The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s Specialty Crops Inspection Division (SCI) provides quality assurance reviews and 

inspections, conducts food safety auditing, and develops national standards for fresh and processed fruits, vegetables, nuts, 

and other specialty products—all in support of America’s food industry supply chain.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT COMMERCIAL ITEM DESCRIPTIONS (CIDS)

COMMERCIAL ITEM DESCRIPTIONS

Agricultural Marketing Service

WHAT ARE CIDS?

Commercial Item Descriptions (CIDs) are documents that describe the most important characteristics of a commercial product, 

such as the types and styles of products available. CIDs may also include information about analytical tests and requirements 

for food safety and quality for the product. CIDs are used by purchasers during the procurement process to specify the

product they want to buy. 

HOW AND WHY CIDS ARE PREPARED?

CIDs are prepared by SCI food technologists and nutritionists, typically in response to a request by a purchaser. SCI conducts 

market research to gather information on all product options currently available on the commercial market, and then 

incorporates this information into a draft CID. The draft is then reviewed by manufacturers, interested government agencies,

and food service professionals before being approved for use.

HOW AND WHY CIDS ARE REVISED?

CIDs are revised when a request is received for a revision, when new options become available for a product, or on a 5-year 

basis. CIDs are updated to include new types and styles and any other pertinent information for that product.

HOW DO I REQUEST A CID DEVELOPMENT OR REVISION?

To request the development or revision of a CID, contact the Specialty Crops Inspection Division using the current contact

information on the CIDs website at: https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/cids.

HOW DO I FIND A CURRENT CID?

Visit the CIDs website at: https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/cids to view the list of current CIDs.

WHY SHOULD I COMMENT ON OR REVIEW A CID?

It is important that both manufacturers and purchasers of a product are involved in the development and revisions of CIDs. 

Input from the purchasers informs us of any problems with the current CID and any changes that would help in the 

procurement process. Input from manufacturers ensures that the language and information in the CID does not exclude any 

current products. 
ARE CIDS MANDATORY?

No. CIDs are voluntary procurement documents that may be used by purchasers. They are NOT regulations, although many 

contain regulatory citations. It is not mandatory for a manufacturer to follow a CID. Manufacturers must only contractually

comply with a CID when it is being used by a purchaser to specify a product that the manufacturer has agreed to supply.

WILL A CID AFFECT MY CURRENT MANUFACTURING PROCESS?

No. CIDs are procurement documents that are intended to describe currently available commercial products. They are not 

meant to dictate how a product is produced and will not impact a manufacturer's current processes, unless the purchaser uses 

the CID to specify that they wish to purchase a product made using a specific process (e.g., aseptic packaging).

WHO DO I CONTACT IF I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT CIDS?

For questions on CIDs, email CIDS@usda.gov, or contact the Specialty Crops Inspection Division using the contact information 

on the CIDs website at: https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/cids.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS CONTINUED

The following information provides the order of the various sections of a CID and explains the general purpose and contents of 

each section.

SCOPE

The scope is comprised of a concise statement describing the intended use of the CID.

PURCHASER NOTES

This section lists the items that the purchaser must and may specify.

Typical items that must be specified by the purchaser are:

• The desired options, e.g., types, styles, low sodium, etc.

• If the age requirement at time of delivery is other than specified

• If the analytical requirements are to be verified through producttesting

• If the product quality and safety are to be certified by the supplier or by USDA 

Typical items that may be specified by the purchaser are:

• Food defense and quality assurance inspection at the manufacturing plant of the purchased product

• If the quality assurance inspection is a plant systems audit or a plantsurvey

• Special packaging requirements

• When bid samples are necessary to define quality

CLASSIFICATION

Foods are classified into categories based on their different types, styles, varieties, flavors, sizes, etc. The purchaser must

specify the categories of the product they want to buy. Not all CIDs contain the Classification section.

INFORMATION CONTAINED IN COMMERCIAL ITEM DESCRIPTIONS

2
MANUFACTURER’S/DISTRIBUTOR’S NOTES

This section lists the requirements that the supplier of the food item must meet if they are to manufacture the product for the 

purchaser.

PROCESSING GUIDELINES

This section contains guidelines, regulations, and specific requirements (such as age requirements, shelf life, temperature requirements, etc.) that pertain to the manufacturing of the product. Guidelines are not a requirement; but regulations and

requirements must be followed during production.

SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS

This section describes the physical and functional properties of the product that must be met. It includes information on the 

requirements for flavor, odor/aroma, texture, appearance, ingredients, defects/foreign material, and any other salient 

characteristics that are important for the specific product.

ANALYTICAL REQUIREMENTS

This section states analytical and microbiological requirements that are important in determining the final quality and safety of 

the food product to be purchased. The purchaser must specify if the food product to be purchased must comply with the

requirements stated or if the requirements are to be different. The purchaser must also state if analytical testing made in

accordance with the stated methods are required to verify whether the food product meets the analytical requirements. The 

test methods specified in this section are the methods that USDA will use to evaluate the analytical requirements when the 

analytical testing is specified. Vendors can use any method they want. Not all CIDs contain the Analytical Requirements section.

MANUFACTURER’S/DISTRIBUTOR’S PRODUCT ASSURANCE

This section states that the manufacturer of the purchased product must meet the salient characteristics of the CID and its 

own specifications, standards, and quality assurance practices. The purchaser has the right to require the manufacturer to 

provide proof of this conformance.

REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS

This section states that the delivered product to be purchased must meet all applicable Federal, State, and local mandatory 

requirements and regulations and that the product must comply with all applicable provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and 

Cosmetic Act.

QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS

The purchaser must choose whether the supplier or SCI will certify that the purchased product meets or exceeds the requirements of the CID. SCI will select random samples of the packaged product and evaluate the conformance of the product based 

on the requirements of the CID. Also, the purchaser may require that the manufacturer undertake a quality assurance inspection and provide evidence of this by certificate. The purchaser can choose one of three quality assurance inspections: food 

defense system survey, the plant systems audit, or the plant survey.

INFORMATION CONTAINED IN COMMERCIAL ITEM DESCRIPTIONS CONTINUED

3
PACKAGING

This section specifies that all aspects of packaging must be commercial, unless otherwise specified by the purchaser.

USDA INSPECTION NOTES

This section lists the requirements that are to be evaluated for compliance if the purchaser selects USDA/SCI to certify the

purchased product.

REFERENCE NOTES

This section lists USDA certification and analytical laboratory contacts, as well as sources of documents referenced in the CID. 

All government activities involved with preparing, coordinating, and reviewing the CID are listed at the end of the document 

using the following abbreviations.

AMS Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA

Navy SA Bureau of Supplies for Navy

Air Force 35 Air Force Services Agency Army MD – Office of the Surgeon General

Army QM U.S. Army Quartermaster Center and School 

Navy MC United States Marine Corps

CCDEVCOM Natick, U.S. Army Futures Command, DoD

CP Commodity Procurement Program, AMS

DGSD Dairy Grading and Standards Division, DP

DP Dairy Program, AMS

DLA Defense Logistics Agency, DoD

DLA SS DLA Troop Support – Subsistence Items of Supply

DoD Department of Defense

DOJ Department of Justice

BOP Federal Prison System, Administrator of Food Services

HHS Department of Health and Human Services

LATD Laboratory Approval and Testing Division, S&T

LP Livestock and Poultry Program, AMS

FDA Food and Drug Administration, HHS

MRP Marketing and Regulatory Programs, AMS

USDA United States Department of Agriculture

SCP Specialty Crops Program, AMS

VA Department of Veteran’s Affairs

VA OSS VA Office of Acquisition and Material Management Division

INFORMATION CONTAINED IN COMMERCIAL ITEM DESCRIPTIONS CONTINUED

Last updated December 2022 4 USDA is an equal opportunity employer, provider, and lender.