Agricultural Marketing Service

Commodity Procurement Program

P.O. Box 419205, Mailstop 8718

Kansas City, MO 64141-6205

USDA COMMODITY REQUIREMENTS

FC11

Fortified (Ready-To-Eat) Cereal Products

FOR USE IN

DOMESTICPROGRAMS

Effective Date: 02/22/2019

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

FC11

FORTIFIED (READY-TO-EAT) CEREAL 

PRODUCTS 

FOR USE IN DOMESTIC PROGRAMS

Table of Contents

Part 1 COMMODITYSPECIFICATIONS ...........................................................................................1

Section 1.1 COMMODITIES .............................................................................................................1

Section 1.2 WARRANTY ..................................................................................................................1

Section 1.3 QUALITYASSURANCE ...............................................................................................1

Part 2 CONTAINER AND PACKAGINGREQUIREMENTS.............................................................1

Section 2.1 GENERAL.......................................................................................................................1

Section 2.2 COMMERCIAL PACKAGINGREQUIREMENTS.......................................................2

Section 2.3 CONTAINERS ANDMATERIALS ...............................................................................2

Section 2.4 UNITIZATIONREQUIREMENTS.................................................................................3
FC11 Page 1 of 3

Part 1 COMMODITYSPECIFICATIONS

Section 1.1 COMMODITIES

A. Quality of the Product

The fortified ready-to-eat cereal shall be as stated in the Invitation for Bid (IFB), 

and meet the specifications of the Commercial Item Description (CID) A-A20000

in effect on the date of the Solicitation/IFB. The CIDs are published separately 

and can be found at: 

https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/cids

Note the following exception: the expanded/extruded manufacturing process is 

excluded from all types and classifications of the cereal products allowed in Part 3 

of the CID.

B. Manufacturing/CookingProcess.

(1) The manufacturing/cooking process required for non-extruded cereals 

(corn flakes, bran flakes, and crisp rice) shall be the conventional batch 

method. The process for the corn square cereal or the corn and rice biscuit 

cereal may be the conventional batch method or the extruded method. The 

process for the oat circle cereal shall be produced by the extruded method. 

When the extruded method is used for shaped cereals (corn squares, corn 

and rice biscuits, or oat circles), it shall include dry and/or tempering of 

the product followed by gun or ovenpuffing.

(2) The main ingredient for the cereal products shall consist of whole grain 

kernels, parts of kernels, or flaking grits for the conventional batch 

method. When using the extruded process for shaped cereals only, whole 

grain flour (includes the bran) or meal shall be used.

C. Product TestingRequirement.

Corn used for a product delivered shall be sampled and tested for the Cry9C 

protein pursuant to the Food and Drug Administration guidelines and such test 

results shall be negative.

Section 1.2 WARRANTY

A. Upon receipt, the product shall have a remaining shelf-life of at least 220 days.

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).

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

contractrequirements.

Part 2 CONTAINER AND PACKAGINGREQUIREMENTS

Section 2.1 GENERAL

This part provides the container specifications and packaging materials requirements 
FC11 Page 2 of 3

used under this contract.

Section 2.2 COMMERCIAL PACKAGINGREQUIREMENTS

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 complywith:

(1) Unitization requirements in Section2.4.

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

printed on the principal display panel of the foodlabel.

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

the commercial bill oflading.

(4) It is the responsibility of the contractor in cooperation with the shipping

container manufacturers to determine the safe stacking height. As 

applicable, it is the responsibility of the contractor to communicate safe 

stacking height to recipients.

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

DISTRIBUTIONPROGRAMS.”

C. The Boxed cereal shall be packed in a pouch and placed in a fiberboard 

carton. The pouch and carton shall be of a type normally used in commercial

channels.

D. Bowl pack cereal shall be packed in a single-serve bowl and covered with 

plastic film. The bowl and film shall be of a type normally used in 

commercial channels.

Section 2.3 CONTAINERS ANDMATERIALS

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. 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 [Nameof Foreign Country.]” are 

strictly prohibited.
FC11 Page 3 of 3

Section 2.4 UNITIZATIONREQUIREMENTS

Shipments shall comply with the following unitization requirements:

A. Unless otherwise specified by the Government, all shipments of fortified

cereals:

(1) May be slip-sheeted or palletized

(2) Must be stretch wrapped 

B. Slip-sheeted loads shallbe:

(1) Held in place with a plastic film stretched to a minimum of 50 percent 

beyond its original length when stretched around the unit load.

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

that prevents shifting duringtransit.

C. Free Time Allowance.

(1) Some receiving destinations may not be equipped for unloading slipsheeted product. The Government requires contractors to allow free 

time up to six (6) hours for unloading trucks at intermediate and final 

destinations. Full and split loads shall be allowed the same free time.

(2) Free time allowance is computed from the time of arrival or time of 

scheduled unloading, whichever is later. Charges for detention beyond the 

free time required by the Government will be for the account of the 

consignee.