Agricultural Marketing Service 

Commodity Procurement Staff

P.O. Box 419205, MS 8718 

Kansas City, MO 64141-6205

USDA COMMODITY REQUIREMENTS

PC12

PROCESSED CEREALS

FOR USE IN DOMESTIC PROGRAMS

Effective Date: January 22, 2016

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer
USDA COMMODITY REQUIREMENTS

PC12 PROCESSEDCEREALS

FOR USE IN DOMESTIC PROGRAMS

Table of Contents

Part 1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS 1

Section 1.1 COMMODITIES 1

Section 1.2 WARRANTY 2

Section 1.3 KOSHER ONLY PRODUCTS 2

Section 1.4 QUALITY ASSURANCE 2

Part 2 CONTAINER AND PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS 2

Section 2.1 GENERAL 2

Section 2.2 COMMERCIALPACKAGING 2

Section 2.3 CONTAINERS AND MATERIALS 3

Section 2.4 UNITIZATION 3
PC12 Page 1 of 4

Part 1 COMMODITYSPECIFICATIONS

Section 1.1 COMMODITIES

The commodity delivered shall meet the requirements as specified in the Commercial Item 

Descriptions (CID) as follows:

A. Cereals, Rolled Oats, Type I – CID A-A-20090F (April 1, 2014) at 

http://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/CID%20Cereals%2C%20Ro

lled%20Oats.pdf

B. Cereals, Wheat, Quick-Cooking and Instant, Type I (enriched farina) and Type III

(rolled wheat) – CID A-A-20108C (April 16, 2008) at 

http://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/CID%20Cereals%2C%20Wheat%2C

%20Quick-Cooking%20and%20Instant.pdf, except as may be augmented as indicated 

below:

Farina – Iron Enrichment Standards

Item

Minimum Per 

Pound

Maximum Per 

Pound

Iron, in form of Ferric 

Phosphate 1/, 2/, mg

90 140

1/ Must conform to the requirements outlined in the Food

Chemicals Codex.

2/ As an alternate, reduced iron in the form of electrolytic of

hydrogen reduced iron may be used.

C. Bulgur may be of any of the classes of wheat as defined in the “Official United States

Standards for Grain,” except mixtures of wheat of contrasting classes. The standard is

available at: http://www.gipsa.usda.gov/fgis/standards/810wheat.pdf

The wheat shall not contain more than 4.0 percent damaged kernels and shall meet the

requirements as set forth below:

Chemical and Physical Requirements

Item

Requirements 1

Minimum Maximum

Moisture -- 11.5%

Protein (N x 5.7) 2 9.3% -- 2

Crude Fiber -- 2.3%

2

Ash -- 1.8%

Foreign Material: Total 3 -- 0.2%

Material Except Other Grains 4 -- 0.05%

Scorched particles (whole or pieces of kernels) -- 0.2%

Ungelatinized particles (whole or pieces of kernels) -- 1.0%

Whole processed kernels remaining on U.S. Standard

No. 8 Woven-Wire-Cloth Sieve -- 4.0

1 All percentages are on the basis of weight. 2 These limiting values are on a moisture-free basis.

3 All material other than wheat.

4 Including grain hulls either attached or detached. Any hulls attached to product should be detached before inclusion in the hull
PC12 Page 2 of 4

fraction.

Material that will pass through U.S. Standard No. 8 

Woven-Wire-Cloth Sieve 80.0 --

Material that will pas through U.S. Standard No. 14

Woven-Wire-Cloth Sieve -- 18.0

Material that will pass through U.S. Standard No. 30

Woven-Wire-Cloth Sieve -- 0.9

D. All wheat shall be tested for vomitoxin in accordance with procedures approved by

Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS). Any wheat testing higher than 2 parts per 

million (p.p.m.) shall not be used in production of the commodity. The final product 

shall not contain more than 1 p.p.m. of vomitoxin.

Section 1.2 WARRANTY

The product shall have a shelf life of at least one year from date of manufacturer. Product shall 

not be manufactured more than 30 days prior to shipping.

Section 1.3 “KOSHER ONLY” PRODUCTS

“Kosher Only” products will be identified in the solicitation. Kosher only products shall

comply with applicable dietary (kosher) laws as established by the “613 Council of Kashruth.”

Manufacturing plants shall be certified for compliance with the aforementioned requirement by 

contacting the Board of Jewish Education of Greater New York (BJENY) at 646-472-5365. A 

rabbinic supervisor will be sent to certify compliance of the manufacturing plant with the 

dietary (kosher) laws.

Offeror shall certify that their manufacturing plant is capable of meeting applicable dietary 

(kosher) laws as established by the “613 Council of Kashruth” and certification by BJENY.

Section 1.4 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).

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

requirements.

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

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:
PC12 Page 3 of 4

(1) Unitization requirements in Section 2.4

(2) At contractor’s option, a statement such as “Not for Retail Sale” may be printed on the 

principal display panel of the food label.

(3) The manufacturer’s lot code/ lot identification number shall be shown on the 

commercial bill of lading. 

(4) Shipping containers shall be marked to show the maximum safe stacking height. It is the 

responsibility of the contractor in cooperation with the shipping container manufacturers to 

determine the safe stacking height. 

(5) For identification upon receipt at delivery warehouses, all commercial labeled product 

shipping documents shall specify “FOR USDA FOOD DISTRIBUTION 

PROGRAMS.”

Section 2.3 CONTAINERS AND MATERIALS

A. All containers and packaging shall be constructed to meet the requirements of the

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for safe contact with the packaged product.

The contractor shall obtain and maintain documentation from the container or

packaging material manufacturer to verify that the containers and packaging

materials used in this contract were in compliance with the Government’s regulatory

requirements for safe contact with food products as required in the Master

Solicitation, Part 3, Section A, Number 3.

B. Questions concerning the containers and materials should be directed to:

Senior Contacting Officer

Ray Boyd-Phone: (816) 926-2612-Email Address: Roy.Boyd@ams.usda.gov

C. If the contractor purchases packaging and container ingredients from a foreign

country and/or the package and container is manufactured in a foreign country, the

package and container SHALL NOT display country of origin labeling. Phrases

similar to but not inclusive of, “Made in [Name of Foreign Country.]” or “Product of

[Name of Foreign Country.]” are strictly prohibited.

Section 2.4 UNITIZATION

Shipments shall comply with the following unitization requirements:

A. Unless otherwise specified by the Government, all shipments of packaged products shall be 

unitized (palletized and stretch wrapped). 

B. Pallets shall be: 

(1) Constructed to facilitate the safe handling and transportation of the packaged product, as a 

unit, without loss or damage. 

(2) A Number 2, four-way, reversible flush stringer with no broken runners or slats. 

(3) Suitable for use in the shipment of food products. 

C. Plastic stretch wrap shall be: 

(1) Constructed of a plastic film which is to be stretched a minimum of 50 percent beyond its 

original length when stretched around the pallet load. 

(2) Applied as tightly as possible around all tiers of the palletized shipping containers. The 

shipping containers shall be held firmly in place by the stretch wrap. 

D. Pallet loads shall be: 
PC12 Page 4 of 4

(1) Stacked in such a way as to minimize the amount that shipping containers overhang the 

edges of pallets. 

(2) Blocked and braced or otherwise loaded into the conveyance in a manner that prevents 

shifting during transit.