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A-A-20378

March 30, 2016

COMMERCIAL ITEM DESCRIPTION

WILD RICE

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

the use of this Commercial Item Description (CID).

1. SCOPE. This CID covers wild rice 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.1

2. PURCHASER NOTES.

2.1 Purchasers must specify the following:

- Type(s), agricultural practice(s), growing condition(s), harvesting, and processing of wild 

rice required (Sec. 3).

- When the age requirement is different than specified (Sec. 5.4).

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

- 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 wild rice must conform to the following list which must be 

specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order.

Types, agricultural practices, growing conditions, harvesting, and processing.

2

Type I - Wild rice (Zizania palustris L.)

Type II - Wild rice (Zizania aquatica)

Type III - Other (as specified by purchaser)

 

1 USDA purchase specifications are available at: https://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food/product-specs.

2 Not all options are available from every manufacturer. Check with the manufacturer/distributor for availability.

METRIC
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Agricultural practice A - Conventional

Agricultural practice B - Organic

Growing condition 1 - Lake and/or river grown

Growing condition 2 - Cultivated or paddy grown

Harvesting a - Hand harvested

Harvesting b - Mechanically harvested

Processing 1) - Wood (hand) parched

Processing 2) - Mechanically parched

Processing 3) - Parboiled

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

products must meet the requirements of the:

- 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 wild rice must be processed in accordance with Current Good 

Manufacturing Practices (21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 110).

5.2 Food defense. The wild rice must be processed and transported in accordance with 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 defense preventive measures provides 

for the security of the processor’s operations and includes the storage and transportation of preproduction raw materials, other ingredients, and post-production finished product.

5.3 Organic wild rice. When organic wild rice is specified in the solicitation, contract, or 

purchase order, the wild rice must be produced, handled, and labeled in accordance with the 

 

3

http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/FoodDefense/ucm083075.htm.
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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 

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 wild rice must be processed and packaged from the latest year’s crop and must be less

than 12 months old prior to delivery to the purchaser.

6. SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS.

6.1 Definitions.

6.1.1 Lake and/or river grown. Lake and/or river grown wild rice is a self-seeding grass that 

is seeded in the fall when the seed is shattered during the slightest wind, falls, and sinks to the 

bottom of the lake and/or river.

6.1.2 Cultivated or paddy grown. Cultivated or paddy grown wild rice is grown in fields that 

have permanent field dikes that allow the wild rice to be grown in shallow water conditions

required for growth and allow for water drainage to facilitate harvest by combines.

6.1.3 Hand harvested. Hand harvested wild rice must be harvested from a canoe following 

traditional methods used by Native Americans, such as utilizing only a pole for power and two 

rice beater sticks as flails to knock the mature seeds into the bottom of the canoe.

6.1.4 Wood (hand) parched. Wood (hand) parched wild rice is rice roasted following 

traditional methods used by Native Americans, such as in a cast-iron kettle over a fire and stirred 

with a wood paddle to reduce the moisture in the kernels.

6.1.5 Mechanically parched. Wild rice is processed following commercial processing in 

rotating drums to reduce the moisture in kernels.

6.1.6 Parboiled. Parboiled wild rice is processed following commercial processing in steamjacketed kettles to reduce the moisture in the kernels of rice.

6.2 Raw ingredients. The wild rice will be made from clean, sound wild rice for the type of

wild rice specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order.

6.3 Finished product.

6.3.1 Aroma and flavor. The wild rice must possess a natural wild rice nutty taste and aroma, 

and be free from rancid, bitter, musty, and other objectionable odors and flavors.
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6.3.2 Color. The Processing 1) wild rice must have a blond tan to tan color. The Processing 2) 

wild rice must have a brownish tan color. The Processing 3) wild rice must have a shiny dark 

brown to black color.

6.3.3 Defects. The wild rice must be free from any defect that more than slightly affects the 

appearance or eating quality. The wild rice kernels must contain less than 20 percent broken 

wild rice kernels by weight.

6.3.4 Foreign material. The wild rice must be free from all extraneous plant material.

7. ANALYTICAL REQUIREMENTS.

7.1 Analytical and microbiological requirements. Unless otherwise specified in the 

solicitation, contract, or purchase order, the analytical requirements for the wild rice will meet 

the following requirements.

Test Tolerance

Moisture Less than 10.0 percent

Standard Plate Count Less than 500,000 Colony Forming Units (CFU) per 

gram (g)

Mold and Yeast Less than 100 CFU per g

Coliform Less than 10 CFU per g or Most Probable Number 

(MPN) per g

Escherichia coli (E. coli) Less than 10 CFU per g or MPN per g

Aflatoxin Less than 20 part per billion (ppb)

Salmonella Negative

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

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

7.3 Verification procedures.

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

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

7.3.2 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 or retail packages randomly selected from the lot. The number of subsamples must 

be based on Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) Processed Commodities Handbook, 
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http://www.gipsa.usda.gov/fgis/handbook/processcommodities_inspec.aspx. The contents of 

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

7.4 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) or an equivalent method with the American Association of 

Cereal Chemists (AACC) International.

Test Method

Moisture AOAC 925.09B, AACC 44-15

Standard Plate Count 2008.10, 986.32, 988.18, or 990.12

Yeast and Mold 997.02, 2002.11

Coliform 991.14, 992.30, 990.11

E. coli 2009.02, 966.24, 991.14, or 992.30

Aflatoxin 991.31 A-G and 991.31 A-F followed by H

Salmonella 996.08, 2004.03, 2003.09, or 2001.08

7.5 Test results. Test results for moisture must be reported to the nearest percent. The test 

results for standard plate count and yeast and mold must be reported to the nearest 10 CFU per g. 

The test results for Coliform and E. coli must be reported to the nearest CFU or MPN. The test 

results for aflatoxin must be reported to the nearest 1 ppb. The test results for Salmonella must 

be reported as positive or negative. 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 wild rice provided meets the salient characteristics of this CID, 

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

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

proof of conformance.

9. REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS. The delivered wild rice must comply with all 

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

packaging, labeling, storage, distribution, and sale of the wild rice in the commercial 

marketplace. Delivered wild rice must comply with all applicable provisions of the Federal 

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

promulgated thereunder.

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

Defense System Survey (FDSS) must be conducted by USDA, 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 pre-production 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 the FDA’s Guidance for Industry - Food Producers, Processors, and Transporters: 

Food Security Preventive Measures Guidance.3

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 the FDA’s Guidance for 

Industry - Food Producers, Processors, and Transporters: Food Security Preventive Measures 

Guidance.3

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 

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. An AMS plant survey audit verifies that, at the time of the survey, the manufacturer 

produces products in a clean sanitary environment in accordance with Current Good 

Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packing, or Holding Human Food (21 CFR Part 

110).

3 See footnote 3 on page 2.
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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. 

An AMS PSA verifies the manufacturer's capability to produce products in a clean sanitary 

environment in accordance with Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing,

Packing, or Holding Human Food (21 CFR Part 110), 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 wild rice distributed meets or 

exceeds 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 wild 

rice meets 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 FGIS must be the certifying 

program. FGIS inspectors must certify the quality and acceptability of the wild rice in 

accordance with FGIS procedures, which include selecting random samples of the wild rice, 

evaluating the samples for conformance with the salient characteristics and analytical 

requirements 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 wild rice 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.

12. USDA INSPECTION NOTES. When Section 10.4 is specified in the solicitation, 

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

condition of samples of wild rice 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, Science and Technology Program (S&TP) 

laboratory for analysis.

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

order).
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13. REFERENCE NOTES.

13.1 USDA certification services.

13.1.1 Federal Grain Inspection Service. For USDA, FGIS certification, contact the Policies, 

Procedures, and Market Analysis Branch, Field Management Division, Grain Inspection, 

Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA), STOP 3632, 1400 Independence Avenue, 

SW, Washington, DC 20250-3632, telephone (202) 720-0277, fax (202) 720-1015, or via Email: Andrew.S.Greenfield@usda.gov.

13.1.2 USDA Plant Survey. For a USDA plant survey contact the Associate Director, 

Inspection Operations, SCI Division, SCP, AMS, USDA, Room 1536 South Building, STOP 

0240, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0240, telephone (202) 720-

2482, fax (202) 720-0393, or via E-mail: Nathaniel.Taylor@ams.usda.gov.

13.1.3 USDA FDSS, and PSA. For a USDA FDSS and PSA contact the Chief, Auditing 

Services Branch, SCI Division, SCP, AMS, USDA, Room 1536 South Building, STOP 0247, 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0247, telephone (202) 720-5021, 

fax (202) 260-8927, or via E-mail: fvaudits@ams.usda.gov.

13.2 USDA analytical testing and technical information services.

13.2.1 FGIS contacts. For FGIS technical information on analytical testing, contact Jason 

Vanfossan, FGIS, GIPSA, TSD, USDA, 10383 Ambassador Drive, Kansas City, MO 64153, 

telephone (816) 891-0474, fax (816) 891-7314 or via E-mail: Jason.D.Vanfossan@usda.gov.

13.2.2 AMS contacts. For AMS technical information on analytical testing, contact a member 

of the Laboratory Approval and Testing Division, S&TP, AMS, USDA, STOP 0272, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0272, telephone (202) 690-0621 or via 

E-mail: KerryR.Smith@ams.usda.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, 2275 

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

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

members and AOAC OMA subscribers. 
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Copies of the Approved Methods of the AACC International may be obtained from: AACC 

International, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121-2097; telephone (651) 454-7250, 

fax (651) 454-0766, or via E-mail aacc@scisoc.org or on the Internet at: 

http://www.aaccnet.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 National Organic Program are contained in 7 CFR Part 205, 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 

Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) on the Internet at: 

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

/FoodDefense/ucm083075.htm.

Copies of the FGIS Processed Commodities Handbook is available online from: FGIS on the 

Internet at: http://www.gipsa.usda.gov/fgis/handbook/processcommodities_inspec.aspx.

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, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, 

STOP 0240, Washington, DC 20250, via E-mail: CIDS@ams.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 ACTIVITIES:

DOJ - BOP

HHS - FDA

USDA - SCP

VA - OSS

PREPARING ACTIVITY: 

USDA - SCP
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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 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 http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html 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.