FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM SPECIFICATION 

(FPPS) FOR WALLEYE 

FILLETS, FROZEN 

APPROVED 

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) 

Livestock and Poultry (LP) Program 

Standards and Specification Division (SSD) 

Room 2628-S, STOP 0258 

Phone: (202) 690-3148 

Effective: December 2020 

100 ITEM DESCRIPTION 

110 Walleye Fillets, Skin-On, Practically Boneless, Frozen 

110.1 U.S. Grade A 

110.1.1 The frozen Walleye fillets shall meet the requirements of U.S. Grade A as 

defined in the U.S. Standard for Grades of Fish Fillets. 

110.2 Walleye fillets shall be derived from wild caught freshwater Walleye (Sander 

vitreus (Stizostedion vitreum)). 

120 Portion Weight – The weight for Walleye fillet portions shall be 4.0 – 8.0 

ounces. 

130 Packing – Individually glazed or vacuum packaged fillets shall be packed in a 

1-pound primary package. Forty 1-pound primary packages shall be packed 

in a 40-pound (net weight) shipping container. 

140 Delivery Unit – Each delivery unit shall consist of 900 shipping containers with 

a net weight of 36,000 pounds. 

200 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS 

201 All processing facilities used in fulfilling USDA contracts shall be a United 

States Department of Commerce (USDC) Approved Establishment. For 

information regarding Seafood Inspection, see the following web site address: 

 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/seafood-commercecertification#seafood-inspection 

Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 12/02/20 

Date Revised: N/A 
 

210 MATERIALS 

210.1 Contractors’ technical proposal shall describe in detail the necessary 

processing steps, supported with digital images, to comply with the 

requirements below. 

211 FISH FLESH 

211.1 Domestic Origin of Fish Flesh - Only wild caught freshwater Walleye (Sander 

vitreus (Stizostedion vitreum)) produced in the United States (U.S.) shall be 

used. U.S. produced Walleye shall be wild caught fish harvested in U.S. 

waters on U.S. flagged fishing vessels and processed in processing facilities 

based in the U.S. or U.S. Territories. 

211.2 The practically boneless Walleye fillets shall be optionally glazed or 

individually vacuum packed and stored in commercial freezer at 0°F or below. 

211.3 The frozen raw material used to process practically boneless Walleye fillets 

shall have been stored at temperatures of 0°F or below for no more than 12 

months. 

211.4 U.S. Grade A – United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets, Part 263, 

Subpart A. The frozen Walleye fillets shall be graded in accordance with 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Seafood 

Inspection Manual, Part 5, Chapter 1, General Fillets. 

211.5 Fillets – The practically boneless Walleye fillets shall be graded in accordance 

with the U.S. Grade A requirements as specified in the U.S. Standard for 

Grades of General Fish Fillets. 

211.6 Objectionable Materials – The contractor shall identify and develop a strategy 

and have a written quality plan that shall meet the requirements of the U.S. 

Standard for Grades of Fish Fillets and the USDA Federal Purchase Program 

Specification. 

211.7 Fillets with added ingredients in any processing manner are not permitted. 

This includes, but is not limited to, preservatives and additives deriving from 

natural or artificial sources through methods such as injecting or soaking. 

212 FINISHED PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS 

212.1 Portion Weight – During production, target portion weight for Walleye fillets 

shall be 4.0 to 8.0 ounces. Quality assurance plans shall apply upper and 

lower specification limits of 8.5 and 3.5 ounces, respectively. Compliance will 

be determined using the acceptance number associated with the 

corresponding sample size for the lot using the acceptance number in the 50 

CFR Sampling Plan. The contractors’ technical proposal shall describe the 

quality assurance steps taken to ensure this requirement is met. 

Approved by 

Date Issued: 12/02/20 

DBJ 

Date Revised: N/A 2 
 

	 

212.2 Individual fillets shall be glazed or vacuum packaged. 

213 PREPARATION/COOKING METHODS 

213.1 Handling, preparation and cooking instructions for the end user shall be 

declared and appear on the individual bags (primary packages). 

214 METAL DETECTION 

214.1 Metal Detection - All product 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 technical proposal shall identify and 

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

frequency of equipment validation, and corrective action procedures. 

215 STATE OF REFRIGERATION 

215.1 Walleye fillets shall be subjected to a freezing process and then stored at 0oF 

or below immediately after processing. 

215.2 Walleye fillets shall be stored, shipped, and delivered at temperatures that do 

not exceed 0oF. 

220 PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY 

221 PACKAGING AND PACKING 

221.1 Packaging – The 1-pound primary packages shall be closed by heat seal, 

may be commercially marked and may be re-sealable. All primary packages 

shall function as a tamper evidence indicator to provide added assurance of 

product integrity through the method of sealing or closure. A retail-style 

design with multiple colors, as well as a product photograph is permissible. 

221.2 Packing –Forty 1-pound primary packages shall be packed in a 40-pound (net 

weight) shipping container. 

221.3 Shipping Container - The shipping containers (cases) shall be in compliance 

with the National Motor Freight Classification or Uniform Freight 

Classification. 

221.4 Style and Size of Container – Only one size and style of primary package and 

shipping container may be offered in an individual shipping unit. 

Approved by 

Date Issued: 12/02/20 

DBJ 

Date Revised: N/A 3 
 

 

222 LABELING 

222.1 Processor shall meet all labeling laws. Both primary and shipping containers 

shall be labeled to include all information required by USDC regulations, be 

illustrated in the contractor’s technical proposal and contain the required 

information listed below. Both the primary package and shipping container 

labels must be submitted to USDC for approval using the NOAA Form 89-819 

along with the approved USDA Federal Purchase Program Specification. 

222.2 Primary package – The following information shall be on each bag: 

222.2.1 Product name. 

222.2.2 Manufacturer name and address. 

222.2.3 Ingredient declaration. 

222.2.4 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 and/or 

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

222.2.5 A traceability code that includes information regarding production 

establishment, production date(s), production code(s) and production lot. 

222.2.6 Nutrition Facts panel. 

222.2.7 Cooking Instructions. 

222.2.8 Safe handling instructions. 

222.2.9 Labels for the 1-pound packages shall include at least one color, other than 

black and white, exclusive of the package color. 

222.3 Shipping Container –The following information shall be on each case: 

222.3.1 USDA Shield – The Shield shall be at least 2 inches high and shall appear on 

top or on the principal display panel of each shipping container or on a label 

affixed to the shipping container. 

222.3.2 The applicable purchase order number. 

Approved by 

Date Issued: 12/02/20 

DBJ 

Date Revised: N/A 4 
 

 

	 

222.3.3 A traceability code that includes information regarding production 

establishment, production date(s), production code(s) and production lot. 

222.3.4 Nutrition facts panel. 

222.3.5 Handling, preparation and cooking instructions (optional). 

222.3.6 USDC Inspection Mark and Grade – The Processed Under Federal 

Inspection “PUFI” mark along with the Grade A Shield. 

222.3.7 Material Number – 111360. 

222.3.8 Product name – Walleye Fillets, Frozen. 

222.3.9 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 and/or 

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

223 PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS 

223.1 All product shall be stacked on new or well-maintained pallets and palletized 

with shrink wrap plastic, unless otherwise specified in the invitation. Pallet 

loads shall be stacked in a manner that minimizes the overhang of the 

shipping containers over the edges of the pallets and exposes each shipping 

container’s principal display panel to facilitate certification examinations. 

230 PRODUCT ASSURANCE 

231 QUALITY ASSURANCE 

231.1 All processors and processing facilities used to fulfill USDA contracts shall be 

a USDC/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Seafood 

Inspection (SI) Approved Establishment. NOAA SI Approved Establishments 

must meet all pertinent Federal requirements applicable to processing fish 

and fishery products. NOAA SI Approved Establishments must comply with 

the following regulatory requirements that are applicable to the firm: 

231.2 21 CFR Part 101 - Labeling 

21 CFR Part 110 

21 CFR Part 117 Subparts A, B and F 

21 CFR Part 123 

NOAA SI Approved Establishments Requirements 

50 CFR Part 260 

231.3 To meet the requirements of a USDC/NOAA Approved Establishment, 

processors of fish and fishery products may participate in one of three 

USDC/NOAA Inspection Systems: 

Approved by 

Date Issued: 12/02/20 

DBJ 

Date Revised: N/A 5 
 

	 

231.4 USDC/NOAA HACCP Quality Management Program (HACCP QMP); 

A Systems Audit based service which requires firms to be subjected to 

announced and unannounced systems audits on a quarterly frequency 

interval to substantiate overall compliance with all pertinent regulations and to 

meet quality requirements. 

231.5 USDC/NOAA Resident Inspector (RI) Program; 

A continuous inspection service whereby USDC Inspection personnel are 

present during all hours of production to fulfill USDA contracts. 

232 DELIVERED PRODUCT 

232.1 Delivery Unit - Each delivery unit shall consist of 900 shipping containers with 

a net weight of 36,000 pounds. 

232.2 Sealing – 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) F 1157-04 and/or the International Organization for Standards (ISO) 

17712-2013 as required under this Supplement. Seals shall be >1⁄8-inch 

diameter cable, high-security bolt, or equivalent. 

233 WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION 

233.1 Warranty – The contractor shall guarantee that the product complies with all 

contractual requirements. 

233.2 Complaint Resolution – Customer complaint resolution procedures shall be 

developed by the contractor. The contractor’s technical proposal shall provide 

the steps taken to resolve complaints received on the product, i.e., point of 

contact, cause and effect analysis, product replacement, monetary 

compensation and corrective and preventative actions taken. 

240 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT 

241.1 The contractor shall include a plan and supporting documentation to assure 

that non-conforming product 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 

commercial production, cooked or destroyed). 

Approved by 

Date Issued: 12/02/20 

DBJ 

Date Revised: N/A 6 
 

250 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING 

251 Contractor shall perform checkloading examinations at the time of shipment 

and issue a contractor’s certificate to accompany each shipment that includes 

all of the following information: 

251.1 Purchase Order Number/Purchase Order Line Item Number; 

251.2 Sales Order Number/Sales Order Line Item Number; 

251.3 Destination of shipment; 

251.4 Name of Product and applicable Material Number; 

251.5 Shipping Date; 

251.6 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; 

251.7 Count of shipping containers and total projected net weight in each production 

lot; 

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

applicable; 

251.9 Contractor certification that product conforms with the applicable specification 

(FPPS-WF-2020); 

251.10 Count and projected net weight verified and; 

251.11 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading. 

Approved by 

Date Issued: 12/02/20 

DBJ 

Date Revised: N/A 7