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March 25, 2014

COMMERCIAL ITEM DESCRIPTION

PACIFIC HERRING (CLUPEA PALLASI) (HERRING,

SEA HERRING, AND SILD), CANNED

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has authorized 

the use of this Commercial Item Description (CID).

1. SCOPE. This CID covers canned Pacific herring (e.g., (Clupea pallasi) herring, Sea herring, 

and Sild), (canned herring), packed in commercially acceptable containers, suitable for use by

Federal, State, local governments, and other interested parties. Please note: This document is 

not associated with Federal nutrition assistance programs and does not guarantee purchase 

of this item by USDA. 1

2. PURCHASER NOTES. Purchasers must specify the following:

- Packaging type(s) of canned herring desired (Sec. 3).

- When analytical requirements are different than specified (Sec. 7.1).

- When analytical requirements need to be verified (Sec. 7.3).

- Manufacturer’s/distributor’s certification (Sec. 10.1) or United States Department of 

Commerce (USDC) certification (Sec. 10.2).

3. CLASSIFICATION. The canned herring must conform to the following list which will be 

specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order.

Packaging types.

2

Packaging type I - 170 mg (6 oz) can

Packaging type II - 213 mg (7.5 oz) can

Packaging type III - 411 mg (14.5 oz) can

Packaging type IV - 1.8 kg (4 lb) can

Packaging type V - Other (as specified by the purchaser)

4. MANUFACTURER’S/DISTRIBUTOR’S NOTES. Manufacturer’s/distributor’s 

products must meet the requirements of the:

 

1

 For USDA purchase specifications please visit the following websites: Commodity Purchase Specifications for Agricultural Marketing Service 

(AMS) and Commodity Purchase Specifications for Farm Service Agency (FSA). 2 Not all options are available from every manufacturer. Check with the manufacturer/distributor for availability.

METRIC
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- Processing guidelines (Sec. 5).

- Salient characteristics (Sec. 6).

- Analytical requirements: as specified by the purchaser (Sec. 7).

- Manufacturer’s/distributor’s product assurance (Sec. 8).

- Regulatory requirements (Sec. 9).

- Quality assurance provisions: as specified by the purchaser (Sec. 10).

- Packaging requirements other than commercial: as specified by the purchaser (Sec. 11).

5. PROCESSING GUIDELINES.

5.1 Processing. The canned herring must be processed in accordance with Current Good 

Manufacturing Practices (21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 110) and must conform 

with all applicable provisions of 21 CFR Part 113, Thermally Processed Low-Acid Foods 

Packaged in Hermetically Sealed Containers, and 21 CFR Part 123, Fish and Fishery Products, 

and be commercially sterile, ready-to-use. The raw herring must be landed by American flagged 

vessels and processed in the United States.

5.2 Food security. The canned herring must be processed and transported in accordance to the 

Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Guidance for Industry: Food Producers, Processors, 

and Transporters: Food Security Preventive Measures Guidance.

3

 This guidance identifies the 

kinds of preventive measures food manufacturers, processors, or handlers may take to minimize 

the risk that food under their control will be subject to tampering or other malicious, criminal, or 

terrorist actions. The implementation of enhanced food security preventive measures provides 

for the security of a plant’s production processes and includes the storage and transportation of 

pre-production raw materials, other ingredients, and postproduction finished product.

5.3 Foreign and objectionable material. All ingredients shall be clean, sound, wholesome, 

and free from evidence of rodent or insect infestation. The canned herring must not contain any 

evidence of the head, gills, tail, viscera, blood, fins, and damaged or discolored flesh and other 

extraneous materials that have not been derived from herring, such as, but not limited to, 

seaweed, sand/dirt, hair, wood, glass, metal, etc.

6. SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS.

6.1 Ingredients. All ingredients must be declared by their common or usual name in 

descending order of predominance by weight (21 CFR § 101.4 (a)) unless exempted by 21 CFR 

§ 101.100.

6.1.1 Raw ingredients. The raw herring must be landed by American flagged vessels and 

processed in the United States. Only the Clupea pallasii (Pacific herring) species of herring will

be used. The raw herring must have the head, gills, tail, viscera, blood, fins, damaged or 

 

3 http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/FoodDefense/ucm083075.htm.
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discolored flesh removed. Cut surfaces and naturally exposed surfaces must not show more than 

slight darkening or discoloration due to dehydration, aging, and/or microbial activity. If frozen 

herring is used, it must show no evidence of having been defrosted, and refrozen, or other 

evidence of mishandling. No odors foreign to herring must be present. The herring must not

show evidence of decomposition or hydrocarbon contamination (e.g., fuel oil).

6.1.2 Additional ingredients. The canned herring may contain added salt as permitted by the 

FDA. When used, the salt must be of Food Chemicals Codex purity or US PharmacopeiaNational Formulary quality and meet the related FDA regulations on food additives or generally 

recognized as safe (GRAS) requirements.

6.2 Finished product.

6.2.1 Flavor and odor. The canned herring must have a flavor and odor typical for canned 

herring. There must not be any off flavors or odors.

6.2.2 Color. The color of the processed canned herring should be grey to ivory and the herring 

oil must be light yellow as typical for the species.

6.2.3 Texture. The canned herring should have a firm to slightly soft but not mushy texture

characteristic of the species.

7. ANALYTICAL REQUIREMENTS.

7.1 Analytical requirements. Unless otherwise specified in the solicitation, contract, or 

purchase order, the canned herring must comply with the following tolerance:

Test Tolerance

Sodium Less than 270 mg/63 g

7.2 Product verification sampling. Analytical testing for sodium must be performed on a 

composite sample. The composite sample shall be 680 g (24 oz). A minimum number of 12 

sample units must be used for deriving the composite sample. The sample units must represent 

all the codes selected for product evaluation. Equal amounts of product will be taken from each 

selected sample unit and from each code. If the sample size is too small to provide for sampling 

all codes, more sample units may be selected with less product taken from each can.

7.3 Analytical testing. When specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order, the 

analyses must be made in accordance with the following methods from the AOAC International 

Official Methods of Analysis (OMA).
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Test Method

Sodium 969.23, 984.27, or 2011.14

7.4 Test results. Test results for sodium must be reported to the nearest 0.1 mg. Any result not 

conforming to the analytical requirements will be cause for rejection of the lot.

8. MANUFACTURER’S/DISTRIBUTOR’S PRODUCT ASSURANCE. The manufacturer/ 

distributor must certify that the canned herring provided meets the salient characteristics of this 

CID, conform to their own specifications, standards, and quality assurance practices, and be the 

same canned herring offered for sale in the commercial market. The purchaser reserves the right 

to require proof of conformance.

9. REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS. The delivered canned herring must comply with all 

applicable Federal and State mandatory requirements and regulations relating to the preparation, 

packaging, labeling, storage, distribution, and sales of the canned herring in the commercial 

marketplace. Delivered canned herring must comply with all applicable provisions of the

Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, and regulations 

promulgated thereunder. The canned herring must comply with the allergen labeling 

requirements in section 403 (w) (1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

10. QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS. Purchaser must specify 10.2 or 10.3; (10.1 is 

optional when 10.2 is specified). The USDC requires 10.1 when 10.3 is specified.

10.1 Manufacturer’s quality assurance. When required in the solicitation, contract, or 

purchase order, the product manufacturer will be required to have their facilities inspected by 

USDC, and be eligible for listing in the USDC publication: “USDC Approved Establishments.” 

(USDC sanitation inspections verify that, at the time of the inspection, the manufacturer 

demonstrated their ability to meet rigid standards of sanitation and are capable of producing safe, 

wholesome herring.)

10.2 Manufacturer’s/distributor’s certification. When required in the solicitation, contract, 

or purchase order, the manufacturer/distributor will certify that the finished canned herring

distributed meets or exceeds the requirements of this CID.

10.3 USDC, Seafood Inspection Program (SIP) certification. When required in the

solicitation, contract, or purchase order that product quality or acceptability or both be 

determined, USDC, SIP shall be the certifying program. USDC, SIP inspectors shall certify the 

quality and acceptability of the canned herring in accordance with USDC, SIP procedures which 

include selecting random samples of the canned herring, evaluating the samples for conformance 

with the salient characteristics of this CID and other contractual requirements, and documenting 

the findings on official USDC, SIP score sheets and/or certificates. Dependent on the 

solicitation, contract, or purchase order, USDC, SIP may certify product under product 
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inspection procedures or the Quality Management Program as well as whether or not the 

processor should be an Approved Establishment with the USDC, SIP. In addition, when 

required in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order, USDC, SIP inspection personnel will 

examine the canned herring for conformance to the United States Standards for Condition of 

Food Containers (7 CFR Part 42) in effect on the date of the solicitation.

11. PACKAGING. Preservation, packaging, packing, labeling, and case marking must be 

commercial unless otherwise specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order.

12. USDC INSPECTION NOTES. When Section 10.3 is specified in the solicitation, 

contract, or purchase order, USDC certification must include evaluation of the quality and 

condition of samples of canned herring and compliance with requirements in the following 

areas:

- Processing guidelines (Sec. 5).

- Salient characteristics (Sec. 6).

- Analytical requirements when specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order

(Sec. 7). When USDC analytical testing is specified, SIP inspection personnel must select 

samples and submit them to the USDC, National Seafood Inspection laboratory for 

analysis.

- Packaging requirements (Sec. 11 or as specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase 

order).

13. REFERENCE NOTES.

13.1 USDC, SIP certification contacts. For USDC, SIP certification, contact the nearest 

USDC Seafood Inspection Region Office listed below.

Northeast Region Inspection Office Southeast Region Inspection Office

NOAA Fisheries NOAA Fisheries

55 Great Republic Drive, Suite 01-500 263 13th Avenue South, 3rd Floor

Gloucester, MA 01930 St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Telephone (978) 281-9228 Telephone (727) 551-5708

Fax (978) 281-9134, (978) 281-9125 Fax (727) 551-5612
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Northwest Region Inspection Office Southwest Region Inspection Office

NOAA Fisheries NOAA Fisheries

7600 Sand Point Way N.E. 501 West Ocean Boulevard, Suite 1200

Building 32, Room 286A Long Beach, CA 90802

Seattle, WA 98115-6349 Telephone (562) 388-7345

Telephone (206) 526-4259 Fax (562) 388-7353

Fax (206) 526-4265

13.2 Analytical testing and technical information contact. For USDC, SIP technical 

information on analytical testing, contact the National Seafood Inspection Laboratory, P.O. 

Drawer 1207, Pascagoula, MS 39568-1207, telephone (228) 762-7402, Fax (288) 762-7144, 

or via E-mail: Calvin.Walker@noaa.gov.

13.3 Sources of documents.

13.3.1 Sources of information for nongovernmental documents are as follows:

Copies of the AOAC International OMA may be obtained from: AOAC International, 481 

North Frederick Avenue, Suite 500, Gaithersburg, MD 20877-2417, telephone (301) 924-

7077. Internet address: http://www.aoac.org for nonmembers and 

http://www.eoma.aoac.org for members and AOAC OMA subscribers.

Copies of the Food Chemicals Codex and U.S. Pharmacopeia may be purchased from: United 

States Pharmacopeia Convention, 12601 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD 20877, 

telephone (800) 227-8772 or (301) 881-0666, Fax (301) 816-8148 or on the Internet at: 

http://www.usp.org.

13.3.2 Sources of information for governmental documents are as follows:

Applicable provisions of the U.S. Standards for Condition of Food Containers are contained in 7 

CFR Part 42, the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act are contained in 16 CFR Parts 500 to 503, and 

the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act are contained in 21 CFR Parts 1 to 199. These 

documents may be purchased from: Superintendent of Documents, New Orders, P.O. Box 

979050, St. Louis, MO 63197-9000. Credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover/ NOVUS, 

and American Express) purchases may be made by calling the Superintendent of 

Documents on (866) 512-1800, (202) 512-1800. These documents may also be obtained free 

of charge on the Internet at: 

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collectionCfr.action?collectionCode=CFR.

Copies of Guidance for Industry - Food Producers, Processors, and Transporters: Food Security 

Preventive Measures Guidance is available online from: FDA, Center for Food Safety and 
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Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) on the Internet at: 

http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation

/FoodDefense/ucm083075.htm.

Copies of USDC Approved Establishments is available online from: USDC, National Oceanic 

and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), SIP, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, 

MD 20910, telephone (301) 713-2355, Fax (301) 713-1081, or on the Internet at: 

http://www.seafood.nmfs.noaa.gov/.

Copies of this CID, the U.S. Standards for Condition of Food Containers (7 CFR Part 42), and 

beneficial comments, recommendations, additions, deletions, clarifications, etc. and any data 

which may improve this CID are available from or provided to: Chief, Standardization 

Branch, SCI Division, FV, AMS, USDA, Riverside Business Park, 100 Riverside Parkway, 

Suite 101, Fredericksburg, VA 22406, telephone (540) 361-1130, Fax (540) 361-1199, via Email: CIDS@ams.usda.gov or on the Internet at: 

www.ams.usda.gov/CommercialItemDescription.

CIVIL AGENCY COORDINATING ACTIVITIES:

DOJ - BOP

HHS - NIH, FDA

USDA - FV

VA - OSS

PREPARING ACTIVITY:

USDA - FV

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Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) To File an Employment Complaint: If you 

wish to file an employment complaint, you must contact your agency's EEO Counselor (PDF) within 45 days of the date of the alleged 

discriminatory act, event, or in the case of a personnel action. Additional information can be found online at

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discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (PDF), found online at 

http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a 

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