Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 03/30/15

SUPPLEMENT 404 TO THE AMS 

MASTER SOLICITATION FOR 

PURCHASE OF FROZEN 

COOKED BEEF AND PORK 

PRODUCTS FOR 

DISTRIBUTION TO FEDERAL 

FOOD AND NUTRITION 

ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

APPROVED

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)

Livestock, Poultry and Seed (LPS) Program

Food Safety and Commodity Specification (FSCS) Division

Room 2624 S-Bldg, Phone: (202) 692-0342

 Effective: March 2015

100 OVERVIEW

110 This document provides additional program requirements for the purchase of Frozen Cooked 

Beef and Pork Products by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), including the applicable 

Federal Purchase Program Specification (FPPS) (Exhibit A and A1).

200 INSTRUCTIONS TO POTENTIAL SUPPLIERS

210 The frozen cooked beef and pork products will be purchased on a competitive bid basis from 

qualified suppliers who have met the requirements described in this Section. Interested 

suppliers may submit sample(s) and technical proposal at any time during the purchase

program. Suppliers should allow 10 working days, from USDA’s receipt of the product 

sample(s) and technical proposal for notification of evaluation results. A supplier is deemed

eligible upon notification of approval of the sample(s) and technical proposal by the FSCS 

Division.

220 Submission of sample(s) and technical proposal is not binding on USDA. Actual purchases 

will be described in the AMS Master Solicitation and Solicitations.

230 Documentation Requirements

231 Technical Proposal Requirement

231.1 Include a detailed description of the cooked beef and pork products offered and each of the 

production steps that are taken to meet or exceed the minimum product requirements set 

forth in the FPPS. (Plan/Do)

231.2 Describe all the quality assurance methods used to verify conformance to all requirements. 

This will include the monitoring and measurements taken during the process to verify 

conformance with each requirement. All measurement results shall be recorded and made 
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Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 03/30/15

available to AMS. (Check)

231.3 Identify all corrective actions to be taken if deviations from contractual and specification 

requirements occur during production, and all preventative actions to be taken to preclude 

a reoccurrence. (Act)

231.4 The technical proposal shall follow the format as shown in Exhibit B. Technical proposals

should be brief and concise.

231.5 The technical proposal shall be preceded by the following, as required by the template:

231.5.1 Table of Contents listing the major areas as they appear in the technical proposal; and

231.5.2 List of attachments, forms provided with the technical proposal, if appropriate with the 

applicable document name and reference number.

232 The FSCS Division will review each technical proposal to determine if the proposal is 

adequate and will notify the supplier of the status of their technical proposal and their 

eligibility to bid.

233. Animal Welfare Requirements

233.1 All contractors and subcontractors must meet the animal handling and welfare 

requirements set forth in the Federal Purchase Program Specification (FPPS) For Animal 

Handling and Welfare, effective January 2015 (Exhibit C).

240 Product Sample

241 Potential suppliers must submit samples that are produced in accordance with their

submitted production plan.

242 Supplier shall submit one 5-pound sample (or two samples if a sample unit is less than 5-

pounds) along with a legible product label which illustrates the ingredient statement, 

Nutrition Facts, and allergen declaration (if applicable). All samples must arrive in the 

frozen state (0 °F or lower).

300 INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION OF TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

310 The following procedures establish the acceptable minimum requirements for the 

format and content of the technical proposal:

310.1 The Government has provided a technical proposal format which is to be used in preparing 

the technical proposal (see Exhibit B). The supplier shall submit the technical proposal as

an email file attachment to AMS (Darin.Doerscher@ams.usda.gov and

Steve.Whisenant@ams.usda.gov). The technical proposal shall be saved in a non-portable 

document file format (not PDF; e.g., Microsoft Word). The technical proposal must be

submitted in its entirety. If the file size of the technical proposal is too large to send in a single

email, it may be divided and sent in multiple emails (i.e., Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, etc.). The

collection of attachments and appendices may be submitted as a separate document as well.
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Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 03/30/15

310.2. The technical proposal must be submitted by an authorized agent of the company.

310.3 While it is not the desire of the Government to penalize an offeror for non-compliance with 

formatting instructions, technical evaluators may have difficulty evaluating the technical 

proposal to the fullest extent possible if the proposal is not presented in the proper format. 

Technical evaluators will not be required to search other subsections or sections of the 

offeror’s technical proposal for information requested in the evaluation.

320 Technical Proposal Revisions

321 Changes to a supplier’s technical proposal may be submitted at any time or at the request of 

the FSCS Division. All technical proposal revisions must meet the following criteria:

321.1 Any changes to a technical proposal made by the supplier after its initial submittal shall be 

accomplished by submitting an entire technical proposal. A cover letter must be submitted 

with the changes identified and an explanation of the need for the change. The supplier

shall include the revision date and the appropriate page number(s).

321.2 Changes from the original technical proposal shall be highlighted and deletions in

strikeouts.

400 QUALITY ASSESSMENT (QA) DIVISION

410 Once a supplier is notified by the FSCS Division that the technical proposal meets the 

applicable criteria, the QA Division will contact the supplier to set up a pre-award onsite 

capability assessment audit of the facility’s processes, food security plan, and quality 

control program used to produce the product(s) to determine the supplier’s ability to meet 

contractual requirements.

420 Pre-Award Onsite Capability Assessment Audit

421 Food Defense Assessment

421.1 The QA Division will conduct a food defense audit that will include, but is not limited to, a 

thorough evaluation of the potential contractors’ and subcontractors’ food defense plan. 

Documentation must support the contractor’s or subcontractor’s food defense plan. If the 

report demonstrates that the food defense plan is inadequate, the applicant will be notified 

by the FSCS Division that they are ineligible to bid. The applicant will have an opportunity 

to correct identified deficiencies, modify their food defense plan and resubmit a brief 

description for further consideration. Eligibility will depend on whether the modifications 

demonstrate compliance with their food defense plan.

422 Documentation must support:

422.1 the production of the cooked beef and pork products that complies with the applicable 

specification and the potential contractor’s approved technical proposal, and

422.2 the contractor’s or subcontractor’s food security plan. In addition, the audit will consist of 

the review of records related to purchasing, receiving, production, quality control, inventory 
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Date Revised: 03/30/15

and shipping records, and interviews with management and production personnel.

423 Upon completion of the onsite capability assessment, the auditor will provide either a verbal 

or email notification of the audit findings to the FSCS Division to determine (based on the 

audit findings), supplier eligibility to bid. Supplier will be notified by the FSCS Division and 

the official final report will be sent once released from the QA Division.

423.1 If the audit findings demonstrate that the process or food security plan is inadequate, the 

applicant will be notified by the FSCS Division that they are ineligible to bid. The supplier 

will have an opportunity to correct identified deficiencies, modify their process, food security 

plan, and/or technical proposal, and resubmit for further consideration.

423.2 Eligibility will depend on whether the modifications demonstrate that:

423.2.1 the process is capable of delivering cooked beef and pork products in compliance with the 

FPPS,

423.2.2 the supplier is in compliance with their food security plan,

423.2.3 includes the applicable assessment by USDA, and 

423.2.4 the supplier complies with other applicable contractual requirements.

430 Post-Award Assessment Audit

431 Eligible suppliers who receive contracts must have their documented food security plan, 

technical proposal, and supporting documentation readily available for review by the FSCS 

Division or AMS agents. Records may be maintained on hard copy or electronic media. 

However, records maintained as electronic media will be made available in printed form 

immediately upon request by the FSCS Division or AMS agents.

432 The QA Division will conduct an onsite audit of the contractor’s and subcontractor’s 

facility(s) and processes when production commences for the first contract awarded. 

Additional audits will be conducted as determined by the FSCS Division, but not less than 

once per month for contractors or subcontractors with continuous or multiple contracts, or 

once per contract for intermittent contractors. At the discretion of the FSCS Division, more 

frequent audits may be conducted when audit deficiencies are detected.

440 Post-Award Actions

441 Any deviation from contractual requirements will be immediately reported by the contractor 

to the Contracting Officer and FSCS Division. The Contracting Officer or FSCS Division

will notify the contractor regarding eligibility to continue to participate as a contractor.

442 Contractor will assure that the delivered product complies with the provisions of the FPPS, 

the applicable assessment by USDA, and the contractor’s technical proposal approved by 

the FSCS Division.

450 The cost of all audit, product monitoring, and certification services performed by the AMS 
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Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 03/30/15

agents must be borne by the contractor. This includes, but is not limited to, audits, 

examinations, supervision, official documentation, and related services.

460 AMS Monitoring and Production Assessment

461 The contractor has the option for using an AMS audit-based system or an AMS grader 

certification-based system.

462 If the contractor uses the AMS grader certification-based system, a QA Division agent must 

be present during the production of the finished product for all USDA contracts. The QA 

Division agent will monitor and verify the processing steps, quality assurance activities, and 

any corrective actions to assure that all requirements outlined in the approved technical 

proposal and FPPS are complied with. The QA Division agent will be conducting the 

monitoring and production verification in accordance with applicable QA Division 

procedures. Any deviations to contractual requirements will be reported to the contractor 

and FSCS Division. The FSCS Division will make all determinations as to the acceptability 

of the product relative to findings documented by the QA Division agent.

470 Questions concerning charges and the availability of AMS agents can contact USDA/AMS,

LPS Program’s QA Division field office or the Director of the QA Division, LPS Program,

AMS, USDA, Room 3953-S, STOP 0258, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, 

DC 20250-0258, telephone (202) 720-3271.

500 DOMESTIC ORIGIN CERTIFICATION CLAUSE

510 The contractor agrees to include this domestic origin certification clause in its entirety in all 

subcontracts for meat or meat products used in fulfilling any contracts awarded under this 

Supplement and Master Solicitation. The burden of proof of compliance is on the 

Contractor. All raw materials will be shipped in containers labeled as “Domestic Only 

Product” on the principle display panel and the bill of lading accompanying the shipment 

will contain the statement “Domestic Only Product.”

600 CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMANCE (COC)

610 In addition to the referenced payment documents required in the Master Solicitation,

please include a copy of the Contractor’s Certificate of Conformance (Exhibit D).

700 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING

710 Contractor will perform checkloading examinations as described in the FPPS at the 

time of shipment and issue contractor’s certificate to accompany each shipment that 

includes all of the following information:

710.1 Purchase Order Number,

710.2 Sales Order and Sales Order Item Number,

710.3 Name of product,
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Date Revised: 03/30/15

610.4 Shipping Date,

710.5 Production lot number(s) and date each lot was produced,

710.6 Count of shipping containers and total projected net weight in each production lot,

710.7 Identity of car or truck (car numbers and letters, seals, truck license, etc.) as 

applicable

710.8 Contractor certification that product conforms with the FPPS,

710.9 Count and projected net weight verified, and

710.10 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading.

800 CHILD NUTRITION (CN) LABELING

810 The CN Labeling Program is run by FNS directly with commercial food processing firms 

and in cooperation with AMS and FSIS and other Federal agencies. The Program requires 

an evaluation of a product's formulation by FNS to determine its contribution toward meal 

patterns requirements. 

811 To carry a CN label, the eligible product’s formulation must be evaluated by FNS to verify 

its contribution toward meal pattern requirements using yields in the USDA Food Buying 

Guide for Child Nutrition Programs. 

812 The manufacturer must have an approved QC Program in order to participate, and 

products must be produced under Federal inspection.

813 Cooked Pork Items 100145, 100144 and Cooked Beef Items 100130, 110321, 110322, 

100134, 110264 require CN Labels.

814 For information on the CN Labeling Program, see the section on Food 

Manufacturers/Industry on the FNS website www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/cnlabeling and contact

the following:

814.1 Child Nutrition Labeling Program Operations Office

USDA, AMS, FV, PPB Stop 0247, Room 0710-S

1400 Independence Ave., SW Washington, DC 20250

Email: CNLabeling@ams.usda.gov

Phone Number: 202-720-9939

Fax Number: 202-690-3824

900 EXHIBITS
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 02/01/10

Date Revised: 03/30/15

SUPPLEMENT 404 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A

APPROVED

FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM SPECIFICATION 

(FPPS) FOR 

COOKED BEEF ITEMS

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)

Livestock, Poultry and Seed (LPS) Program 

Food Safety and Commodity Specification (FSCS) 

Division

Room 2628 S-Bldg, Phone: (202) 692-0342

Effective: March 2015

100 ITEM DESCRIPTIONS

101 Beef Patties, Homestyle, Fully Cooked – These items consist of ground beef with soy 

protein product (SPP) with a handmade appearance and Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) 

for use as sandwiches or a stand-alone item. Portion Weight – 1.7, 2.2 and 2.7 ounces. 

102 Beef Taco Filling, Fully Cooked – This item consists of ground beef cooked in lightly 

seasoned ingredients for use in a variety of applications, including taco fillings, burritos, 

enchiladas and similar items.

103 Beef Sloppy Joe Mix, Fully Cooked – This item consists of ground beef cooked in 

seasoned tomato product for use in a variety of applications, including sandwich fillings 

and similar items. 

104 Breaded Beef Patties, Fully Cooked – This item consists of ground beef that is formed 

into round or oval patties, breaded and IQF for use as sandwiches or a stand-alone item. 

Portion Weight – 3.0 ounces. 

105 Beef Crumbles, Fully Cooked – This item consists of ground beef with SPP that is lightly 

seasoned to a crumble size of 1⁄4-inch maximum for use in a variety of applications such 

as chili, sloppy joe, tacos, spaghetti sauce, pizza, lasagna, casseroles, pasta dishes, and 

any recipe that calls for ground beef.

106 Beef Crumbles, Fully Cooked (LFTB Optional) – This item consists of ground beef with 

SPP that is lightly seasoned to a crumble size of 1⁄4-inch maximum for use in a variety of 

applications such as chili, sloppy joe, tacos, spaghetti sauce, pizza, lasagna, casseroles, 

pasta dishes, and any recipe that calls for ground beef. Lean Finely Textured Beef 

(LFTB) may be used in the product formulation as outlined in Section 327 below.

110 Formula – Beef will comprise at least 75 percent of the raw formula for all items.
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120 Non-Meat Component – Non-meat components will comprise no more than 25 percent of 

the raw formula.

130 Fat – Fat will not exceed 13 g per 100 g basis.

140 Sodium – The sodium content will not exceed 340 mg per 100 g basis.

150 Packing – Four (4) 10-pound, five (5) 8-pound, eight (8) 5-pound, or twenty (20) 2-pound 

immediate containers (packages) will be packed in a 40-pound (net weight) shipping 

container.

160 Delivery Unit – Each delivery unit will consist of 1,000 cases and 40,000 pounds, except 

for the beef patties, homestyle, fully cooked – 1.7, 2.2 and 2.7 ounces, which will consist 

of 950 cases and 38,000 pounds.

200 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS 

210 All items must be produced in accordance with Food Safety and Inspection Service 

(FSIS) regulations. The contractor’s technical proposal, submitted to the FSCS Division, 

must adhere to the following Checklist of Requirements.

300 MATERIALS 

310 The contractor’s technical proposal must include procedures to address conformance 

with the following material requirements.

320 MEAT COMPONENT 

321 Beef will be the only meat component allowed. 

322 Domestic Origin of Meat Component – All cattle will originate from U.S. produced 

livestock as described in the Master Solicitation and Supplement. 

323 Harvesting – Cattle will be harvested in facilities that comply with the following 

requirements: 

323.1 Humane Handling – Cattle will be humanely handled in accordance with all applicable 

FSIS regulations and AMS requirements. 

323.2 Non-Ambulatory Disabled Animals – Meat from carcasses of non-ambulatory disabled 

livestock will not be included in USDA Purchase Programs.

323.3 Spinal Cord Removal – All spinal cord tissue will be removed during the harvesting 

process. 

324 Boneless Beef – Boneless beef must comply with the following requirements:
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324.1 Traceability – Contractors are responsible for providing sufficient product traceability and 

must have records to verify the source of raw materials used in each lot of product. 

324.2 Handling – All boneless beef must be maintained in excellent condition. The contractor’s 

technical proposal shall include detailed production scheduling that addresses time and 

temperature controls necessary to maintain excellent condition of the boneless beef. 

Frozen boneless beef may be used provided it is processed into the final product within 

60 days from the date of pack.

324.3 Objectionable Materials – The following objectionable materials shall be excluded: Major 

lymph glands (prefemoral, popliteal, and prescapular), thymus gland, the sciatic (ischiatic) 

nerve (lies medial to the outside round), all bone, cartilage, shoulder tendon, elbow 

tendon, silver skin, sacrociatic ligament, opaque periosteum, serous membrane 

(peritoneum), tendinous ends of shanks, gracilis membrane, patellar ligament (associated 

with the stifle joint), achilles tendon, back strap and abdominal tunic. 

325 Mechanical Separation – Beef that is mechanically separated from bone with automatic 

deboning systems, advanced lean (meat) recovery (AMR) systems, or powered knives 

will not be allowed. 

326 Pathogen Testing – Boneless and ground beef previously tested and found positive for 

any pathogen will not be allowed. 

327 LFTB – When specified, LFTB, or meat components produced using similar methods 

may be used as a raw material in the production of material number 110264. When 

LFTB is used, the following criteria must be met:

327.1 LFTB may be used at a rate not to exceed 15 percent of the meat component. 

327.2 Red Color – The producer of LFTB shall assure that the product has a discernible 

redness in color. The LFTB shall maintain the same redness in color until time of 

processing to minimize the effect of the color to the finished ground beef.

327.3 Fat Content - Does not exceed 10 percent fat. 

330 NON-MEAT COMPONENTS 

331 Domestic Origin of Non-Meat Component – Significant ingredients (more than 1 

percent) will be derived from U.S. produced products

332 Seasoning and Ingredient – Seasonings and other ingredients will be used to produce 

products with mild flavor profiles suitable for institutional feeding systems. For crumbles 

and patties, seasonings and other ingredients will comprise no more than 2 percent of 

the raw formula.

.
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333 MSG – Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is not allowed. 

334 Soy Protein Product (SPP) – Beef Patties, Homestyle, Fully Cooked and Beef 

Crumbles, Fully Cooked must contain SPP in the raw formula that meets the following 

requirements: 

334.1 The source of the SPP will be soy and will be hydrated to yield no less than 18 percent 

protein (as is basis).

334.2 The physical characteristics of SPP, in the dry form, must be either granular or textured. 

The types of soy that may be used are soy concentrate or isolate (65 percent and 85 

percent as-is basis, respectively).

335 Batter and Breading – For Breaded Beef Patties, Only – If flour is used in the batter 

and breading combination, it must be enriched. 

400 PROCESSING 

410 GRINDER PLATE

411 The size of the grinding plate for grinding boneless beef will be declared.

420 BONE COLLECTOR / EXTRUDER SYSTEM 

421 A bone collector/extruder system must be in operation to effectively remove bone, 

cartilage, and heavy connective tissue during the final grind. 

430 PATTIES 

431 Beef Patties with SPP, Homestyle, Fully Cooked, only – Patties must comply with the 

following: 

431.1 Handmade Appearance – Patties will have a “handmade” appearance.

431.2 Grill Marks – At least one side of the patties will have grill (char) marks.

432 Breaded Beef Patties, Fully Cooked, Only – Patties will have a round or oval shape. 

433 Raw Weight – The raw weight of the patties will be declared and charted on control charts 

featuring average weight and range.

434 IQF – Patties will be IQF so the individual pieces do not stick together after they are 

packaged and packed.

435 Pink Appearance – Patties with pink appearance after cooking will not be allowed.
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440 CRUMBLES 

441 Size – The size of the crumbles will be 1⁄4-inch maximum with an allowance of five percent 

‘fines’ (<1

/16-inch) in each immediate package. ‘Fines’ per immediate package will be 

charted on control charts featuring average value and range.

442 IQF – The crumbles will be IQF or may be produced from IQF’s materials to prevent it 

from sticking together after freezing.

443 Flavor – Crumbles must not have a ‘char-broil’ flavor.

450 COOKING TEMPERATURE 

451 All products will be fully cooked in accordance with FSIS regulations. 

460 METAL DETECTION 

461 All products will be free of metal contaminants. Detection of stainless steel, ferrous, and 

non-ferrous (e.g., lead, copper, and aluminum) metals is required. The contractor's 

technical proposal must identify and describe the equipment, location, detection 

procedure, sensitivity levels, frequency of equipment validation, and corrective action 

procedures. 

500 FINISHED PRODUCT LIMITATIONS 

510 The declared serving size, fat content and sodium level will be stated on the nutrition 

facts panel on each label according to FSIS nutritional labeling regulations. 

520 FAT

521 The fat content of the finished product will not exceed 13 percent

522 (Percent Fat = (Total Fat ÷ Serving Size (racc)) x 100).

530 SODIUM

531 Sodium level must not exceed 340 mg per 100 g basis

532 ((Declared Sodium Level (mg) X 100) ÷ Declared Serving Size (grams - racc) < 340)). 
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540 MEAT / MEAT ALTERNATES

541 Beef Patties with SPP, Homestyle, Fully Cooked, only – Patties must comply with the 

following Meat / Meat Alternate (MMA) designations: 

Material Number Portion Weight (ounces) MMA (ounces)

110321 1.7 1.5

110322 2.2 2.0

100130 2.7 2.5

550 MICROBIAL

551 The contractor will have a documented plan to comply with the current FSIS 

Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes requirements for ready-to-eat foods. 

Product tested positive for any pathogen will not be allowed as rework or delivery 

to USDA.

600 HEATING INSTRUCTIONS

610 Heating instructions for the end-user will be provided in the contractor’s technical 

proposal and must be included on the immediate container and/or in the shipping 

container (e.g. flyer, included on the package label, etc.) as specified for a particular 

packing orientation discussed in Section 722.4 below. Finished product will be processed 

so that the end-user may prepare them in a conventional or microwave type oven for 

serving.

700 PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY 

710 PACKAGING AND PACKING

711 Packaging – All products will be vacuum packaged or packed in a sealed (tamper 

proof) immediate package. In addition, beef taco fillings and sloppy joe mix will be hotfilled into reheatable high oxygen and high moisture barrier pouches. 

712 Packing1/ – Four (4) 10-pound, five (5) 8-pound, eight (8) 5-pound, or twenty (20) 2-pound 

immediate containers (packages) will be packed in a 40-pound (net weight) shipping 

container.

1/The contracting officer will designate the packing orientation permitted for each solicitation.
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720 LABELING2/

721 The shipping containers will be in compliance with the National Motor Freight 

Classification, or the Uniform Freight Classification, as applicable. Both immediate and 

shipping containers will be labeled to include all information required by FSIS regulations.

722 Immediate Container Labels – Immediate container labels will contain the following 

information:

722.1 A “Best-If-Used-By” date.

722.2 A nutrition facts panel based on actual nutritional analysis of the product.

722.3 A traceability code that is traced back to establishment number, production lot, and date. 

722.4 For the twenty (20) 2-pound packing orientation, the heating instructions must be included 

on the immediate container. The heating instructions for the four (4) 10-pound, five (5) 8-

pound and eight (8) 5-pound packing orientations must be included in/on the shipping 

container and/or on the immediate container.

722.5 Ingredient declaration (including single ingredient products).

723 Shipping Container Labels – Shipping container labels will contain the following 

information:

723.1 USDA shield at least 2 inches high and appearing on the top of the container or on the 

principal display panel.

723.2 Applicable purchase order number.

723.3 A traceability code that is traced back to establishment number, production lot, and date.

723.4 A nutrition facts panel based on actual nutritional analysis of the product. 

2/All labeling illustrations must be provided.
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723.5 The appropriate product name and material number listed in the table below for each of 

the items.

Item Material Number 

Beef Patties with SPP, Homestyle, Fully Cooked –

1.7 oz. (MMA 1.5 oz.) 110321

Beef Patties with SPP, Homestyle, Fully Cooked –

2.2 oz. (MMA 2.0 oz.) 110322

Beef Patties with SPP, Homestyle, Fully Cooked –

2.7 oz. (MMA 2.5 oz.) 100130 

Beef Taco Filling, Fully Cooked 100131 

Breaded Beef Patties, Fully Cooked 100132

Beef Sloppy Joe Mix, Fully Cooked 100133

Beef Crumbles, Fully Cooked 100134

Beef Crumbles, Fully Cooked (LFTB Opt) 110264

723.6 An allergen statement in a format which complies with the Food Allergen Labeling and 

Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) for any product which contains milk, eggs, fish, 

crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, soy or wheat; e.g. Allergen: This product 

contains ______.

730 CLOSURE

731 Shipping containers will be closed by strapping, taping or gluing. When strapping is used, 

the initial closure (usually the bottom of container) shall be secured by the gluing or taping 

method.

740 PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS 

741 All product shall be stacked on new or well-maintained pallets and palletized with shrink 

wrap plastic, unless otherwise specified in the solicitation. Pallet loads shall be stacked in 

a manner that minimizes the overhang of the shipping containers over the edges of the 

pallets and exposes each shipping container’s principal display panel to facilitate 

certification examinations.

800 DELIVERY UNIT 

810 Each delivery unit will consist of 1,000 cases and 40,000 pounds except for Beef Patties, 

Homestyle, Fully Cooked – 1.7, 2.2 and 2.7 ounces, which will consist of 950 cases and 

38,000 pounds. 
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Date Revised: 03/30/15 9

900 DELIVERED PRODUCT 

910 SIZE AND STYLE OF CONTAINER 

911 Only one size and style of immediate and shipping containers may be offered in an 

individual shipping unit.

920 TEMPERATURE 

921 All products will not exceed 0°F at the time of shipment and delivery.

930 SEALING 

931 Sealing - All products must be delivered to AMS assigned destinations under seal with 

tamper proof, tamper resistant, serially numbered, high security seals that meet the 

American Society for Testing and Materials Standard (ASTM) F 1157-04 and/or the 

International Organization for Standards (ISO) 17712-2010 as required under the Master 

Solicitation. Seals shall be >1⁄8th inch diameter cable, high-security bolt, or equivalent.

1000 PRODUCT ASSURANCE

1010 WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION

1011 Warranty – The contractor will guarantee that the product complies with all contractual 

requirements required under the Master Solicitation and Supplement.

1012 Complaint Resolution – The contractor’s technical proposal must provide steps taken to 

resolve complaints received on the product (i.e. point of contact, cause and effect 

analysis, corrective and preventative actions taken, and product replacement).

1020 AMS MONITORING AND PRODUCTION ASSESSMENT 

1021 The contractor has the option for using an AMS audit-based system or an AMS grader 

certification-based system. 

1022 If the contractor uses the AMS grader certification-based system, a QA Division agent 

must be present during the production of the finished product for all USDA contracts. The 

QA Division agent will monitor and verify the processing steps, quality assurance 

activities, and any corrective actions to assure that all requirements outlined in the 

approved technical proposal and FPPS are complied with. The QA Division agent will be 

conducting the monitoring and production verification in accordance with applicable QA 

Division procedures. Any deviations to contractual requirements will be reported to the 

contractor and FSCS Division. The FSCS Division will make all determinations as to the 

acceptability of the product relative to findings documented by the QA Division agent.
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1030 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT

1031 The contractor must have documented procedures that assure nonconforming product 

identification, segregation, and disposition in order to prevent misuse and that 

nonconforming product is not delivered to USDA. The plan must address 1) control and 

segregation of non-conforming product, 2) removal of any USDA markings, and 3) 

disposition of non-conforming product, including vendor notification in writing to the FSCS 

Division of final disposition (e.g., diverted to commercial production, cooked or 

destroyed).

1040 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING

1041 Contractor will perform checkloading examinations at the time of shipment and 

issue a contractor’s certificate to accompany each shipment that includes all of the 

following information:

1041.1 Purchase Order Number/Purchase Order Line Item Number;

1041.2 Sales Order Number/Sales Order Line Item Number;

1041.3 Destination of shipment;

1041.4 Name of Product and applicable Material Number;

1041.5 Shipping Date;

1041.6 Production lot number(s) and date each lot was produced along with shipping container 

and immediate container code(s) and the code used that provides traceability to 

establishment number, production lot and date;

1041.7 Count of shipping containers and total projected net weight in each production lot;

1041.8 Identity of car or truck (car numbers and letters, seals, truck license, etc.) as applicable;

1031.9 Contractor certification that product conforms with the applicable specification (FPPS-CB2015);

1031.10 Count and projected net weight verified and;

1031.11 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 01/01/10

Date Revised: 03/30/15

SUPPLEMENT 404 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A1

APPROVED

FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM SPECIFICATION 

(FPPS) FOR 

COOKED PORK ITEMS

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)

Livestock, Poultry and Seed (LPS) Program 

Food Safety and Commodity Specification (FSCS) 

Division

Room 2628 S-Bldg, Phone: (202) 692-0342

Effective: March 2015

100 ITEM DESCRIPTIONS

101 Pork Taco Filling, Fully Cooked – This item consists of ground pork cooked in lightly 

seasoned ingredients for use in a variety of applications, including taco fillings, burritos, 

enchiladas and similar items.

102 Pork Sloppy Joe Mix, Fully Cooked – This item consists of ground pork cooked in 

seasoned tomato product for use in a variety of applications, including sandwich filling 

and similar items.

103 Breaded Pork Patties, Fully Cooked – This item consists of ground pork that is formed 

into round or oval patties, breaded and Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) for use as 

sandwiches or a stand-alone item. Portion Weight – 3.0 ounces.

104 Pork Patties with SPP, Fully Cooked - 2.7 oz. – This item consists of ground pork with soy 

protein product (SPP) and sausage seasonings, formed into round or oval patties, fully 

cooked, and then IQF for use as sandwiches or a stand-alone item. Portion Weight – 2.7 

ounces.

105 Pork Patties with SPP, Fully Cooked – 1.2 oz. – This item consists of ground pork with 

SPP and sausage seasonings, formed into round or oval patties, fully cooked, and then 

IQF for use as sandwiches or a stand-alone item. Portion Weight – 1.2 ounce.

106 Pork Patty Links with SPP, Skinless, Fully Cooked – This item consists of ground pork 

with SPP and sausage seasonings, processed into skinless links cylindrical in shape, fully 

cooked, and then IQF for use as a stand-alone item. Portion Weight - 1.0 ounce.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 01/01/10

Date Revised: 03/30/15 2

107 Pork Patty Crumbles, Fully Cooked – This item consists of ground pork with SPP that is 

lightly seasoned and processed to a crumble size of 1⁄4-inch maximum for use in a variety 

of applications such as chili, sloppy joe, tacos, spaghetti sauce, pizza, lasagna, 

casseroles, pasta dishes, and any recipe that calls for ground pork.

110 Formula – Pork will comprise at least 75 percent of the raw formula for all items.

120 Non-Meat Component – Non-meat components will comprise no more than 25 percent of 

the raw formula.

130 Fat – Fat will not exceed 13 g per 100 g basis.

140 Sodium – The sodium content will not exceed 440 mg per 100 g basis.

150 Packing – Four (4) 10-pound, five (5) 8-pound, eight (8) 5-pound, or twenty (20) 2-pound 

immediate containers (packages) will be packed in a 40-pound (net weight) shipping 

container.

160 Delivery Unit – Each delivery unit will consist of 1,000 cases and 40,000 pounds, except 

for the pork patties 1.2/2.7 ounces which will consist of 950 cases and 38,000 pounds.

200 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS

210 All items must be produced in accordance with Food Safety and Inspection Service 

(FSIS) regulations. The contractor’s technical proposal, submitted to the FSCS Division, 

must adhere to the following Checklist of Requirements.

300 MATERIALS

310 The contractor’s technical proposal must include procedures to address conformance 

with the following material requirements.

320 MEAT COMPONENT

321 Pork (shall be derived from suitable lean from any portion of the sow and/or hog carcass) 

will be the only meat component allowed. Pork derived from boars is not permissible.

322 Domestic Origin of Meat Component – All sows and/or hogs will originate from U.S. 

produced livestock as defined in the Supplement.

323 Harvesting (Slaughtering) – All sows and/or hogs will be harvested in facilities that comply 

with the following requirements:

323.1 Humane Handling – All sows and/or hogs will be humanely handled in accordance with all 

applicable FSIS regulations and AMS requirements.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 01/01/10

Date Revised: 03/30/15 3

323.2 Non-Ambulatory Disabled Animals – Meat from carcasses of non-ambulatory disabled 

livestock will not be included in USDA Purchase Programs.

323.3 Raw Material Type1/ – The type of boneless pork utilized shall be specified from the 

following options:

323.3.1 Type I – Sow Trimmings Only

323.3.2 Type II – Hog Trimmings Only

323.3.3 Type III – Combination of Sow and Hog Trimmings2/

323.4 The contracting officer will designate the raw material type permitted for each solicitation.

324 Boneless Pork – Boneless pork will comply with the following requirements:

324.1 Traceability – Contractors are responsible for providing sufficient product traceability and 

must have records to verify the source of raw materials used in each lot of product.

324.2 Handling – All boneless pork must be maintained in excellent condition. The contractor’s 

technical proposal shall include detailed production scheduling that addresses time and 

temperature controls necessary to maintain excellent condition of the boneless pork. 

Frozen boneless pork may be used provided it is processed into the final product within 

60 days from the date of pack.

324.3 Objectionable Materials – Boneless pork shall be free of skin, bones, cartilages, organ 

tissue, heavy connective tissue, significant glandular tissue, spinal cord, and foreign 

materials.

325 Mechanical Separation – Meat that is mechanically separated from bone with automatic 

deboning systems, advanced lean (meat) recovery (AMR) systems, or powered knives 

will not be allowed.

326 Pathogen Testing – Boneless pork previously tested and found positive for any 

pathogen will not be allowed. 

330 NON-MEAT COMPONENTS

331 Domestic Origin of Non-Meat Component – Significant ingredients (more than one 

percent) will be derived from U.S. produced products.

1/One, two, or all of these types may be represented in the contractor’s technical proposal. 

2/The contractor shall specify the ratio of these two raw material types in their technical proposal.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 01/01/10

Date Revised: 03/30/15 4

332 Seasonings and Other Ingredients – Seasonings and other ingredients will be used to 

produce products with mild flavor profiles suitable for institutional feeding systems. For 

pork patty crumbles and breaded patties, seasonings and other ingredients will 

comprise no more than 2 percent of the raw formula.

333 MSG – Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is not allowed.

334 Soy Protein Product (SPP) – Pork Patties with SPP, Pork Patty Links with SPP, and Pork 

Patty Crumbles must contain SPP in the raw formula that meets the following 

requirements: 

334.1 The SPP will be hydrated to yield no less than 18 percent protein (as-is basis).

334.2 The physical characteristics of SPP, in the dry form, must be either granular or textured. 

The types of soy that may be used are soy concentrate or isolate (65 percent and 85 

percent as-is basis, respectively).

335 Batter and Breading – For Breaded Pork Patties, Only – If flour is used in the batter and 

breading combination, it must be enriched.

400 PROCESSING

410 GRINDER PLATE

411 The size of the grinding plate for grinding boneless pork will be declared.

420 BONE COLLECTOR / EXTRUDER SYSTEM

421 A bone collector/extruder system must be in operation to effectively remove skin, bone, 

cartilage, and heavy connective tissue during the final grind.

430 PATTIES

431 Raw Weight – The raw weight of the patties will be declared and charted on control charts 

featuring average weight and range.

432 Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) – Patties will be IQF so the individual pieces do not stick 

together after they are packaged and packed.

433 Pink Appearance – Patties with pink appearance after cooking will not be allowed.

434 Shape – Patties will be round or oval shape.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 01/01/10

Date Revised: 03/30/15 5

440 LINKS

441 Skinless – Casing must be removed.

442 Weight - Target packaged weight per cooked link will be 1.0 ounce. The raw weight of 

links shall be declared. All weights will be charted on control charts featuring average 

weight and range. 

443 IQF – Links will be IQF so individual links do not stick together after they are packaged.

444 Pink Appearance – Links with pink appearance after cooking will not be allowed.

450 CRUMBLES

451 Size – The size of the crumbles will be 1⁄4-inch maximum with an allowance of five percent 

‘fines’ (<1/16-inch) in each immediate package. ‘Fines’ per immediate package will be 

charted on control charts featuring average value and range.

452 IQF – The crumbles will be IQF or may be produced from IQF’s materials to prevent it 

from sticking together after freezing.

453 Flavor – Crumbles must not have a ‘char-broil’ flavor.

460 COOKING TEMPERATURE

461 All products will be fully cooked in accordance with FSIS regulations.

470 METAL DETECTION

471 All products will be free of metal contaminants. Detection of stainless steel, ferrous, and 

non-ferrous (e.g., lead, copper, and aluminum) metals is required. The contractor's 

technical proposal must identify and describe the equipment, location, detection 

procedure, sensitivity levels, frequency of equipment validation, and corrective action 

procedures. 

500 FINISHED PRODUCT LIMITATIONS

510 The declared serving size, fat content and sodium level will be stated on the nutrition 

facts panel on each label according to FSIS nutritional labeling regulations. 

520 FAT

521 The fat content of the finished product will not exceed 13 percent 

522 (Percent Fat = (Total Fat ÷ Serving Size) x 100). 
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 01/01/10

Date Revised: 03/30/15 6

530 SODIUM

531 Sodium level, must not exceed 440 mg per 100 g basis 

532 ((Declared Sodium Level (mg) X 100) ÷ Declared Serving Size (grams - racc*) < 440)).

540 MICROBIAL

541 Contractor will have documented plan to comply with the latest FSIS Salmonella and 

Listeria monocytogenes requirements for ready-to-eat foods. Product tested positive for 

any pathogen will not be allowed as rework or delivery to USDA.

600 HEATING INSTRUCTIONS

610 Heating instructions for the end-user will be provided in the contractor’s technical proposal 

and must be included on the immediate container and/or in the shipping container (e.g. 

flyer, included on the package label, etc.) as specified for a particular packing orientation 

discussed in Section 722.4 below. Finished product will be processed so that the end-user 

may prepare them in a conventional or microwave type oven for serving. 

700 PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY

710 PACKAGING AND PACKING

711 Packaging – All products will be vacuum packaged or packed in a sealed (tamper proof) 

immediate package. In addition, pork taco fillings and sloppy joe mix will be hot-filled into 

reheatable high oxygen and high moisture barrier pouches. 

712 Packing3/ – Four (4) 10-pound, five (5) 8-pound, eight (8) 5-pound, or twenty (20) 2-pound 

immediate containers (packages) will be packed in a 40-pound (net weight) shipping 

container.

720 LABELING4/

721 The shipping containers will be in compliance with the National Motor Freight Classification, 

or the Uniform Freight Classification, as applicable. Both immediate and shipping 

containers will be labeled to include all information required by FSIS regulations.

722 Immediate Container Labels – Immediate container labels will contain the following 

information:

3/The contracting officer will designate the packaging orientation permitted for each solicitation.

4/All labeling illustrations must be provided.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 01/01/10

Date Revised: 03/30/15 7

722.1 A “Best-If-Used-By” date. 

722.2 A nutrition facts panel based on actual nutritional analysis of the product.

722.3 A traceability code that is traced back to establishment number, production lot, and date.

722.4 For the twenty (20) 2-pound packing orientation, the heating instructions must be included 

on the immediate container. The heating instructions for the four (4) 10-pound, five (5) 8-

pound and eight (8) 5-pound packing orientations must be included in/on the shipping 

container and/or on the immediate container.

722.5 Ingredient declaration (including single ingredient products).

723 Shipping Container Labels – Shipping container labels will contain the following 

information: 

723.1 USDA shield at least 2 inches high and appearing on the top of the container or on the 

principal display panel.

723.2 Applicable purchase order number.

723.3 A traceability code that is traced back to establishment number, production lot, and date.

723.4 A nutrition facts panel based on actual nutritional analysis of the product.

723.5 The appropriate product name and material number listed in the table below for each of 

the items.

Item Material Number

Pork Taco Filling, Fully Cooked 100150

Breaded Pork Patties, Fully Cooked 100149

Pork Sloppy Joe Mix, Fully Cooked 100148

Pork Patties with SPP, Fully Cooked, 2.7 ounce 100145

Pork Patties with SPP, Fully Cooked, 1.2 ounce 100146

Pork Patty Links, Skinless, Fully Cooked, 1.0 ounce 100143

Pork Patty Crumbles, Fully Cooked 100144
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 01/01/10

Date Revised: 03/30/15 8

723.6 An allergen statement in a format which complies with the Food Allergen Labeling and 

Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) for any product which contains milk, eggs, fish, 

crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, soy or wheat; e.g. Allergen: This product 

contains ______.

730 CLOSURE

731 Shipping containers will be closed by strapping, taping or gluing. When strapping is used, 

the initial closure (usually the bottom of container) shall be secured by the gluing or taping 

method.

740 PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS

741 All product shall be stacked on new or well-maintained pallets and palletized with shrink 

wrap plastic, unless otherwise specified in the solicitation. Pallet loads shall be stacked in 

a manner that minimizes the overhang of the shipping containers over the edges of the 

pallets and exposes each shipping container’s principal display panel to facilitate 

certification examinations.

800 DELIVERY UNIT

810 Each delivery unit will consist of 1,000 cases and 40,000 pounds, except for pork patties 

1.2/2.7 ounces which will consist of 950 cases and 38,000 pounds.

900 DELIVERED PRODUCT

910 SIZE AND STYLE OF CONTAINER

911 Only one size and style of immediate and shipping containers may be offered in an 

individual shipping unit.

920 TEMPERATURE

921 All products will not exceed 0°F at the time of shipment and delivery.

930 SEALING

931 Sealing - All products must be delivered to AMS assigned destinations under seal with 

tamper proof, tamper resistant, serially numbered, high security seals that meet the 

American Society for Testing and Materials Standard (ASTM) F 1157-04 and/or the 

International Organization for Standards (ISO) 17712-2010 as required under the Master 

Solicitation. Seals shall be >1⁄8th inch diameter cable, high-security bolt, or equivalent.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 01/01/10

Date Revised: 03/30/15 9

1000 PRODUCT ASSURANCE

1010 WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION

1011 Warranty – The contractor will guarantee that the product complies with all contractual 

requirements required under the Master Solicitation and Supplement.

1012 Complaint Resolution – The contractor’s technical proposal must provide steps taken to 

resolve complaints received on the product (i.e. point of contact, cause and effect 

analysis, corrective and preventative actions taken, and product replacement).

1020 AMS MONITORING AND PRODUCTION ASSESSMENT 

1021 The contractor has the option for using an AMS audit-based system or an AMS grader 

certification-based system. 

1022 If the contractor uses the AMS grader certification-based system, a QA Division agent 

must be present during the production of the finished product for all USDA contracts. The 

QA Division agent will monitor and verify the processing steps, quality assurance 

activities, and any corrective actions to assure that all requirements outlined in the 

approved technical proposal and FPPS are complied with. The QA Division agent will be 

conducting the monitoring and production verification in accordance with applicable QA 

Division procedures. Any deviations to contractual requirements will be reported to the 

contractor and FSCS Division. The FSCS Division will make all determinations as to the 

acceptability of the product relative to findings documented by the QA Division agent.

1030 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT

1031 The contractor must have documented procedures that assure nonconforming product 

identification, segregation, and disposition in order to prevent misuse and that 

nonconforming product is not delivered to USDA. The plan must address 1) control and 

segregation of non-conforming product, 2) removal of any USDA markings, and 3) 

disposition of non-conforming product, including vendor notification in writing to the FSCS 

Division of final disposition (e.g., diverted to commercial production, cooked or 

destroyed).

1040 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING

1041 Contractor will perform checkloading examinations at the time of shipment and issue a 

contractor’s certificate to accompany each shipment that includes all of the following 

information:

1041.1 Purchase Order Number/Purchase Order Line Item Number;

1041.2 Sales Order Number/Sales Order Line Item Number;
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 01/01/10

Date Revised: 03/30/15 10

1041.3 Destination of shipment;

1041.4 Name of Product and applicable Material Number;

1041.5 Shipping Date;

1041.6 Production lot number(s) and date each lot was produced along with shipping container 

and immediate container code(s) and the code used that provides traceability to 

establishment number, production lot and date;

1041.7 Count of shipping containers and total projected net weight in each production lot;

1041.8 Identity of car or truck (car numbers and letters, seals, truck license, etc.) as applicable;

1041.9 Contractor certification that product conforms with the applicable specification (FPPS-CP2015);

1041.10 Count and projected net weight verified and;

1041.11 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 03/30/15

SUPPLEMENT 404 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT B

Cover Page:

Company Name

Company Address

Contact Person, including title, phone number, including emergency contact information, e-mail 

address (must be authorized to represent the company).

Technical Proposal for: [Supplement Number] and [FPPS]

Table of Contents (all pages and attachments must be number and identified – any attachments 

must be identified and referenced in the Technical Proposal).

The technical proposal should document a quality control program that includes procedures, 

records, forms, pictures, etc., which demonstrates conformance with the following checklist of 

requirements:

100 ITEM DESCRIPTION

200 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS

300 MATERIALS

320 MEAT COMPONENT

321 Domestic Origin of Meat Component 

322 Harvest (Slaughter)

322.1 Humane Handling

322.2 Non-Ambulatory Cattle

322.3 Spinal Cord Removal

323.1 Traceability

330 NON-MEAT COMPONENTS

390 PACKING

400 PROCESSING

420 LABELING

430 PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS

440 DELIVERY UNIT
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 03/30/15

450 DELIVERED PRODUCT

460 SIZE AND STYLE OF CONTAINER

470 TEMPERATURE

480 SEALING

500 PRODUCT ASSURANCE

510 WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION

511 Warranty

512 Complaint Resolution

600 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT

700 AMS MONITORING AND PRODUCTION ASSESSMENT

Attachments or Appendixes - Please attach all referenced documents with the applicable document 

name and reference number.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 08/11/08

Date Revised: 01/13/15

SUPPLEMENT 404 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT C

APPROVED

FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM SPECIFICATION 

(FPPS) FOR ANIMAL 

HANDLING AND WELFARE

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)

Livestock, Poultry and Seed (LPS) Program 

Food Safety and Commodity Specification (FSCS) 

Division

Room 2628 S-Bldg, Phone: (202) 692-0342

Supersedes: FPPS-AHW-2014 June 2014 – Changes 

from previous requirements in blue

Effective: January 2015

100 GENERAL

101 This document is for use by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), AMS, LPS 

Program to ensure that the animal handling and welfare requirements for Federal 

nutrition assistance programs reflect industry best practices.

110 PROGRAM APPROACH

111 All animal harvest facilities that supply raw materials from bovine, porcine and ovine 

species for the production of AMS destined finished products must develop and 

implement a written program that is consistent with a systematic approach to humane 

animal handling and welfare as outlined in 69 FR 54625. The program will ensure 

proper animal handling and welfare techniques are conducted from the time the 

transportation conveyance enters the facility’s premises through the stunning and 

exsanguination of the animal. 

120 PROGRAM SUBMISSION

121 The program will be submitted as a supporting document to the organization’s 

approved technical proposal and must address the requirements outlined in Section 

200 – PROGRAM COMPONENTS.

200 PROGRAM COMPONENTS

201 The contractor must ensure that any facility that harvests animals has a:

210 MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT

211 Steering Committee (internal) which is ultimately accountable for animal handling and 

welfare initiatives within the organization.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 08/11/08

Date Revised: 01/13/15 2

212 Mission Statement on animal handling and welfare that is distributed to all employees 

and conspicuously displayed at the premises.

220 TRAINING PROGRAM 

221 Training program on Animal Handling and Welfare that:

221.1 is provided to all employees interacting with animals;

221.2 covers the AMI Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines and Audit Guide 2013 

Edition;

221.3 is facilitated by an employee that has earned and maintained a certification of animal 

handling and welfare training, such as that offered through the Professional Animal 

Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO) or an equivalent.

221.4 is conducted no less frequently than once a year for each designated employee; and,

221.5 requires signed documentation from each employee and confirmation by signature of 

the designated, certified trainer upon successful completion of training.

230 QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN

231 Written quality management plan (internal) which addresses all provisions of Chapter 

3: Transportation Audit Guidelines, 7 Core Criteria and Chapter 4: Auditing Animal 

Handling and Stunning, 7 Core Criteria, of the AMI Recommended Animal Handling 

Guidelines and Audit Guide 2013 Edition, found at the following web site address: 

231.1 http://animalhandling.org/ht/d/sp/i/26752/pid/26752

232 This internal quality management plan must also provide for routine assessment and 

monitoring of humane handling through the use of a numerical scoring system 

conducted by a trained employee.

233 All animal harvest facilities that supply raw materials from bovine, porcine and ovine 

species for the production of AMS destined finished products must have a fully 

functioning back-up stunning device onsite wherever animal stunning is performed.

240 NON-AMBULATORY AND U.S. SUSPECTS

241 CATTLE

242 Written protocol in-place and enforced that precludes the receipt of or having nonambulatory, disabled cattle on the harvest facility premise. In the event that animals 

become non-ambulatory or disabled at any time while present at the harvest facility, 

the animal will be humanely euthanized and the carcass removed from the premise in 

a timely manner through contracted services or other means.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 08/11/08

Date Revised: 01/13/15 3

243 HOGS AND SHEEP

244 Written protocol in-place and enforced that ensures all animals designated by Food 

Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) as U.S. Suspects (9 CFR 301.2) that are 

slaughtered are appropriately segregated during the harvest and production 

processes and precluded from inclusion in any products purchased by AMS.

300 PROGRAM EVALUATION AND ELIGIBILITY

301 The program will be audited (external) by AMS or a firm accredited by AMS. The 

accreditation of the firm will be conducted by the Quality Assessment Division (QAD) 

through the USDA ISO Guide 65 Program. Alternatively, at the option of the 

organization, the audits can be performed by QAD auditors. 

302 Audit findings thought to be in conflict with Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) 

regulations will be communicated to the establishment’s FSIS Inspector in Charge 

(IIC) or designee. 

310 AUDIT FORMAT

311 AMS or the AMS accredited auditing firm will conduct audits utilizing the following 

format:

312 TRANSPORTATION SEGMENT (CHAPTER 3: AMI RECOMMENDED ANIMAL

HANDLING GUIDELINES AND AUDIT GUIDE 2013 EDITION)

312.1 Audited organizations must pass Core Criteria 1 and 6 with a minimum scoring of 

excellent, Core Criteria 2 through 5 with a minimum scoring of acceptable and Core 

Criteria 7 must be adhered to with full compliance (zero tolerance) each time an audit 

is performed.

313 ANIMAL HANDLING AND STUNNING SEGMENT (CHAPTER 4: AMI 

RECOMMENDED ANIMAL HANDLING GUIDELINES AND AUDIT GUIDE 2013

EDITION)

313.1 Audited organizations must adhere to Core Criteria 1, 2, 6 and 7 with full compliance 

(zero tolerance) and to Core Criteria 3, 4 and 5 with a minimum scoring of Acceptable 

each time an audit is performed.1/

313.2 The auditor shall inform FSIS and organization officials in writing of all audit findings, 

including any observations of missed stuns and/or animals regaining sensibility 

following stunning, upon completion of the audit during the exit interview. 

1/Religious harvest (Kosher and Halal) shall be exempt from the AMS auditing of Core Criteria 1: Effective Stunning.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 08/11/08

Date Revised: 01/13/15 4

320 INITIAL AUDIT

321 Initial audit must be performed prior to award of contracts.

330 AUDIT FAILURE

331 If an audit is failed for any of the Core Criteria, the organization is not eligible to 

provide product until such a time that corrective and preventative actions are 

approved by the Food Safety and Commodity Specification (FSCS) Division, 

implemented and proven effective.

340 AUDIT FREQUENCY AND STATUS

341 STANDARD - Until four (4) consecutive successfully passed audits are attained, an 

audit must be conducted within 3 months of the previous audit.

342 MONTHLY - If at any time an audit identifies any of the Core Criteria not meeting the 

pass requirements while in the STANDARD phase, auditing will be required to be 

conducted on a monthly basis once corrective and preventative actions have been 

approved by the FSCS Division, implemented and proven effective. This schedule 

will be for a period of time until four (4) successive audits are found to meet the 

passing requirements noted in SECTION 310 – AUDIT FORMAT; at which time 

audits shall be conducted on the STANDARD basis.

343 If four successfully conducted audits are sequentially completed within a one year 

period while in STANDARD auditing phase, the facility may move to a SEMI-ANNUAL 

audit basis.

344 SEMI-ANNUAL - Semi-annual audits may continue until such time that a failed audit 

is reported or a period of greater than six months has elapsed without any audits 

being performed; at which time the audits must resume as described for STANDARD 

audits.

345 FOR-CAUSE – Any official enforcement actions issued by FSIS for missed stuns or 

for an animal regaining sensibility following stunning shall result in an immediate forcause animal handling and welfare audit by AMS. Subsequent audit frequency will be 

determined by results of the AMS audit, as described above.

400 FSCS Division

401 The FSCS Division can declare an organization’s Animal Handing and Welfare 

Program out of compliance at any time.

402 The organization shall immediately notify the FSCS Division when any animal 

handling and welfare official enforcement action is issued by FSIS. 
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 03/30/15

SUPPLEMENT 404 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT D

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE 

LIVESTOCK, POULTRY AND SEED PROGRAM

CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMANCE FOR

THE PROCUREMENT OF COOKED BEEF AND 

PORK PRODUCTS, FROZEN

CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMANCE

I certify the following:

(1) On [delivery date(s) ], [Contractor’s name] furnished the (insert the appropriate 

commodity description) called for by Purchase Order Number via [Carrier] under 

Sales Order Number/Item number(s): .

(2) The (insert the appropriate material name) is of the quality specified and conforms in all 

respects with the purchase order requirements, including [Contractor’s name] Technical 

Proposal as approved by the AMS, LPS Program, FSCS Division.

(3) Product identification, (i.e. production lot number(s)) is in the quantity shown on the 

attached acceptance document.

(4) Contractor assures all meat or meat products used in fulfilling this contract was produced 

in the United States as defined in the AMS Master Solicitation Section I.E.

Date:

Signature:

(Signed by an officer or representative authorized to sign offers )

Title: