APPROVED

FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM SPECIFICATION 

(FPPS) FOR ONCE-FROZEN 

ALASKA POLLOCK BLOCKS

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)

Livestock, Poultry and Seed (LPS) Program 

Food Safety and Commodity Specification (FSCS) Division

Room 2628 S-Bldg, Phone: (202) 692-0342

Supersedes: FPPS APB dated April 2015 – changes from 

previous requirements in blue

Effective: April 2016

Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 06/18/09

Date Revised: 04/07/16

100 ITEM DESCRIPTION

110 Once-Frozen Alaska Pollock Blocks

120 U.S. Grade A

130 Fish blocks shall weigh approximately 16-1⁄2 pounds and shall be packed three 

(3) blocks to a master carton with a net weight of 49-1⁄2 pounds.

200 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS

210 Product shall be produced under the Food and Drug Administration regulations 

and all applicable federal Acts and regulatory references cited therein that are 

in effect on the date of production. 

300 MATERIALS

310 FISH FLESH

311 Domestic Origin of Fish Flesh – The Alaska Pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) 

shall be derived from fillets that are caught and processed in U.S. waters on a 

U.S. flagged vessel or caught in U.S. waters and processed in a facility based 

in the U.S. or U.S. Territory. 

312 U.S. Grade A - United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Fish Fillet 

Blocks. Standards for Grades shall be implemented in accordance with the 

guidance set forth in part II of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA) Handbook 25, "Inspector's Instructions for Grading 

Frozen Fish Blocks."

313 The U.S. Standards for Grades shall apply to once-frozen fish blocks that are 

rectangular shaped masses made from Alaska Pollock flesh.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 06/18/09

Date Revised: 04/07/16 2

314 The blocks shall be made from whole fillets that are skinless and boneless (pin 

bone out).

315 The blocks shall not contain minced or comminuted fish flesh. The blocks shall 

not be made by restructuring (reworking) pieces of fish blocks into the shape of 

a fish block.

316 The blocks shall not contain sodium phosphates.

317 The blocks shall never be allowed to thaw and shall have been stored at 

temperatures of 0oF or less for no more than 12 months.

318 The Pollock blocks shall be practically free of voids and ice pockets.

320 METAL DETECTION

321 All product shall be free of metal contaminates. Detection of stainless steel, 

ferrous, and non-ferrous (e.g., lead, copper, and aluminum) metals is required. 

The equipment, location, detection procedure, sensitivity levels, frequency of 

equipment validation, and corrective action procedures shall be identified and 

described.

400 PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY

410 PACKAGING AND PACKING

411 Packaging – Fresh (never previously frozen) Alaska Pollock fillets shall be 

layered into a block mold and deep frozen to produce fish blocks that are used 

as the raw material for further processing into high quality breaded and 

battered fish products. The once-frozen Alaska Pollock Blocks shall be 

wrapped or sealed to protect blocks from freezer deterioration, physical 

damage, and contamination. 

412 Fish blocks shall weigh approximately 16-1⁄2 pounds and shall be packed three 

to a master carton with a net weight of 49-1⁄2 pounds.

413 The once-frozen blocks shall be protected by a paperboard block liner and then 

packed in a cardboard master case, which reduces the likelihood of freezer 

burn or rancidity. The packaging should be uniform and completely cover the 

product. 

414 Shipping container labeling shall declare a net weight, meaning actual product 

weight.

415 Style and Size of Container – Only one size and style of bags and cases may 

be offered in an individual shipping unit. The shipping containers shall be in 

compliance with the National Motor Freight Classification, or the Uniform 

Freight Classification, as applicable.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 06/18/09

Date Revised: 04/07/16 3

416 Labeling - Cases shall be labeled to include all information required by United 

States Department of Commerce (USDC) regulations. Shipping container 

labels shall be illustrated in the contractor’s technical proposal and contain the 

following information:

416.1 USDA Shield – The shield shall be at least 2 inches high and shall appear on 

top or on the principle display panel of each case.

416.2 The applicable purchase order number.

416.3 A traceability code that includes information regarding production 

establishment, production date and production lot.

416.4 USDC Inspection Mark and Grade – The Processed Under Federal Inspection 

“PUFI” mark along with the Grade A Shield.

416.5 Material Number – 110601.

416.6 Product Name – Once-Frozen Alaska Pollock Blocks.

420 PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS

421 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 

principal display panel to facilitate certification examinations.

500 PRODUCT ASSURANCE

510 QUALITY ASSURANCE

511 All Alaska Pollock Block manufacturing facilities used in fulfilling USDA 

contracts shall be a United States Department of Commerce (USDC) Approved 

Establishment (HACCP QMP, IQA and Resident Inspector Plant) operating in 

accordance with all applicable regulations. A resident USDC inspector shall be

present in a Resident Inspector Plant during fillet block manufacturing and 

grade fillet blocks in accordance with the U.S. Grade Standards. The 

contractors shall declare the type of NMFS inspection program they are 

operating under.

520 DELIVERED PRODUCT
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 06/18/09

Date Revised: 04/07/16 4

521 Delivery Unit - Each delivery unit shall consist of 800 shipping containers with a 

net weight of 39,600 pounds. No tolerances shall be allowed.

522 All products shall be delivered to AMS assigned destinations under seal with 

tamper proof, tamper resistant, serially numbered, high security seals that meet 

the American Society for Testing and Materials Standard (ASTM) F1157-04 

and/or the International Organization for Standards (ISO) 17712-2010 as 

required under the Master Solicitation. Seals shall be 1⁄8th-inch diameter cable, 

high-security bolt, or equivalent.

530 WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION

531 Warranty – The contractor shall guarantee that the product complies with all 

specification requirements, production plan declarations, and provisions set 

forth in the Master Solicitation and Supplement.

532 Complaint Resolution – Customer complaint resolution procedures shall be 

included in the production plan. These procedures shall include: a point of 

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

replacement or monetary compensation. The procedures shall be used to 

resolve product complaints from recipient agencies or AMS.

600 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT

610 The contractor shall include a plan and supporting documentation to assure 

that non-conforming product is not delivered under USDA contracts. The plan 

shall address 1) control and segregation of non-conforming product, 2) removal 

of any USDA markings, and 3) disposition of non-conforming product, including 

vendor documentation of final disposition (e.g., diverted to commercial 

production, cooked or destroyed).

700 CONTACTOR CHECKLOADING

701 Contractor shall perform checkloading examinations at the time of shipment 

and issue a contractor’s certificate to accompany each shipment that includes 

all of the following information:

701.1 Purchase Order Number/Purchase Order Line Item Number;

701.2 Sales Order Number/Sales Order Line Item Number;

701.3 Destination of shipment;

701.4 Name of Product and applicable Material Number;

701.5 Shipping Date;

701.6 Production lot number(s) and date each lot was produced along with shipping 

container and immediate container code(s) and the code used that provides 

traceability to establishment number, production lot and date;
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 06/18/09

Date Revised: 04/07/16 5

701.7 Count of shipping containers and total projected net weight in each production 

lot;

701.8 Identity of car or truck (car numbers and letters, seals, truck license, etc.) as 

applicable;

701.9 Contractor certification that product conforms with the applicable specification 

(FPPS-APB-2016);

701.10 Count and projected net weight verified and;

701.11 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading.