Agricultural Marketing Service

Commodity Procurement Program

1400 Independence Ave SW 

Room 3522-S, STOP-0239 

Washington, DC 20250-0239

USDA COMMODITY REQUIREMENTS

CORN PRODUCTS

FOR USE IN DOMESTIC PROGRAMS

Effective Date: June 2021

USDA is an equal opportunity lender, provider, and employer.
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USDA COMMODITY REQUIREMENTS

CORN PRODUCTS

FOR USE IN DOMESTIC PROGRAMS

Table of Contents

Part 1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS ................................................................................................ 2

Section 1.1 COMMODITIES.................................................................................................................. 2

Section 1.2 WARRANTY....................................................................................................................... 3

Section 1.3 QUALITY ASSURANCE ................................................................................................... 4

Part 2 CONTAINER AND PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS ................................................................ 4

Section 2.1 GENERAL ........................................................................................................................... 4

Section 2.2 COMMERCIAL PACKAGING AND LABELING............................................................ 4
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Part 1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS

Section 1.1 COMMODITIES

A. Quality of Cornmeal

Corn shall be tested for aflatoxin in accordance with procedures approved by the 

Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS). If the aflatoxin test proves positive, a 

quantitative test shall be performed. If the result of the quantitative test exceeds 

20 ppb, the corn shall not be used in the production of the commodity.

(1) The yellow or white cornmeal shall be degermed, and may be produced 

from yellow or white corn. 

(2) The yellow or white cornmeal, enriched delivered shall meet the 

requirements as specified in the Commercial Item Description (CID) AA-20066C (June 24, 2015) at 

http://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/CID%20Cornmeal%20

%28Yellow%20or%20White%29.pdf except for the following chemical 

and physical requirements1:

Degermed Cornmeal

Min. Max.

Moisture --- 13.5%

Fat2

--- 1.5%

Ash2

--- 0.70%

Material that will pass through a U.S. Standard Woven-Wire-Cloth-Sieve

No. 20 99 ---

No. 25 90 ---

No. 45 30 ---

No. 80 --- 20

1 All percentages are on the basis of weight.

2 These limited values are on a moisture-free basis.
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(3) The blue cornmeal delivered shall meet the requirements as specified 

in CID A-A-20066C (June 24, 2015) at

http://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/CID%20Cornmeal%

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%28Yellow%20or%20White%29.pdf and shall be Type I, Type II, if 

requested, Class A, Color 3, Granulation a. The Blue Cornmeal may be 

Agricultural practice a – Conventional or Agricultural practice b –

Organic.

The blue cornmeal shall meet the following physical granulation 

requirements:

Granulation a No. 12 

Sieve

No. 20 Sieve No. 25 Sieve No. 73 Grit 

Sieve

Coarse NLT 95% NLT 95% NMT 45% NMT 35%

The blue cornmeal shall meet the following analytical requirements:

NOTE: There are no quality discounts for blue cornmeal factors which 

fail to meet commodity specifications.

B. Quality of Corn Grits

(1) Corn shall be tested for aflatoxin in accordance with procedures 

approved by FGIS. If the aflatoxin test proves positive, a quantitative 

test shall be performed. If the result of the quantitative test exceeds 20

ppb, the corn shall not be used in the production of the commodity.

(2) The corn grits delivered shall meet the requirements as specified in CID 

A-A-20035E (October 23, 2015) at http://www.ams.usda.gov/gradesstandards/cid/bakery-items or direct to 

http://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/CID%20Hominy%20G 

rits%2C%20Enriched.pdf. The corn grits shall comply with FDA 

standards of Identity for Enriched Corn Meal, 21 CFR§ 137.260.

Section 1.2 WARRANTY

A. Yellow/white degermed cornmeal must have a shelf-life of at least one 

year from date of manufacture when stored at room temperature. 

B. Blue cornmeal must have a shelf-life of six months from the date of 

manufacture when stored frozen. 

C. Yellow/white degermed cornmeal and blue cornmeal must not be 

Types Aflatoxin Crude 

Fiber

Fat Moisture

Type 1 Whole 

Grain

NMT 20 

ppb

NLT 

1.2%

NLT 3.1% NMT 16%

Type II StonegroundNMT 20 

ppb

NLT 

1.2%

NLT 3.1% NMT 16%
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manufactured more than 60 days prior to shipment. 

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 results shall be 

evidenced by a Certificate of Analysis (COA). 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. The COA shall be maintained by the contractor. USDA 

requires the contractor to retain the COA for a minimum of seven years from 

the date of issuance.

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

contract requirements.

C. Unless otherwise specified, test methods for the finished product, and any 

ingredients therein, shall be those of the AOAC INTERNATIONAL, the 

American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC), or the American Oil 

Chemists’ Society (AOCS), as applicable and in effect on the date of issuance 

of the solicitation, or in accordance with methods that give equivalent results.

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 AND LABELING

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 used in the current 

commercial shipping practices and shall comply with: 

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

be printed on the principal display panel of the food label. 

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

on the commercial bill of lading. 

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

stacking height. It is the responsibility of the contractor in cooperation 
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with the shipping container manufacturers to determine the safe 

stacking height.

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

DISTRIBUTION PROGRAMS.” 

C. Container, packaging, and unitization requirements shall comply with Sections

4A52.211-3, 4A52.211-4, and 4A52.211-6 in the Master Solicitation for 

Commodity Procurement-Domestic Programs which is available at 

https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/MSCP.pdf.