Agricultural Marketing Service

Commodity Procurement Program

P.O. Box 419205, Mailstop 8718

Kansas City, MO 64141-6205

USDA COMMODITY REQUIREMENTS

DFM1

FLUID MILK

FOR USE IN DOMESTIC PROGRAMS

Effective Date: August 28, 2018

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

DFM1

FLUID MILK

FOR USE IN DOMESTIC PROGRAMS

Table of Contents

Part 1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS 1

Section 1.1 COMMODITIES 1

Section 1.2 WARRANTY 1

Section 1.3 QUALITY ASSURANCE 1

Part 2 CONTAINER AND PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS 2

Section 2.1 GENERAL 2

Section 2.2 COMMERCIALPACKAGING REQUIREMENTS 2

Section 2.3 CONTAINERS AND MATERIALS 2

Section 2.4 UNITIZATION REQUIREMENTS 3

Section 2.5 DATE AND PLANT CODE MARKINGS 3 
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Part 1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS

Section 1.1 COMMODITIES

A. Quality of Product

The fluid milk shall be Group I, pasteurized; type(s) shall be as 

stated in the Invitation for Bid (IFB), and meet the 

specifications of the Commercial Item Description (CID) A-A- 20338, in effect on the date of the solicitation, which is 

available at 

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

id.pdf. 

B. Production Requirements

(1) The product delivered to the Government shall have been

produced and processed in the United States and shall meet the 

following analytical requirements:

(a) Milk solids-not-fat – not less than 8.25 percent.

(2) The plants in which the product is to be processed shall be in 

compliance with the requirements of the latest revision of the 

United States Public Health Service / Food and Drug 

Administration Grade "A" Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO) 

and listed in the current Interstate Milk Shippers Domestic Firm 

List.

(3) Pasteurized fluid milk shall be delivered and maintained at a 

temperature of 45 degrees F or below. 

Section 1.2 WARRANTY

The product shall have a shelf life of at least 12 days from the 

delivery date, or the maximum days allowed by local or state 

regulation upon delivery, whichever is less. The “Use By”, “Sell 

By”, or “Best By” date on the container shall match this shelf life 

requirement. 

Section 1.3 QUALITY ASSURANCE

A. The contractor shall perform the product testing and quality analysis to 

ensure that the product meets the contract requirements. The quality, 

date(s) of manufacture, and weight shall be evidenced by a Certificate of 

Analysis(COA).

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

to meet contract requirements.
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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 REQUIREMENTS

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) 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 ofthe 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 DISTRIBUTIONPROGRAMS.”

C. A company name or brand name shall be shown on all shipping containers.

D. For suppliers that deliver product in reusable crates, empty crates will be 

returned to the supplier upon subsequent deliveries.

Section 2.3 CONTAINERS AND MATERIALS

A. All containers, closures, and packaging materials shall comply with FDA 

regulations and PMO Appendix J "STANDARDS FOR THE 

FABRICATION OF SINGLE-SERVICE CONTAINERS AND/OR 

CLOSURES FOR MILK AND/OR MILK PRODUCTS.”

https://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocu

mentsRegulatoryInformation/Milk/UCM612027.pdf

See links below for single-service manufacturers from domestic or foreign 

origin.

1. Certified Manufacturers Of Single-Service Containers And/Or Closures 

For Milk And/Or Milk Products - Domestic -

https://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FederalStateFoodPr

ograms/ucm2007965.htm#ss

2. Certified Manufacturers Of Single-Service Containers And/Or Closures 

For Milk And/Or Milk Products - Foreign -
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https://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FederalStateFoodProgram

s/ucm2007965.htm#sscodes

B. 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 including, but not limited to, “Made in [Name of 

Foreign Country.]” or “Product of [Name of Foreign Country.]” are strictly 

prohibited. 

Section 2.4 UNITIZATION REQUIREMENTS

Shipments shall comply with the following unitization requirements:

A. Unless otherwise specified by the Government, milk shipped in one-way 

paperboard or cardboard packaging 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 for both one-way cardboard and reusable crates shall be:

(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.

Section 2.5 DATE AND PLANT CODE MARKINGS

A. Containers shall be marked with a “Use By”, “Sell By”, or “Best By” date 

indicating the month and day of best product quality.

B. Containers shall be marked with a Federal Information Processing Standard 

(FIPS) number and a plant number assigned by the Interstate Milk Shippers 

List, in accordance with the national uniform coding system described at 

https://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FederalStateFoodPrograms

/ucm2007965.htm#nucs