I. ITEM DESCRIPTION 

Items – (1) Pork Leg (Fresh Ham) Tip, Boneless – This item shall consist of the 

knuckle (leg tip) portion of the leg (the tensor fasciae latae and 

quadriceps group). 

 (2) Pork Shoulder, Picnic, Cushion, Boneless – This item shall be 

derived from a Pork Shoulder, Picnic, Boneless and consist of the 

triceps brachii muscles. 

II. CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS 

All items must be produced in accordance with Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) 

regulations and the checklist of requirements. The contractor’s technical proposal, submitted 

to the Contracting Officer, must adhere to the following checklist of requirements.

A. ITEMS 

Contractors must describe the necessary processing steps to comply with the items 

below. 

1. PORK LEG (FRESH HAM) TIP, BONELESS 

This item shall consist of the knuckle (leg tip) portion of the leg (tensor fasciae latae

and quadriceps group). All connective tissue and tendinous ends (associated with the 

stifle joint) shall be removed by cutting flush to the adjacent lean. 

 

2. PORK SHOULDER, PICNIC, CUSHION, BONELESS 

This item shall be derived from a Pork Shoulder, Picnic, Boneless and consist of the 

triceps brachii muscles. The shank end shall be butterflied to expose and remove all 

connective tissue and tendinous ends (associated with the elbow joint) by cutting 

flush to the adjacent lean. 

B. MATERIALS 

The contractor’s technical proposal must include procedures to address conformance 

with the following material requirements. 

1. MEAT COMPONENT 

Pork derived from muscle systems set forth in Section I shall be the only meat 

component allowed. 

 

ITEM DESCRIPTION AND CHECKLIST 

OF REQUIREMENTS (IDCR) FOR PORK 

SPECIAL TRIM

Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR) 

Standards, Analysis, and Technology Branch 

Room 2607 S-Bldg, Phone: (202) 720-4486 

Effective: April 2009
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a) Domestic Origin Of Meat Component – Pork must originate from U.S. produced 

livestock as defined in the applicable announcement. 

b) Harvesting (Slaughtering) – Hogs will be harvested in facilities that comply with 

the following requirements: 

(1) Humane Handling – All hogs shall be humanely handled in accordance with 

all applicable FSIS regulations, directives, notices and AMS requirements. 

(2) Non-Ambulatory Hogs – Meat from carcasses of non-ambulatory hogs will 

not be included in USDA purchased boneless pork product. 

(3) Spinal Cord Removal – All spinal cord tissue must be removed during the 

harvest process. 

c) Boneless Pork – Boneless pork will comply with the following requirements: 

(1) Traceability – Contractors are responsible for providing sufficient product 

traceability and must have records to verify the source of raw materials used 

in each production lot. 

(2) Handling – All boneless pork must be maintained in excellent condition. The 

contractor’s technical proposal shall include detailed production scheduling 

that addresses time and temperature controls necessary to maintain 

excellent condition of the boneless pork. 

(3) Lean Quality – Fresh-chilled pork must be reasonably uniform in color 

(slightly two tone color is permissible) ranging from light pink to light red. The 

pork muscles must not exhibit any evidence of pale, soft, and/or exudative 

conditions. 

(4) Objectionable Materials – All skin, bone, cartilage, organ tissue, significant 

glandular tissue, heavy connective tissue and foreign materials shall be 

removed. 

d) Fresh-Chilled Pork – Only fresh-chilled pork which has never been previously 

frozen will be allowed. 

e) Mechanically Separated – Pork that is mechanically separated from bone with 

automatic deboning systems or advanced meat (lean) recovery (AMR) systems 

is not allowed. 

2. FAT LIMITATIONS 

Maximum average surface fat thickness – Peeled/Denuded, Surface Membrane 

Removed (90% lean exposed). Flake fat cannot exceed 1⁄8-inch in depth at any point. 
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3. STATE OF REFRIGERATION 

Fresh-Chilled or Frozen as specified in the announcement. When Fresh-Chilled is 

specified, product will be maintained and delivered at a temperature not less than 

28°F (-2.2°C) or higher than 40°F (4.4°C). When frozen is specified, product will be 

frozen to an internal temperature of not higher than 0° F (-17.8°C) within 72 hours 

from the time of final fabrication of the lot. 

C. PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY 

 The contractor’s technical proposal and process will assure that all packaging, packing, 

labeling, closure, marking, and palletization comply with the National Motor Freight 

Regulations and FSIS regulations and the requirements listed below. 

1. PACKAGING 

For Pork Special Trim to be delivered frozen, product shall be bulk packaged without 

use of plastic liner material. When Pork Special Trim is to be delivered fresh-chilled, 

product shall be placed into plastic lined combo- bins. 

2. PACKING 

Frozen bulk packaged Pork Special Trim shall be packed into containers to a net 

weight of 60 pounds. Only one style and size of leak proof container will be used for 

each item within any one delivery unit. Fresh-chilled Pork Special Trim bulk 

packaged product shall be placed in plastic lined combo-bins to a weight of between 

1850 to 2250 pounds. 

3. CLOSURE 

Sixty pound shipping containers shall be strapped. Combo-bins shall be sealed. 

4. LABELING 

Shipping container labels will be illustrated in the contractor’s technical proposal and 

contain the following information: 

(a) USDA shield at least 2 inches high and appearing on the 

top of the container or on the principle display panel. 

(b) Applicable contract number. 

(c) A traceability code that is traced back to establishment 

number, production lot, and date. 

(d) Pork Special Trim product code: Fresh: A701; Frozen: A711. 

(e) The phrase “For Further Processing Into Cooked Items" will appear on the 

principle display panel. 
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D. PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS 

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 principle 

display panel to facilitate certification examinations. 

E. DELIVERY UNIT 

The delivery unit will be 42,000 pounds net weight (18,900 kg; 700 frozen shipping 

containers or 20 fresh-chilled combo-bins). 

F. DELIVERED PRODUCT 

1. SIZE AND STYLE OF CONTAINER 

Only one size and style of immediate and shipping containers may be offered in an 

individual shipping unit. 

2. TEMPERATURE 

All products will not exceed 0° F at the time of shipment and delivery. 

3. SEALING 

All products must be delivered to AMS destinations under seal with tamper proof, 

tamper resistant, serially numbered, high security seals that meet the American 

Society for Testing and Materials Standard F 1157-04 as required under the AMS 

Master Solicitation 

G. PRODUCT ASSURANCE 

1. WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION 

a) Warranty – The contractor will warrant that the product complies with all 

specification requirements, technical proposal declarations, and provisions 

required under this Announcement. 

b) Complaint Resolution – Customer complaint resolution procedures will be 

included in the technical proposal. These procedures will include: a point of 

contact, investigation steps, intent to cooperate with AMS, and product 

replacement or monetary compensation. The procedures will be used to resolve 

product complaints from recipient agencies or AMS. 

2. NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT 

The contractor must have documented procedures that assure nonconforming 

product identification, segregation, and disposition in order to prevent misuse and 

that nonconforming product is not delivered to USDA. The plan must address 1) 

control and segregation of non-conforming product, 2) removal of any USDA 

markings, and 3) disposition of non-conforming product.