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METRIC

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November 27, 2018

SUPERSEDING

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December 22, 2008

COMMERCIAL ITEM DESCRIPTION

CEREAL, PREPARED, READY-TO-EAT 

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

the use of this Commercial Item Description (CID).

1. SCOPE. This CID covers prepared ready to-eat cereal (cereal), 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), class(es), style(s), grain composition(s), packaging type(s), and agricultural 

practice(s) desired (Sec. 3).

• When nutrient content(s) must be met (Sec. 3).

• When the age requirement at the time of delivery is other than specified (Sec. 5.4).

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

2.2 Purchasers may specify the following:

• When BHA and BHT preservatives may be used (Sec. 6.4).

• 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 cereal must conform to the following list which must be specified 

in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order.

 1 USDA purchase specifications are available at: https://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food/product-specs.
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Types, classes, styles, grain compositions, when applicable, nutrient content, packaging 

types, and agricultural practices.

2

Type I - Wheat products

Class 1 - Shredded whole wheat

Style A - Large shredded wheat biscuits

Style B - Small shredded wheat biscuits

Style C - Loose shredded wheat

Style D - Medium shredded wheat biscuits

Style E - Small shredded wheat biscuits, coated

Style F - Medium shredded wheat biscuits, coated

Style G - Small shredded wheat biscuits, fruit-filled

Style H - Other (as specified by the purchaser)

Class 2 - Pressed-flake whole-wheat biscuits

Class 3 - Wheat flakes

Class 4 - Malted wheat flakes

Class 5 - Bran flakes (25 to 40 percent)

Class 6 - Bran flakes (25 to 40 percent) and raisins

Class 7 - Wheat bran (prepared)

Class 8 - Puffed wheat (gun-puffed)

Class 9 - Puffed wheat (gun-puffed), coated

Class 10 - Malted cereal granules

Class 11 - Malted cereal granules and raisins

Class 12 - Wheat bran biscuits

Class 13 - Wheat cereal (expanded/extruded), coated

Class 14 - Wheat flakes, dried fruit and nuts

Class 15 - Wheat flakes with raisins

Class 16 - Bran flakes with fruit

Class 17 - Wheat bran with fruit and nuts

Class 18 - Other (as specified by the purchaser)

Type II - Corn products

Class 1 - Corn flakes

Class 2 - Corn flakes, coated

Class 3 - Corn cereal (gun-puffed)

Class 4 - Corn cereal (gun-puffed), coated, with or without fruit or cinnamon or other 

flavorings, with or without dried fruit

Class 5 - Shredded corn, small biscuits (oven-puffed)

Class 6 - Corn cereal (oven-puffed)

Class 7 - Corn cereal with oats, small biscuits (oven-puffed), coated or uncoated

Class 8 - Corn cereal (expanded/extruded)

 2 Not all options are available from every manufacturer. Check with the manufacturer/distributor for availability.
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Class 9 - Corn cereal (expanded/extruded), coated

Class 10 - Corn cereal with oats, small biscuits (oven-puffed)

Class 11 - Other (as specified by the purchaser)

Type III - Rice products

Class 1 - Puffed rice (gun-puffed)

Class 2 - Rice cereal (oven-puffed)

Class 3 - Rice cereal (oven-puffed), coated, with or without cocoa

Class 4 - Rice flakes

Class 5 - Rice flakes or granules, protein enriched

Style A - High rice component

Style B - Low rice component

Class 6 - Shredded rice, small biscuits (oven-puffed)

Class 7 - Puffed rice (gun-puffed), coated

Class 8 - Rice flakes with rye and raisins

Class 9 - Rice cereal (expanded/extruded)

Class 10 - Other (as specified by the purchaser)

Type IV - Oat products

Class 1 - Oat cereal (oven- or gun-puffed)

Class 2 - Oat cereal (oven- or gun-puffed), coated

Class 3 - Oat cereal (other than oven- or gun-puffed)

Style A - Biscuits

Style B - Flakes or granules

Class 4 - Oat flakes

Class 5 - Oat cereal (expanded/extruded), coated

Class 6 - Granola cereal (agglomerate of rolled oats with optional ingredients including 

coconut, brown sugar, honey, nuts, sesame seeds, etc.)

Class 7 - Granola cereal and dried fruit (agglomerate of rolled oats with optional ingredients 

including coconut, brown sugar, honey, nuts, sesame seeds, etc.)

Class 8 - Oat cereal with soy and corn flours, small biscuits, oven puffed, cooked

Class 9 - Oatmeal flakes with fruit and nuts

Class 10 - Oat bran flakes

Class 11 - Oat bran flakes with raisins

Class 12 - Oat bran flakes with fruit

Class 13 - Oat bran flakes with fruit and nuts

Class 14 - Other (as specified by the purchaser)

Type V - Rye Products

Class 1 - Rye flakes

Class 2 - Other (as specified by the purchaser)
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Type VI - Barley Products

Class 1 - Barley flakes

Class 2 - Other (as specified by the purchaser)

Type VII - Combination grain products. Product may be a combination of two or more 

grains.

Class 1 - Wheat and barley flakes

Class 2 - Whole wheat and buckwheat flakes

Class 3 - Puffed oat and wheat

Class 4 - Puffed corn and oats

Class 5 - Oat and soy squares or biscuits

Class 6 - Cinnamon oat and soy squares or biscuits

Class 7 - Wheat bran and corn squares or biscuits

Class 8 - Corn, oat, wheat, and rice flakes

Class 9 - Whole wheat, corn, rice, and oat flakes

Class 10 - Whole wheat, corn, rice, and oat flakes with fruits and nuts

Class 11 - Rice and wheat flakes

Class 12 - Corn bran and oat

Class 13 - Rice and corn flakes with raisins and almonds

Class 14 - Barley, oat, wheat, corn, and rice cereal with fruit and nuts

Class 15 - Puffed corn, wheat, and oat

Class 16 - Wheat bran and oat bran nuggets

Class 17 - Corn and rice biscuits

Class 18 - Rice and rye flakes with fruit

Class 19 - Barley, oat, wheat, corn, and rice cereal

Class 20 - Corn and oat biscuits, presweetened

Class 21 - Granola cereal, low fat (agglomerate of whole grain oats and whole grain wheat 

with optional ingredients including brown sugar, raisins, rice, and almonds)

Class 22 - Other (as specified by the purchaser)

Grain composition a - Made from whole grains

Grain composition b - Made from a combination of whole and refined grains

Grain composition c - Made from refined grains

When nutrient content must be met:

Fiber 1) - Made with at least 2.5 - 5.0 gram (g) per serving as a good source.

Fiber 2) - Made with 5.1 g or more per serving as a high fiber source.

Sugar a) - Made with less than or equal to 21.1 g sucrose and other sugars per 100 g dry cereal 

(less than or equal to 6 g per dry ounce (oz)).
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Sugar b) - Made with 21.2 to 28.1 g sucrose and other sugars per 100 g dry cereal (6 to 8 g per 

dry oz).

Sugar c) - Made with more than 28.2 g sucrose and other sugars per 100 g dry cereal (more 

than 9 g per dry oz).

Fat (1) - Contains less than or equal to 9.1 to 9.3 g of fat per 100 g serving.

Fat (2) - Contains more than 9.4 g of fat per 100 g serving.

Sodium (a) - Contains less than or equal to 600 milligrams (mg) of sodium per 100 g serving.

Sodium (b) - Contains more than 600 mg of sodium per 100 g serving.

Packaging type (i) - Individual serving cup3

Packaging type (ii) - Individual serving box3

Packaging type (iii) - Individual serving bowl3

Packaging type (iv) - Multiple serving box3

Packaging type (v) - Multiple serving gusseted bag3

Packaging type (vi) - Multiple serving bag without gussets3

Packaging type (vii) - Other (as specified by the purchaser)

Agricultural practice (aa) - Conventional

Agricultural practice (bb) - Organic

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).

• 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 cereal must be processed in accordance with Current Good Manufacturing 

Practice (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.

 3 Product weight depends on the class and style of cereal specified by the purchaser.
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5.2 Food defense. The cereal must be processed and transported in accordance with the Food 

and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Guidance for Industry: Mitigation Strategies to Protect

Food Against Intentional Adulteration.

4

 This guidance 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 preproduction raw materials, other ingredients, and post-production finished product.

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

purchase order, the organic cereal 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 

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 cereal must be processed and packaged not more than 90 days prior to delivery to the 

purchaser. 

6. SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS.

6.1 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.

6.2 Health claims. When the cereal label bears the health claim of “Whole Grain Foods with 

Moderate Fat Content,” the cereal must: (1) contain a minimum of 51 percent whole grains 

(using dietary fiber as a marker); (2) meet the definitions for “low saturated fat” and “low 

cholesterol”; (3) bear quantitative trans-fat labeling; and (4) contain less than 6.5 g total fat and 

0.5 g or less trans-fat per reference amount customarily consumed.

6.3. Grain composition. When “grain composition a” is selected, the cereal must contain a 

minimum of 51 percent whole grain ingredients. In addition, the primary ingredient(s) must be 

whole grains, i.e., whole wheat, whole oats, etc. When “grain composition b is selected, the 

primary ingredients of the cereal must be prepared from a combination of whole and refined 

grains. When “grain composition c is selected, the cereal must be prepared from refined grains.

6.4 Additional processing ingredients. When specified in the solicitation, contract, or 

purchase order, BHA and/or BHT may be used. When used, all additional ingredients must meet 

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

 4 https://www.fda.gov/food/guidanceregulation/guidancedocumentsregulatoryinformation/ucm562216.htm.
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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).

6.5 Flavor and aroma. The cereal must have good characteristic taste and aroma and must be 

free from rancid, musty, sour, and other undesirable tastes and odors.

6.6 Foreign material. All 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.

7. ANALYTICAL REQUIREMENTS. NOT APPLICABLE.

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

distributor must certify that the cereal provided meets the salient characteristics of this CID, 

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

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

proof of conformance.

9. REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS. The delivered cereal 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 cereal in the commercial marketplace. 

Delivered cereal 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 cereal, the cereal 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, 
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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: Mitigation Strategies to Protect Food Against 

Intentional Adulteration.

5

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: Mitigation Strategies to Protect Food Against Intentional Adulteration.

5

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. 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, and as applicable to the 

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

program.

 5 See footnote 4 on page 6.
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10.3 Manufacturer’s/distributor’s certification. When required in the solicitation, contract, 

or purchase order, the manufacturer/distributor must certify that the cereal delivered meets or 

exceeds the requirements 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, Federal Grain 

Inspection Service (FGIS) Program inspectors, must be the certifying program. FGIS inspectors 

must certify the quality and acceptability of the cereal in accordance with FGIS procedures, 

which include selecting random samples of the cereal, 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 cereal 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 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 cereal and compliance with requirements in the following areas:

• Processing guidelines (Sec. 5).

• Salient characteristics (Sec. 6).

• 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@ams.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@ams.usda.gov.
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13.2 Sources of documents.

13.2.1 Source of information for nongovernmental document is as follows:

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 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: Mitigation Strategies to Protect Food Against Intentional 

Adulteration is available online from: FDA, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition 

(CFSAN) on the Internet at: 

https://www.fda.gov/food/guidanceregulation/guidancedocumentsregulatoryinformation/uc

m562216.htm.

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@ams.usda.gov or on the Internet at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/gradesstandards/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
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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 

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.