Agricultural Marketing Service

Commodity Procurement Program

P.O. Box 419205, Mailstop 8718

Kansas City, MO 64141-6205

USDA COMMODITY REQUIREMENTS

NATURAL PEPPER JACK CHEESE

(MONTEREY JACK CHEESE WITH PEPPERS)

FOR USE IN DOMESTIC PROGRAMS

Effective Date: January 2020
USDA COMMODITY REQUIREMENTS

NATURAL PEPPER JACK CHEESE

(MONTEREY JACK CHEESE WITH PEPPERS)

FOR USE IN DOMESTIC PROGRAMS

Table of Contents

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

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

Section 1.2 QUALITY ASSURANCE........................................................................................ 3

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

Section 2.1 COMMERCIAL PACKAGING AND LABELING ................................................ 4

Section 2.2 MONTH/YEAR OF PACK...................................................................................... 5

Section 2.3 MATERIALS............................................................................................................ 5
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Part 1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS 

Section 1.1 COMMODITIES

Product Requirements

A. The cheese shall comply with all applicable Federal regulations including, but not limited to, 

those contained in 21 CFR § 133.153 for Monterey cheese and Monterey Jack cheese and 

flavored Standardized Cheeses as defined in 21 CFR § 133.193. Exceptions to the moisture

requirements in 21 CFR § 133.153 are outlined in Section 1.1, “Composition Requirements” for 

shredded cheese. 

B. The cheese shall contain an even distribution of brined jalapeno peppers. Serrano peppers 

and/or red bell peppers may be included.

C. The shredded cheese shall comply with 21 CFR § 133.146 for grated cheeses.

D. The cheese shall be prepared and packaged in accordance with good manufacturing practices 

(21 CFR Part 110).

E. The delivered cheese shall comply with all applicable Federal and State mandatory 

requirements and regulations relating to the preparation, packaging, labeling, storage, 

distribution, and sale of the cheese within the commercial marketplace. 

Production Requirements

A. The cheese delivered to the Government shall have been manufactured from pasteurized milk 

that was produced in the United States and not previously owned by the Government, and in 

plants that were inspected and approved by the Dairy Grading Branch (DGB), Dairy Programs

(DP), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). The USDA AMS plant approval code must 

match the appropriate product or operation code for the commodity being offered. All 

manufacturers are required to give at least seven days advance notice of Commodity 

Procurement production schedules to Dairy Grading Branch.

B. All dairy ingredients shall be pasteurized at a temperature of not less than 71.7°C (161°F) for a 

period of not less than 15 seconds, or for a time and at a temperature equivalent thereto in 

phosphatase destruction.

C. Dairy ingredients used in the manufacture of cheese shall originate from a plant that has been 

approved by the Dairy Grading Branch (DGB), Dairy Programs (DP), Agricultural Marketing 

Service (AMS), USDA. The USDA AMS plant approval code must match the appropriate 

product or operation code for the dairy ingredient being used.

D. Cheese used for cutting shall be clean, free from impurities, mold, rindrot, soft spots, salt spots, 

pests, and other similar defects.

E. A mold inhibitor may be applied in accordance with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
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F. Cheese which deviates from the specifications contained herein will be rejected or, at the 

discretion of the contracting officer, accepted at discounts to be determined by the Government.

G. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, the presence of any extraneous material in 

the natural pepper jack cheese will be the basis for rejection.

Product Age and Temperature Requirements

Cheese product age and temperature requirements shall comply with the following:

Requirement Description

Product Age No lot or sublot may contain cheese having a variation of over 5 to 10 days 

in dates of manufacture.

The cheese shall be stored at 38 ̊ to 42 ̊F (3.3 ̊ to 7.2°C) prior to inspection.

Temperature At the time of delivery, the cheese shall have a temperature of no higher 

than 45°F.

Composition Requirements

Pepper Jack cheese shall meet the composition requirements in Section 1.1, Product Requirements, Part 

A, with the following exceptions for shredded cheese:

Composition Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese

pH 4.95-5.3

Moisture Shall not exceed 42.5%

Fat (dry basis) 50-55%

Salt 1.4-2%

Microbiological Requirements

Pepper Jack cheese shall meet the following microbiological requirements:

Coliform <10 cfu/g

Yeast & Mold <100 cfu/g

E. coli Negative

Staphylococcus aureus <10 cfu/g

Listeria Negative per 25 grams

Salmonella Negative per 375 grams

Physical Analysis

Pepper Jack cheese physical analysis requirements shall comply with the following:
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Pepper Jack Cheese

Flavor: Cheese shall have a mild to medium spiced jalapeno flavor and shall possess a characteristic 

Pepper Jack cheese flavor. Cheese shall meet the flavor requirements of U.S. Grade A or better according 

to the U.S. Standards for Grades of Monterey Cheese, which are available at

https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Monterey_Jack_Cheese_Standard%5B1%5D.pdf. 

Body and Texture: Pepper Jack cheese prior to shredding may have the following body and texture 

characteristics to a very slight degree: mealy, weak, or pasty. The cheese shall have a slightly open 

texture and be free from all foreign and extraneous materials. Shredded Pepper Jack cheese shall be 

feather shredded and have a height and width up to 3/16 inch in either dimension. Shredded Pepper Jack

cheese shall be free flowing and shall not be matted. An approved anticaking agent may be added as a 

processing aid. If an anticaking agent is used, the amount used shall be the minimum required to produce 

the desired effect but shall not exceed 2.0% of the weight of the shredded Pepper Jack cheese.

Color and Appearance: Cheese shall be white to light in color with an even distribution of peppers. 

Colors from peppers shall not smear or bleed. No visible signs of mold shall be permitted.

Fines: Shredded Pepper Jack cheese shall contain not more than 6.0% fines. For shreds whose height 

and/or width is 1/16 inch or less, the fines content shall be determined using a Standard Test Sieve #14 

(1.4 mm). For shreds whose height and/or width is greater than 1/16 inch, the fines content shall be 

determined using Standard Test Sieve #8 (2.36 mm).

Note: The manufacturer shall provide shred size information. This information will determine the sieve 

used to measure the fines content. If shred size information is not provided, the Standard Test Sieve #8 

will be used.

A. The cheese shall be evaluated through a qualitive procedure to measure the characteristics 

of the melting profile. The cheese shall melt completely and evenly.

B. Manufacturer’s/Distributor’s Product Assurance. The manufacturer/distributor shall certify 

that the cheese provided shall meet the requirement of this CRD, conform to their own 

specifications, standards, and quality assurance practices, and be the same cheese offered 

for sale in the commercial market. The USDA reserves the right to require proof of

conformance.

C. The contractor shall be liable for losses due to excessive deterioration, mold development, 

or spoilage, which are discovered within 120 days from pack date (blocks) or 90 days from 

pack date (shreds). 

Section 1.2 QUALITY ASSURANCE

A. Manufacturers must request for AMS Dairy Program to evaluate samples of finished product for 

each production run in Section One plants of the Dairy Plants Surveyed and Approved for USDA 

Grading Service list. Manufacturers must request AMS Dairy Program to be present for continuous 

online inspection for each production run in Section Two plants of the Dairy Plants Surveyed and 

Approved for USDA Grading Service list. The quality, date(s) of manufacture, and weight of the 

cheese will be evidenced by grading certificates issued by AMS.
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B. The moisture, milkfat, salt, fines, and pH shall be performed by AMS, an independent 

commercial laboratory using AOAC International approved methodology, or the 

contractor’s laboratory that complies with the inspection clause in the contract. The results 

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

contracting officer may require submission of COAs representing contract performance. 

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

requirements. 

C. Manufacturer’s/distributor’s certification. When the contractor performs quality assurance, 

the manufacturer/distributor will certify that the cheese distributed meets or exceeds the 

requirements of this CRD. 

D. USDA certification. When AMS performs quality assurance, the USDA, AMS, DP, DGB, 

shall be the certifying program. DGB inspectors shall certify the quality and acceptability of 

the cheese in accordance with DGB procedures which include selecting random samples of 

the cheese, evaluating the samples for conformance with the salient characteristics of this 

CRD and other contractual requirements, and documenting the findings on official DGB 

certificates. In addition, when required in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order, DGB 

inspectors will examine the cheese for conformance to the United States Standards for 

Condition for Food Containers in effect on the date of the solicitation. To qualify for this 

option the plant must be listed in Dairy Plants Surveyed and Approved for USDA Grading 

Service. The USDA AMS plant approval code must match the appropriate product or 

operation code for the commodity being manufactured. 

E. USDA INSPECTION NOTES. USDA certification shall include evaluation of the quality 

and condition of samples of the cheese and compliance with requirements in the following 

areas. 

(1) Pepper Jack Cheese Requirements (Sec 1.1). 

(2) Composition Requirements (Sec. 1.1). When USDA testing of cheese is specified, 

DGB inspection personnel shall select samples and submit them to the USDA, 

Science and Technology Programs (S&TP) laboratory for analysis. 

(3) Packaging requirements (Part 2).

Part 2 CONTAINER AND PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS 

Section 2.1 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: 
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(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 with the shipping container 

manufacturers to determine the safe stacking height. 

(4) For identification upon receipt at delivery warehouses, all commercial- labeled 

product shipping documents shall specify “FOR USDA FOOD DISTRIBUTION 

PROGRAMS.” 

C. Container, packaging and unitization requirements shall comply with Section 4A52.211-3, 

4A52.211-4, and 4A52.211-6 in the Master Solicitation for Commodity ProcurementDomestic Programs which is available at 

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

Section 2.2 MONTH/YEAR OF PACK 

A. The month/year of pack shall be shown on all primary packaging (immediate containers) and 

shipping containers. 

B. A date fill code may be applied in addition to, but not in lieu of, the month, day, year, and 

time of pack. 

Section 2.3 MATERIALS

111220 Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese - 4/5 LB