies or AMS. 

900.2 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT 

900.2.1 The contractor shall include a plan and supporting documentation to 

ensure that non-conforming product (i.e., boneless bison, ground bison, 

bison stew meat) is not delivered under USDA contracts. The plan shall 

address 1) control and segregation of non-conforming product, 2) removal 

of any USDA markings, and 3) disposition of non-conforming product, 

including vendor documentation of final disposition (e.g., diverted to 

cooked product or destroyed). 

Approved by 

Date Issued: 04/26/04 

CMS 

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APPENDIX A 

SHIPPING CONTAINER MARKINGS: COMMERCIALLY LABELED SHIPPING CONTAINERS SHALL 

INCLUDE THE INFORMATION SHOWN BELOW. MANUFACTURER’S NAME AND ADDRESS SHALL 

APPEAR. THE NUTRITION FACTS PANEL, USDA SYMBOL, AND DONATED STATEMENT SHALL BE 

BLACK, FLAT, WATERFAST, AND NONSMEARING. THE USDA SYMBOL SHALL BE AT LEAST 2.0 INCHES 

HIGH. ALL OTHER PRINTING OR STENCILING SHALL BE OF A SIZE AND CONTRASTING COLOR TO 

STAND OUT PROMINENTLY AND COMPLY WITH THE USDA-FSIS REGULATIONS OR STATE 

REGULATIONS. 

PERISHABLE 

FROZEN - STORE AT 

0°F (-17.8°C) 

Boxes shall include Safe Handling instructions in 

accordance with FSIS Mandatory Safe Handling 

Statements on Labeling of Raw Meat and Poultry. 

Manufacturer's Name and Address (here 

or on principle display panel) 

Product Name DATE 

Material Number___ PACKED 

LOT#___ 

Purchase Order No. BOX___ 

KEEP FROZEN 

NOTES: DATE PACKED SHALL BE THE MONTH, DAY, AND YEAR OF PACKING. 

SERIAL PURCHASE ORDER NUMBER SHALL BE FURNISHED BY USDA. 

LOT NO. AND BOX NO. MAY BE PLACED ON THE SAME LINE OR AS SHOWN ABOVE. 

BOX NUMBERS SHALL BE SEQUENTIAL. 

PER 9 CFR 317.4 & 317.5, PRIOR APPROVED LABELS NEED NOT BE RESUBMITTED. CONTRACTORS THAT DO NOT HAVE APPROVED LABELS 

ON FILE SHALL SUBMIT LABELS IN SKETCH FORM ONLY TO THE APPROPRIATE USDA, FSIS, OR STATE AGENCY. 

Approved by 

Date Issued: 04/26/04 

CMS 

Date Revised: 07/29/16 14 
 

 

APPENDIX B 

AMS MICROBIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR BONELESS & GROUND BISON 

Microbial Test Critical Limits (cfu) 

Standard Plate Count 100,000 / gram 

Total Coliforms 1,000 / gram 

E. coli 500 / gram 

Salmonella Positive (+) result / 325 grams 

E. coli O157:H7 Positive (+) result / 325 grams 

Approved by CMS 

Date Issued: 04/26/04 

Date Revised: 07/29/16 15