FSC 8920 

METRIC 

A-A-20126H 

May 23, 2019 

SUPERSEDING

A-A-20126G 

May 2, 2019 

COMMERCIAL ITEM DESCRIPTION

FLOURS, CEREAL GRAIN

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

the use of this Commercial Item Description (CID).

1. SCOPE. This CID covers cereal grain flours1 (flours), packed in commercially acceptable 

containers, suitable for use by Federal, State, local governments, and other interested parties. 

Please note: This document does not guarantee purchase of this item by USDA.2

2. PURCHASER NOTES.

2.1 Purchasers must specify the following: 

• Type(s), class(es), style(s), protein level(s), packaging type(s), and agricultural practice(s) of 

flours desired (Sec. 3). 

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

• When compliance with analytical requirements must be verified (Sec. 7.2). 

• Manufacturer’s/distributor’s certification (Sec. 10.3) or USDA certification (Sec. 10.4).

2.2 Purchasers may specify the following: 

• Food Defense (Sec. 10.1) and Manufacturer’s Quality Assurance (Sec. 10.2). Purchaser may 

specify one of the following combinations: Sec. 10.1.1 with 10.2.1 or 10.1.2 with 10.2.2. 

• Packaging requirements other than commercial (Sec. 11). 

3. CLASSIFICATION. The flours must conform to the following list which must be specified 

in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order.

1 Does not apply to flours of pseudo-cereal grains, pulses, nuts, root vegetables, etc. 2 USDA purchase specifications are available at: https://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food/product-specs.
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Types, classes, styles, protein levels, packaging types, and agricultural practices.

3

Type I - Bakers wheat flour (Bread, hearth-style, whole) 

Class 1 - Hard red spring 

Class 2 - Hard red winter

Class 3 - Hard white

Type II - Bakers wheat flour (Cake, pastry)

Class 1 - Soft red winter

Class 2 - Soft white

Type III - All-purpose wheat flour 

Class 1 - Hard red spring 

Class 2 - Hard red winter

Class 3 - Soft red winter 

Class 4 - Hard white

Class 5 - Soft white

Type IV - Durum flour 

Type V - Rye flour 

Type VI - Oat flour 

Type VII - Corn flour 

Class 1 - White

Class 2 - Yellow

Type VIII - Rice flour

Class 1 - Brown

Class 2 - White

Type IX - Barley flour 

Type X - Sorghum flour 

Type XI - Flour blends (as specified by the purchaser) 

Type XII - Other (as specified by the purchaser) 

Style A - Unbleached 

Style B - Bleached 

Style C - Self-rising 

Protein level a - High gluten 

Protein level b - Medium 

3 Not all options are available from every manufacturer. Check with the manufacturer/distributor for availability. 
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Protein level c - Low

Protein level d - Gluten-free

Packaging type 1) - Bag

Size a) - 623 grams (g) (22 ounces (oz))

Size b) - 680 g (24 oz)

Size c) - 907 g (2 pounds (lb))

Size d) - 1 kilogram (kg) (2.2 lb)

Size e) - 1.81 kg (4 lb)

Size f) - 2.27 kg (5 lb)

Size g) - 11.34 kg (25 lb)

Size h) - 18.1 kg (40 lb)

Size i) - 22.68 kg (50 lb)

Size j) - 24.94 kg (55 lb)

Size k) - 45.36 kg (100 lb)

Packaging type 2) - Case [4 bags at 623 g (22 oz) each]

Packaging type 3) - Pallet [50 bags at 22.68 kg (50 lb) each]

Packaging type 4) - Supersack or tote [908.6 kg (2,000 lb)]

Packaging type 5) - Bulk

Mode a) - Truck

Load 1] - 19,051 kg (42,000 lb)

Load 2] - 19,278 kg (42,500 lb)

Load 3] - 19,505 kg (43,000 lb)

Load 4] - 22,680 kg (50,000 lb)

Load 5] - 24,040 kg (53,000 lb)

Mode b) - Tanker

Load 1] - 23,587 kg (52,000 lb)

Load 2] - 24,948 kg (55,000 lb)

Mode c) - Rail car [97,524 kg (215,000 lb maximum)]

Agricultural practice i - Conventional

Agricultural practice ii - Organic

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

products must meet the requirements of the:
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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 flours must be processed in accordance with Current Good Manufacturing 

Practice (CGMP) (21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 110) or the Current Good 

Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food

(21 CFR Part 117) in effect on the date of the solicitation, contract, or purchase order, and as 

applicable to the production facility. 

5.1.1 Wheat flour. The wheat flour must be processed through a centrifugal impactor operated 

at the equipment manufacturer’s recommended speed and flow rate designed to ensure the 

destruction of insect eggs and must be bolted through a 9XX or finer sieve sifter. Impaction and 

bolting processes may be repeated at various points in the milling operation. One of these 

treatments must occur before entrance of the flour into the packing machinery. 

5.1.2 Rye flour. The rye flour must be processed through a centrifugal impactor to destroy 

insect eggs as necessary, during the processing, but at least prior to entering the packing 

machinery.

5.1.3 Oat flour. The oat flour must be dehulled oats that have been steamed and ground to 

produce a stable flour in which enzyme activity is functionally negative i.e., denatured. 

5.2 Food defense. The flours must be processed and transported in accordance with 21 CFR 

Part 121, Mitigation Strategies to Protect Food Against Intentional Adulteration. This document 

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 defense 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 post-production finished 

product. 

5.3 Organic ingredients. When organic flour is specified in the solicitation, contract, or 

purchase order, the organic flour must be produced, handled, and labeled in accordance with the 

USDA organic regulations by an operation that is certified organic in accordance with the 

requirements of the National Organic Program (7 CFR Part 205). A Certificate of Organic 
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Production or Handling must be provided to verify that the product was processed and handled in 

accordance with the USDA organic regulations. 

5.4 Age requirement. Unless otherwise specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase 

order, the flours must be processed and packaged not more than 60 days prior to delivery to the 

purchaser. 

6. SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS.

6.1 Definitions.

6.1.1 Unbleached. Wheat flour which has not been treated with a maturing agent, a color 

modifying ingredient, or any combination of maturing and color modifying ingredients. 

6.1.2 Bleached. Wheat flour which has been treated with a maturing agent, a color modifying 

ingredient, or any combination of maturing and color modifying ingredients in accordance with 

21 CFR §137.105. 

6.1.3 Self-rising. Wheat flour which has been mixed with chemical leavening agent(s) in 

accordance with 21 CFR §137.180. Self-rising flour is typically composed of flour, baking 

powder and salt. 

6.2 Labeling. 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. 

6.3 Ingredients.

6.3.1 Raw ingredients. The flours must be prepared from clean, sound grains. Flours are not 

ready-to-eat foods and must be properly cooked before flour products are rendered safe for 

human consumption. 

6.3.2 Wheat flour. The wheat must be U.S. No. 2 grade or better. Unclassed wheat and mixed 

wheat are excluded unless otherwise specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order. 

Wheat flour must comply with the U.S. Standards of Identity in 21 CFR §137.105 and whole 

wheat flour must comply with the U.S. Standards of Identity in 21 CFR §137.200. 
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6.3.3 Enrichment. The wheat flour, except for whole wheat flour, must be enriched to conform 

to the U.S. Standards of Identity for Enriched Flour (21 CFR §137.165). 

6.3.4 Rye flour. The rye must be U.S. No. 2 grade or better. 

6.3.5 Oat flour. The oat flour must be food grade, milled from clean, sound oats. The oats 

must be U.S. No. 2 or better. 

6.3.6 Additional processing ingredients. When used, all additional ingredients must meet the 

standards specified in the Food Chemicals Codex (FCC) or, in the absence of FCC specification 

at a minimum, meet the specifications for quality set by the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP)-National 

Formulary quality. The additional ingredients must be approved for those particular uses by 

FDA’s regulations on food additives (21 CFR Part 170) or Direct Food Substances Affirmed as

Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) requirements (21 CFR Part 184). 

6.4 Finished product. The wheat flours must be suitable for common industrial use for the type 

of flour and application specified. The rye and oat flours must be suitable for use in combination 

with other food ingredients for preparation of varietal bakery products. 

6.4.1 Flavor and aroma. The wheat flour must possess a natural wheat-flour flavor and aroma. 

The rye flour must possess a natural rye-flour flavor and aroma. The oat flour must possess a 

natural oat nut-like flavor and aroma. The flours must be free from rancid, bitter, musty, sour, 

and other undesirable flavors and odors. 

6.4.2 Color. The wheat flour must have a characteristic white or cream color of either bleached 

or unbleached wheat flour. The rye flour must be a moderately refined product consisting of rye 

endosperm and small amounts of other parts of the rye kernel and must have a good, 

characteristic, very light, grayish-brown color. The oat flour must have a characteristic beige or 

tan color of oats. 

6.4.3 Texture. The flours must be free-flowing and free from lumps that do not fall apart with 

light finger pressure.

6.5 Foreign material. Wheat flour defect action levels must not exceed those tolerances 

specified in 21 CFR §110.110. All other ingredients must be clean, sound, wholesome, and free 

from foreign material, such as, but not limited to, extraneous plant material, dirt, plastic, insects, 

insect pieces or rodent or insect infestation. 
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7. ANALYTICAL REQUIREMENTS.

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

purchase order, the following analytical requirements for the flour must conform to those in 

Table I:

TABLE I. Analytical and physical requirements for wheat flours4

Flour type Protein level 

minimum 

percent

Ash level 

maximum 

percent

Moisture 

maximum 

percent

Falling 

number 

(FN) units 

minimum

FN units 

maximum

All purpose, enriched 9.0 0.55 14.0 225 300

Bread 11.0 0.55 14.0 225 300

100 percent whole 

wheat (red wheat 

only)

13.0 1.90 14.0 300 ---

100 percent white 

whole wheat

13.0 1.90 14.0 300 ---

Durum 12.0 0.80 14.0 --- ---

White whole 

wheat/enriched allpurpose blend

(60/40)

12.5 1.40 14.0 250 325

Hearth-style 13.3 0.58 14.0 225 275

High gluten 14.0 0.58 14.0 225 300

Soft red pastry/soft 

white pastry

7.5 0.50 14.0 225 ---

High ash flour (soft) 8.0 1.4 14.0 225 ---

4 Ash is calculated per protein level and not a specific amount. 21 CFR §137.105(a): “...the percent of ash therein, calculated to a moisture-free 

basis, is not more than the sum of 1/20 of the percent of protein therein, calculated to a moisture-free basis, plus 0.35...”
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Flour type Protein level 

minimum 

percent

Ash level 

maximum 

percent

Moisture 

maximum 

percent

Falling 

number 

(FN) units 

minimum

FN units 

maximum 

Cake flour (soft) 7.5 0.42 14.0 250 ---

Soft red winter whole 

wheat flour 

8.5 1.9 14.0 225 ---

7.2 Analytical verification. Purchaser must specify manufacturer’s/distributor’s certification 

(Sec. 10.3) or USDA certification (Sec. 10.4). 

7.3 USDA verification procedures. When USDA certification (Sec. 10.4) is specified in the 

solicitation, contract, or purchase order, analytical testing must be performed as follows. 

7.3.1 Product verification sampling. When USDA verification of analytical requirements is 

specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order, analytical testing must be performed on 

subsamples of packages randomly selected from the lot. The number of subsamples must be 

based on USDA inspection service sampling procedures and plans. The contents of each will be 

used to create a composite sample that will be used in the analytical testing.

7.3.2 Analytical testing and reporting. When specified in the solicitation, contract, or 

purchase order, the analyses must be made in accordance with the following methods from the 

American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC) International Approved Methods of Analysis 

(current edition), AOAC International Official Methods of Analysis (OMA), or as specified in 

Table II. Any result not conforming to the analytical requirements may be cause for rejection of 

the lot.

7.3.3 Vomitoxin. All wheat must be tested for vomitoxin in accordance with procedures 

approved by Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS). The final product must not contain more 

than 1 part per million (ppm) of vomitoxin. 
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TABLE II. Analytical and physical testing and reporting

Test Method Requirement Reported as

Protein 46-30.01 5, Oat - 13.5 Nearest 0.1 percent crude 

protein = percent nitrogen 

x 5.70

Ash6 08-01.01 5 Nearest 0.01 percent 

(wheat flour)

Ash6 08-01.01 Rye - 1.5, oat - 2.2 Nearest 0.1 percent (rye 

and oat flours)

Moisture 44-15.02 or 

925.09

5

, Rye - 13.5, oat - 10.0 Nearest 0.1 percent

FN units 56-81.03 5 Whole number value

pH 02-52.01 4.3 to 4.7 Nearest 0.1 value

Specific volume 10-05.01,

10-11.01

Bread - not less than 4.8, Allpurpose - not less than 2.2 

without gas pockets

Nearest 0.1 value

Fungal alphaamylase22-12.01 1 to 2.5 g fungal alpha-amylase 

per 45.36 kg (100 lb) enriched 

flour

Nearest 0.1 g per kg

Fat 30-10.01 Oat - 8.0 Nearest 0.1 percent

Filth 28-41.03 or 

970.66

--- Nearest 1.0 g

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

distributor must certify that the flours provided meet the salient characteristics of this CID, 

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

flours offered for sale in the commercial market. The purchaser reserves the right to require 

proof of conformance.

5 Reference Table I.

6 See footnote 4 on page 7.
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9. REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS. The delivered flours must comply with all applicable 

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

packaging, labeling, storage, distribution, and sale of the flours in the commercial marketplace. 

Delivered flours must comply with all applicable provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and 

Cosmetic (FD&C) Act, the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, and regulations promulgated 

thereunder. When a known allergen is included in the flours, the flours must comply with the 

allergen labeling requirements of the FD&C Act. Major allergens identified in the FD&C Act 

include: wheat, fish, milk, soy, tree nuts, eggs, peanuts, and shellfish or those in effect on the 

date of the solicitation, contract, or purchase order. 

10. QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS. Purchaser must specify 10.3, or 10.4. 

Purchaser may specify one of the following combinations: 10.1.1 with 10.2.1, or 10.1.2 with 

10.2.2. 

10.1 Food defense. When required in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order, a Food 

Defense Systems Survey (FDSS) must be conducted by USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service 

(AMS), Specialty Crops Program (SCP), Specialty Crops Inspection (SCI) Division. Food 

defense requirements include a documented and operational food defense plan that provides for 

the security of a plant’s production processes and includes the storage and transportation of preproduction raw materials and other ingredients and post-production finished product. The plan 

must address the following areas: (1) food security plan management; (2) outside and inside 

security of the production and storage facilities; (3) slaughter, when applicable, and processing, 

including all raw material sources; (4) shipping and receiving; (5) storage; (6) water and ice 

supply; (7) mail handling; (8) personnel security; and (9) transportation, shipping, and receiving. 

10.1.1 FDSS. When required in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order, a FDSS must be 

conducted by USDA, AMS, SCP, SCI Division. The FDSS verifies that operators of food 

establishments have implemented measures to minimize the risk of tampering or other criminal 

actions against the food under their control. An AMS FDSS verifies the participating company’s 

adherence to Mitigation Strategies to Protect Food Against Intentional Adulteration (21 CFR 

Part 121). 

10.1.2 Food defense section of the Plant Systems Audit (PSA). When required in the 

solicitation, contract, or purchase order, a food defense audit will be conducted as part of the 

PSA. The audit will be conducted by USDA, AMS, SCP, SCI Division auditors. This verifies 

that operators of food establishments have implemented measures to minimize the risk of 

tampering or other criminal actions against the food under their control. The food defense 

section of the PSA verifies the participating company’s adherence to Mitigation Strategies to 

Protect Food Against Intentional Adulteration (21 CFR Part 121).

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

purchase order, the product manufacturer will be required to provide evidence, by certificate that 
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the manufacturing plant has undertaken one of the following quality assurance measures within 

12 months prior to providing a bid or no later than 10 business days from the date of the 

awarding of the contract. Failure to provide this documentation within the proper time frame 

may result in the contract being terminated for cause.

10.2.1 Plant survey. A plant survey conducted by USDA, AMS, or other survey performed by 

a third-party auditing service is required within 12 months prior to the date of the awarding of 

the contract. The plant survey audit verifies that, at the time of the survey, the manufacturer 

produces products in a clean, sanitary environment in accordance with CGMP (21 CFR Part 110) 

or the Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive 

Controls for Human Food (21 CFR Part 117) in effect on the date of the solicitation, contract, or 

purchase order, and as applicable to the production facility. 

10.2.2 PSA. A PSA conducted by USDA, AMS, or other audit performed by a third party 

auditing service is required within 12 months prior to the date of the awarding of the contract. 

The PSA verifies the manufacturer's capability to produce products in a clean, sanitary 

environment in accordance with CGMP (21 CFR Part 110) or the Current Good Manufacturing 

Practice, Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food (21 CFR Part 

117) in effect on the date of the solicitation, contract, or purchase order as applicable to the 

production facility, and verifies that the manufacturer has in place an internal quality assurance 

program. 

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

or purchase order, the manufacturer/distributor must certify that the flours delivered meet or 

exceed the requirements of this CID. The manufacturer/distributor must certify via a Certificate 

of Conformance or other adequate documentation (as specified by the purchaser) that the flours 

meet the analytical requirements specified in Sec. 7 of this CID. 

10.4 USDA certification. When required in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order that 

product quality and acceptability or both be determined, the USDA, AMS, FGIS inspectors, must 

be the certifying program. FGIS inspectors must certify the quality and acceptability of the flour 

in accordance with FGIS procedures, which include selecting random samples of the flour, 

evaluating the samples for conformance with the salient characteristics of this CID and other 

contractual requirements, and documenting the findings on official FGIS score sheets and/or 

certificates. In addition, when required in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order, FGIS

inspectors will examine the flours for conformance to the U.S. 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.
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12. USDA INSPECTION NOTES. When Sec. 10.4 is specified in the solicitation, contract, 

or purchase order, USDA certification must include evaluation of the quality and condition 

of samples of flours 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 USDA analytical testing is specified, FGIS inspection personnel must select 

samples and submit them to the USDA, AMS, FGIS laboratory for analysis. 

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

order).

13. REFERENCE NOTES.

13.1 USDA services. 

13.1.1 USDA certification. For USDA certification contact: Policies, Procedures, and 

Market Analysis Branch, FGIS, AMS, USDA, Room 2419 South Building, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250, telephone (816) 659-8403, fax (816) 

872-1258, or via E-mail: Patrick.J.McCluskey@usda.gov.

13.1.2 USDA FDSS, plant survey, and PSA. For a USDA FDSS, plant survey, and PSA 

contact the Chief, Auditing Services Branch, SCI Division, SCP, AMS, USDA, Room 0711 

South Building, STOP 0247, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0247, 

telephone (202) 720-5021, fax (866) 230-9168, or via E-mail: SCAudits@usda.gov.

13.1.3 Analytical testing and technical information. For USDA technical information on 

analytical testing, contact the Commodity Testing Laboratory (CTL), FGIS, AMS, USDA, 

10383 North Ambassador Drive, Kansas City, MO 64153, telephone (816) 891-0474 or via 

E-mail: Jason.D.Vanfossan@usda.gov.

13.2 Sources of documents. 

13.2.1 Sources of information for nongovernmental documents are as follows:

Copies of the Approved Methods of the American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC) 

International may be obtained from: AACC International, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, 

MN 55121-2097; telephone (651) 454-7250, via E-mail: aacc@scisoc.org or on the Internet 

at: www.aaccnet.org.

Copies of the AOAC International OMA may be obtained from: AOAC International, 2275 

Research Boulevard, Suite 300, Rockville, MD 20850-3250, telephone (301) 924-7077. 
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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.

13.2.2 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 National Organic Program are contained in 7 CFR Part 205, the U.S. Standards 

for Grain are contained in 7 CFR Part 810, 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 this CID and the U. S. Standards for Condition of Food Containers (7 CFR Part 42) are 

available from: Director, SCI Division, SCP, AMS, USDA, Room 1536 South Building, 

STOP 0240, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-0240, via E-mail: 

CIDS@usda.gov or on the Internet at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/cids

and https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2015-title7-vol2/pdf/CFR-2015-title7-vol2-

part42.pdf.

CIVIL AGENCY COORDINATING ACTIVITY:

DOJ - BOP

HHS - FDA

USDA - SCP

VA - OSS

PREPARING ACTIVITY:

USDA - SCP

Non-Discrimination Policy: In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations 

and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited 

from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, 

disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation 
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for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and 

complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. 

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American 

Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA 

through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. 

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to 

File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the 

information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to 

USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, 

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov. 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.