USDA COMMODITY REQUIREMENTS

IMD4

INSTANT NONFAT DRY MILK

FOR USE IN DOMESTIC PROGRAMS

Table of Contents

Part 1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS ________________________________ 1

Section 1.1 INSTANT NONFAT DRY MILK REQUIREMENTS _______________ 1

Section 1.2 WARRANTY _________________________________________________ 3

Section 1.3 QUALITY ASSURANCE _______________________________________ 3

Section 1.4 QUALITY DISCOUNTS________________________________________ 3

Section 1.5 WEIGHT REQUIREMENTS____________________________________ 3

Part 2 CONTAINER AND PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS_________________ 5

Section 2.1 GENERAL ___________________________________________________ 5

Section 2.2 COMMERCIAL PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS_________________ 5

Section 2.3 CONTAINERS AND MATERIALS ______________________________ 5

Section 2.4 25.6 OUNCE AND 4-POUND BAGS ______________________________ 6

Section 2.5 UNITIZATION REQUIREMENTS ______________________________ 6

Section 2.6 MONTH/YEAR OF PACK______________________________________ 7

Section 2.7 LOT CODE/CERTIFICATE NUMBER___________________________ 7
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Part 1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS

Section 1.1 INSTANT NONFAT DRY MILK REQUIREMENTS

A. Quality of Product

The instant nonfat dry milk, Type IV, shall conform to the Commercial Item 

Description (CID) A-A-20085D, dated 01/13/2011, except when amended by the 

applicable solicitation. The CID is available at 

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDEV3006747

B. The product shall meet or exceed the requirements for U.S. Extra Grade as set 

forth in the United States Standards for Instant Nonfat Dry Milk, provided that:

(1) the density shall be in the range of 25 to 35 grams (100 ml sample), and

(2) the moisture content shall not exceed 4.0 percent.

C. The product shall be salmonella and listeria negative.

D. Production Requirements

(1) The bulk nonfat dry milk used in processing the product shall have been 

manufactured by the spray process from fluid milk produced in the United 

States in plants which are eligible for listing in Section I of the AMS 

publication “Dairy Plants Surveyed and Approved for USDA Grading 

Service”. and shall not have been previously owned by the Government.

(2) The product shall have been processed and packaged in plants which have 

been approved by AMS. The USDA AMS plant approval code must match 

the appropriate product or operation code as listed in Section I of the AMS 

publication “Dairy Plants Surveyed and Approved for USDA Grading 

Service” for the commodity offered.

E. Level of Vitamin Fortification

(1) The product shall be fortified with Vitamins A and D within a range 

between 2000 – 4200 International Units (IU) of Vitamin A, and not less 

than 400 or greater than 800 IU of Vitamin D per 100 grams of product. 

The product must be fortified with Vitamins A and D by either the wet or 

dry process in such manner as to ensure even distribution of the vitamins 

at the rate of approximately 3000 IU of Vitamin A, and 600 IU of Vitamin 

D per 100 grams of product. The vitamins must be added at a sufficient 

level to allow for loss in vitamin potency during fortification.

(2) Any product containing Vitamin A in excess of 4,200 or less than 

2,000 IU per 100 grams will be rejected, or at the discretion of the 

Contracting Officer, accepted at a discount.
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F. Vitamin Sources for Dry Process Fortification

(1) The vitamins shall be Vitamin A Palmitate (Retinyl Palmitate) or Vitamin 

A Acetate (Retinyl Acetate) and Vitamin D2 (Ergocalciferol, or activated 

Ergosterol), or D3 (activated 7-Dehydro Cholesterol). The ratio of 

vitamins added to the product shall be five (5) IU of Vitamin A to one (1) 

IU of Vitamin D. The vitamins added shall be suitably blended in a bland, 

dry, edible carrier capable of being readily dispersed when the product is 

reconstituted. Suitable carriers shall be used as permitted by the Food and 

Drug Administration (FDA).

(2) The contractor shall obtain a certification from the vitamin supplier that 

the supply of vitamins delivered to the milk processor has been tested and 

found to be substantially without flavor, readily dispersible and suitable 

for use in milk products. The contractor, by delivering the product to the 

Government, warrants the certification to be correct.

G. Vitamin Sources for Wet Process Fortification

(1) The vitamins shall be Vitamin A Palmitate (Retinyl Palmitate) and 

Vitamin D2 (Ergocalciferol or activated Ergosterol) and D3 (activated 7-

Dehydro Cholesterol). The ratio of vitamins added to the product shall be 

five (5) IU of Vitamin A to one (1) IU of Vitamin D. A small amount of 

suitable bland, edible oil may be used as a diluent and solvent for the 

purpose of adjusting potency to give not less than one million United 

States Pharmacopoeia (USP) units per gram. Suitable food grade 

antioxidant to stabilize the vitamins and food grade emulsifier shall be 

used as permitted by the FDA.

(2) Only hydrogenated coconut oil conforming to the provisions of FDA and 

the following requirements shall be used to further dilute the vitamins 

before they are added to the fluid skim milk in accordance with the 

vitamin supplier’s instructions:

Flavor Clean and Bland

Refractive Index at 104 Degrees F. 1.448 to 1.452

Iodine Value 4.0

Maximum Melting Point 98 to 102 Degrees F.

Saponification Value 250 to 260 Maximum

(3) The contractor shall obtain a certification from the vitamin supplier that 

the supply of vitamins delivered has been tested and found to be 

substantially without flavor, suitable for use in milk products, and the 

vitamin assays for Vitamin A (Palmitate), Vitamin D2 (Ergocalciferol or 

synthetic oleo Vitamin D), and Vitamin D3 (Activated 7-Dehydro 

Cholesterol) are not less than the label claim when tested by methods 

prescribed in USP XIX. The contractor, by delivering the product to the 

Government, warrants the certification to be correct.
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Section 1.2 WARRANTY

A. The product shall have a shelf life of at least one year from date of delivery to the 

Government.

B. The contractor shall be liable for losses due to excessive deterioration, mold 

development, or spoilage, which are discovered within 180 days of the date of 

delivery to the Government.

Section 1.3 QUALITY ASSURANCE

A. The contractor shall perform the product testing and quality analysis to 

ensure that the product meets the commodity specifications. The 

contractor shall verify the salmonella and listeria requirement using the 

testing procedures specified in the CID. All test results shall be evidenced 

by a Certificate of Analysis (COA). The contractor shall certify that the 

finished product meets or exceeds the requirements of the CID. If quality 

discounts are provided in the contract, and the product to be delivered by 

the contractor falls within the quality discount table, those factors shall be 

identified by an asterisk on the copies of the COA.

B. Contractors shall notify the Government immediately of lots that fail to meet 

contract requirements.

Section 1.4 QUALITY DISCOUNTS

If the product does not meet the quality specifications, but falls within the 

discounts listed, the product may be delivered to the Government, but the 

purchase price shall be reduced in accordance with the following schedules of 

discounts for each pound of commodity delivered:

Discount for Excess Moisture Content

Moisture Content Discount Per Pound

4.1% $0.01

4.2% $0.02

4.3% $0.03

4.4% $0.04

4.5% $0.05

Section 1.5 WEIGHT REQUIREMENTS

A. The product shall be packaged with 6/4-pound cartons or bags, 12/25.6 

ounce bags per shipping container or 25 kg. bags.

B. Individual shipping containers shall be packed with 6/4-pound cartons or 

bags and shall contain not less than 23.88 pounds net weight of product. 

Individual shipping containers with 12/25.6 ounce cartons or bags shall 

contain not less than 19.1 pounds net weight of product. The appropriate 

net weight shall be marked on the container.
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C. The total net weight of the product in all shipping containers test weighed 

within a lot shall not vary more than one-tenth (0.1) of one percent under 

the aggregate net weight as marked on the shipping containers in the lot.

D. Any lot of product with test weight shortage in excess of one-tenth (0.1) of 

one percent but not more than four-tenths (0.4) of one percent under the 

marked net weight of all shipping containers within the lot will be 

accepted by the Government at the following discounts below the contract 

price:

Discounts for Test Weight Shortage

Percentage of Test Weight Shortage Discount Per Lot

Greater than 0.1% up to and including 0.2% $25.00

Greater than 0.2% up to and including 0.3% $50.00

Greater than 0.3% up to and including 0.4% $75.00

E. Any lot with test weight shortage in excess of four-tenths (0.4) of one 

percent of the aggregate marked net weight of all shipping containers 

within the lot shall be rejected, or at the discretion of the contracting 

officer, accepted at discounts to be determined by the Government.

F. In addition to the discounts specified above, the individual shipping 

containers of product included in the sample test weighed in a lot which 

do not meet the minimum net weight requirements as specified above shall 

result in discounts by the Government of $10.00 for the first shipping 

container and $5.00 for each additional shipping container.
IMD4 Page 5 of 7

Part 2 CONTAINER AND PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS

Section 2.1 GENERAL

This part provides the container specifications and packaging materials requirements used 

under this contract.

Section 2.2 COMMERCIAL PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS

A. Contractors shall supply commercial brand products only and shall certify at the 

time of submission of an offer that the commercial product being delivered has a 

history of successful distribution and use in domestic commercial channels and is 

sold on the commercial market with an established level of consumer acceptance.

B. Container and packaging requirements are those customarily used in the current 

commercial shipping practices and shall comply with:

(1) Unitization requirements in Section 2.5.

(2) At contractor’s option, a statement such as “Not for Retail Sale” may be 

printed on the principal display panel of the food label.

(3) The manufacturer’s lot code/lot identification number shall be shown on 

the commercial bill of lading.

(4) Shipping containers shall be marked to show the maximum safe stacking 

height. It is the responsibility of the contractor in cooperation with the 

shipping container manufacturers to determine the safe stacking height.

(5) For identification upon receipt at delivery warehouses, all commerciallabeled product shipping documents shall specify “FOR USDA FOOD 

DISTRIBUTION PROGRAMS.”

(6) Nutritional information must be applied to all primary containers in 

accordance with the nutrition labeling regulations of the FDA as specified 

in 21 CFR Part 101. 

C. A company name or brand name shall be shown on all shipping containers.

Section 2.3 CONTAINERS AND MATERIALS

A. All containers and packaging materials shall be constructed to meet the 

requirements of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for safe contact 

with the packaged product. The contractor shall obtain and maintain 

documentation from the container or packaging material manufacturer to 

verify that the containers and packaging materials used in this contract were 

in compliance with the Government’s regulatory requirements for safe 

contact with food products as required in the Master Solicitation, Part 3, 

Section A, Number 3. 
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B. Questions concerning the containers and materials should be directed to: 

USDA/FSA/DACO 

Room 5755 – South Bldg, STOP 0551 

1400 Independence Avenue SW 

Washington, DC 20250-0551 

ATTN: Packaging 

C. If the contractor purchases packaging from a foreign country and/or the 

package and container is manufactured in a foreign country, the package and 

container SHALL NOT display country of origin labeling. Phrases similar to 

but not inclusive of, “Made in [Name of Foreign Country.]” or “Product of 

[Name of Foreign Country.]” are strictly prohibited. 

Section 2.4 25.6 OUNCE AND 4-POUND BAGS

A. The 25.6 ounce and 4-pound bags shall be made of roll stock with the following 

specifications:

Outside Structure Inside Structure Total Structure

PET (48 gauge) .48 mil

Ink - White + LDPE .7 mil

Met/PET (40 gauge) .4 mil

MDPE + LDPE 2.4 mil 3.98 mil

PET = Polyester

LDPE = Low Density Polyethylene

LLDPE = Linear Low Density Polyethylene

MDPE = Mid Density Polyethylene

Met/PET = Metalized Polyester

B. The bag shall have a flat bottom with a re-sealable top closure.

Section 2.5 UNITIZATION REQUIREMENTS

Shipments shall comply with the following unitization requirements:

A. Unless otherwise specified by the Government, all shipments of packaged 

products shall be unitized (palletized and stretch wrapped).

B. Pallets shall be:

(1) Constructed to facilitate the safe handling and transportation of the 

packaged product, as a unit, without loss or damage.

(2) A Number 2, four-way, reversible flush stringer with no broken runners or 

slats.

(3) Suitable for use in the shipment of food products.
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C. Plastic stretch wrap shall be:

(1) Constructed of a plastic film which is to be stretched a minimum of 50 

percent beyond its original length when stretched around the pallet load.

(2) Applied as tightly as possible around all tiers of the palletized shipping 

containers. The shipping containers shall be held firmly in place by the 

stretch wrap.

D. Pallet loads shall be:

(1) Stacked in such a way as to minimize the amount that shipping containers 

overhang the edges of pallets.

(2) Blocked and braced or otherwise loaded into the conveyance in a manner 

that prevents shifting during transit.

Section 2.6 MONTH/YEAR OF PACK

A. The month/year of pack shall be shown on all shipping containers.

B. A date fill code may be applied in addition to, but not in lieu of, the month/year of 

pack.

Section 2.7 LOT CODE/CERTIFICATE NUMBER

A lot code or official inspection certificate number shall be legibly marked on all 

primary shipping materials. Contractors may use any type of lot coding system 

provided a unique code is used to identify each lot under a contract. When 

requested contractors shall provide to the Government an explanation of the lot 

coding system utilized.