Agricultural Marketing Service 

Commodity Procurement Program

P.O. Box 419205, Mailstop 8718 

Kansas City, MO64141-6205

USDA COMMODITY REQUIREMENTS

PACKAGED BUTTER

FOR USE IN DOMESTIC PROGRAMS

Effective Date: March 2022

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

PACKAGED BUTTER

FOR USE IN DOMESTIC PROGRAMS

Table of Contents

Part 1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS..................................................................................................3

Section 1.1 COMMODITIES.......................................................................................................................3

Section 1.2 QUALITY ASSURANCE.........................................................................................................4

Part 2 CONTAINER AND PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS..................................................................5

Section 2.1 COMMERCIALSTANDARDS................................................................................................5

Section 2.2 PRODUCTION DATE LABELING.........................................................................................5

Section 2.3 LOT CODE/CERTIFICATENUMBER ...................................................................................6

Section 2.4 STATE AND PLANTNUMBER..............................................................................................6

Section 2.5 MATERIALS ............................................................................................................................6
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Part 1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS

Section 1.1 COMMODITIES

Product Specifications

A. Salted Butter. The productshall:

(1) meet the United States Standard of Identity for Butter as defined in 21 U.S.C. § 

321a. available at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2010-

title21/html/USCODE-2010-title21-chap9-subchapII-sec321a.htm. 

(2) be U.S. Grade AA and conform to the United States Standards for Grades of Butter 

which is available at https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/butter-grades-andstandards.

(3) not contain starter distillate or added diacetyl.

(4) be processed from fresh cream. The cream shall not have been neutralized and shall 

have an acid degree value (ADV) of 1.5 or less.

(5) be one solid piece in each container and the surface shall be smoothly finished. The 

product will be subject to a keeping quality test of seven days incubation at 72 

degrees F to be performed by Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) at time of 

grading.

B. Light Butter shall comply with the USDA Specifications for Light Butter which is available 

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

Production Requirements

A. The product delivered to the Government shall have been manufactured and packaged 

in the United States from milk that was produced in the United States and not 

previously owned by the Government, and in plants that have been inspected and 

approved by the Dairy Grading Branch, Dairy Program, AMS.

B. The product shall not be manufactured and packaged more than 30 days prior to

the date of delivery to the Government.

C. If frozen butter is used for micro-fixing, the bulk frozen butter shall be no more 

than 60 days of age when used for manufacturing Government product.

D. At the time of delivery to the Government, the product shall have a temperature 

not greater than 45 degrees F.
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Liability

The contractor shall be liable for losses for latent defects including, but not limited to failing to meet 

U.S. Grade AA, which are discovered within 180 days of the date of delivery to the Government.

Net Weight Requirements

A. The product shall consist of 1/4-pound solid sticks (4 sticks per 1-pound 

carton).

B. Shipping containers shall be packed with either 30 or 36 one-pound cartons (four

1/4-pound sticks per one-pound carton); whichever is requested in the 

solicitation.

(1) Individual shipping containers packed with 30 one-pound cartons 

shall have a net weight not less than 29.85 net pounds.

(2) Individual shipping containers packed with 36 one-pound cartons shall have a 

net weight not less than 35.85 net pounds.

C. A one-pound solid print or block is permitted only if requested in the

solicitation. The same minimum net weight requirements above would apply to 

solid prints.

D. The total net weight of all shipping containers in a truckload test weighed by AMS 

within a lot shall not vary more than one-tenth (0.1) of one percent under the 

aggregatemarked net weight of all shipping containers within the lot.

Section 1.2 QUALITY ASSURANCE

A. AMS shall perform the product testing and quality analysis to ensure that the product 

meets the commodity specifications. The quality, date(s) of manufacture, and weight will 

be evidenced by grading certificates issued by AMS known as Certificates of Analysis

(COA).

B. All COAs shall be retained by the contractor. USDA requires the contractor to retain 

all COAs for a minimum of seven years from the date of issuance.

C. If the product fails to meet contract specification on one or more factors on the first 

inspection, the contractor may arrange with AMS for subsequent inspections. The 

inspections may be conducted at origin or a subsequent point of delivery if the provisions 

of 7 CFR 58.22 through 58.32 issued under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as 

amended, with respect to retest, appeal, and new inspections can be met. At the option of 

the contractor, rejected lots may be reworked including correcting packaging deficiencies 

and removing unsatisfactory containers, and such reworked lots may be resubmitted for 

AMS inspection. When subsequent inspections are made, the results of the last inspection 

shall be used as the basis of payment under the contract.

D. Examination and certification by AMS does not relieve the contractor of its responsibility 
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to deliver the product which complies with all contractual and specification requirements.

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

requirements.

F. The butter delivered to the Government shall have been manufactured in the United States 

in plants that were inspected and approved by the Dairy Grading Branch, Dairy Program, 

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

the appropriate product or operation code for the commodity being manufactured.

Part 2 CONTAINER AND PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS

Section 2.1 COMMERCIALSTANDARDS

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) 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 PRODUCTION DATE LABELING

The production date (month/day/year) shall be shown on all primary packaging (immediate 

containers) and secondary shipping containers. Commonly used abbreviations for the 

production date may be used.
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Section 2.3 LOT CODE/CERTIFICATENUMBER

A lot code or official inspection certificate number shall be legibly marked on all primary 

shipping materials. Contractors may use any type of lot coding system, provided a unique code 

is used to identify each lot under a contract. When requested contractors shall provide to the 

Government an explanation of the lot coding system utilized.

Section 2.4 STATE AND PLANTNUMBER

The State and plant number shall be printed on each shipping container. The State and plant 

number is assigned by the State and reported by AMS in “Dairy Plants Surveyed and Approved 

for USDA Grading Service.”

Section 2.5 MATERIALS

Material 

Code

Product Description Cases 

Per 

Truck

Net Weight Per 

Truck

100001 BUTTER PRINT 

SALTED CTN-36/1 LB

1,140 

cases

41,040 lbs.

111492 BUTTER PRINT 

SALTED CTN-30/1 LB

1,368 

cases

41,040 lbs.