Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 04/14/16

SUPPLEMENT 304 TO THE 

AMS MASTER SOLICITATION 

FOR PURCHASE OF PORK 

LOIN CHOPS, CENTER CUT, 

BONELESS, FROZEN 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: April 2016

100 OVERVIEW 

110 This document provides additional program requirements for the purchase of Pork Loin 

Chops, Center Cut, Boneless, Frozen by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), including 

the applicable Federal Purchase Program Specification (FPPS) (Exhibit A). 

200 INSTRUCTIONS TO POTENTIAL SUPPLIERS

210 The Pork Loin Chops, Center Cut, Boneless, Frozen shall 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 a 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 a technical proposal is not binding on USDA. Actual 

purchases shall be described in the AMS Master Solicitation and Solicitations. 

230 Documentation Requirements

231 Technical Proposal Requirement 

231.1 Include a detailed description of the Pork Loin Chops, Center Cut, Boneless, Frozen 

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) 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 04/14/16

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

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

conformance with each requirement. All measurement results shall be recorded and made 

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 shall review each technical proposal to determine if the proposal is 

adequate and shall notify the supplier of the status of its technical proposal and its 

eligibility to bid. 

233. Animal Welfare Requirements 

233.1 All contractors and subcontractors shall 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). 

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 shall 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. 

310.2 The technical proposal shall be submitted by an authorized agent of the company. 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 04/14/16

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 shall 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 shall 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 shall 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 shall contact the supplier to set up a pre-award onsite 

capability assessment audit of the facility’s processes, food defense 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 shall conduct a food defense audit that shall include, but is not limited to, a 

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

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

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

notified by the Commodity Procurement Staff (CPS) that it is ineligible to bid. The applicant 

shall have an opportunity to correct identified deficiencies, modify its food defense plan and 

contact QAD. Eligibility shall depend on whether the modifications demonstrate 

compliance with its food defense plan. 

422 Documentation shall support: 

422.1 the production of Pork Loin Chops, Center Cut, Boneless, Frozen that complies with the 

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

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

the review of records related to purchasing, receiving, production, quality control, inventory 

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

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 04/14/16

423 Upon completion of the onsite capability assessment, the auditor shall 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 shall be notified by the FSCS 

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

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

applicant shall be notified by CPS that it is ineligible to bid. The supplier shall have an 

opportunity to correct identified deficiencies, modify its process, and/or technical proposal, 

and resubmit to FSCS Division for further consideration. 

423.2 Eligibility shall depend on whether the modifications demonstrate that: 

423.2.1 the process is capable of delivering Pork Loin Chops, Center Cut, Boneless, Frozen in 

compliance with the FPPS, 

423.2.2 the supplier is in compliance with its food defense 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 shall have their documented food defense plan, 

technical proposal, and supporting documentation readily available for review by AMS 

agents. Records may be maintained on hard copy or electronic media. However, records 

maintained as electronic media shall be made available in printed form immediately upon 

request by AMS agents. 

432 The QA Division shall 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 shall 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 shall be immediately reported by the 

contractor to the Contracting Officer and FSCS Division. The Contracting Officer shall 

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

442 The contractor shall 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 

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

examinations, supervision, official documentation, and related services. 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 04/14/16

460 For questions concerning charges and the availability of AMS agents, 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 shall be shipped in containers labeled as “Domestic Only 

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

shall 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 The contractor shall 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, 

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 EXHIBITS 
APPROVED

FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM SPECIFICATION 

(FPPS) FOR PORK LOIN 

CHOPS, CENTER CUT, 

BONELESS, FROZEN

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: January 2015

Approved by CMS 

Date Issued: 04/26/13

Date Revised: 01/29/15

100 ITEM DESCRIPTION

110 Pork Loin Chops, Center Cut, Boneless, Frozen – This item is as described in 

the Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications (IMPS) Item Number 1413 PSO 

1. Individual boneless chops shall not be marinated and weigh four (4) oz. 

(114g) +/- one-half (1⁄2) oz. (14g), exhibit a tail length of ≤ one (1) in. (26mm) 

and be frozen prior to packaging.

200 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

210 IMPS for Fresh Pork - Series 400, effective November 2014. 

300 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS 

310 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 AMS Checklist of

Requirements.

400 MATERIALS 

410 The contractor’s technical proposal must include procedures to address 

conformance with the following material requirements.

420 MEAT COMPONENT 

421 Pork derived from hog carcasses will be the only meat component allowed.

Pork derived from boar and sow carcasses is not permissible.

422 Domestic Origin – All pork will originate from U.S. produced livestock as defined 

in the Master Solicitation and Supplement.

SUPPLEMENT 304 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by CMS 

Date Issued: 04/26/13

Date Revised: 01/29/15 2 

423 Harvesting – Hogs will be harvested in facilities that comply with the 

following requirements: 

423.1 Humane Handling – Hogs will be humanely handled in accordance with all 

applicable FSIS regulations and AMS requirements. 

 

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

disabled livestock will not be included in USDA Purchase Programs.

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

harvesting process. 

424 Pork – Pork must comply with the following requirements:

424.1 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. 

424.2 Handling – All 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 

pork. 

424.3 Lean Quality – Fresh-chilled pork must be reasonably uniform in color (slightly 

two-tone color is permissible) ranging from light pink to red. The pork muscles 

must not exhibit any evidence of pale, soft, and/or exudative conditions.

424.4 Objectionable Materials – Pork will be free of skin, bone, cartilage, organ 

tissue, significant glandular tissue, heavy connective tissue and foreign 

materials.

425 Mechanical Separation – Pork that is mechanically separated from bone with 

automatic deboning systems or powered knives will not be allowed.

500 PROCESSING 

510 The contractor’s technical proposal shall describe the necessary processing 

steps (including pictures) to comply with the items below.

511 Processing Date – Pork chops will be processed into finished product form no 

more than 30 days prior to shipment.

512 Pork chops will be produced as outlined in Section 100 – Item Descriptions

and as defined in IMPS Item Number 1413, PSO 1. 

513 To facilitate portioning into chops, pork loins may be frozen and/or tempered, 

one time only.

SUPPLEMENT 304 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by CMS 

Date Issued: 04/26/13

Date Revised: 01/29/15 3 

514 Weight – Individual pork chops shall weigh four (4) oz. (114g) +/- one-half 

(1⁄2) oz. (14g). 

516 Tail Length – Individual pork chops shall exhibit a tail length of ≤ one (1) in. 

(26 mm).

530 METAL DETECTION 

531 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. 

600 FINISHED PRODUCT LIMITATIONS 

610 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. 

610 FAT

611 The fat content of the finished product will not exceed 10 percent.

611.1 ((Declared Fat (g) / Declared Serving Size (g; reference amount customarily 

consumed (racc))) X 100) ≤ 10 percent.

612 External (subcutaneous) fat thickness of individual pork loin chops will be an 

average of one-eighth (1⁄8) in. (3 mm) with the maximum thickness at any one 

point not to exceed one-quarter (1⁄4) in. (6mm).

620 SODIUM

621 Sodium level must not exceed 70mg per 100 gram basis

622 ((Declared Sodium Level (mg) X 100) / Declared Serving Size (g; racc)) ≤ 70. 

700 STATE OF REFRIGERATION

710 Pork chops will be frozen to an internal temperature of not higher than 0°F (-

17.8°C) within 72 hours from the time of final fabrication of the production lot.

800 PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY 

810 PACKAGING 

811 Four (4) pork chops shall be placed into a flexible immediate container and 

vacuum packaged to a net weight of one (1) pound.

SUPPLEMENT 304 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by CMS 

Date Issued: 04/26/13

Date Revised: 01/29/15 4 

812 Individual pork chops shall be prepared in a manner (e.g. individually quick 

frozen (IQF) or inter-leaving) which prevents them from sticking together after 

they are packaged and packed. 

820 PACKING

821 Forty (40) immediate containers shall be placed into a shipping container to a 

net weight of 40 pounds. 

830 LABELING

831 The shipping containers shall be in compliance with the National Motor Freight 

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

immediate and shipping containers shall be labeled to include all information 

required by FSIS regulations, be illustrated in the contractor’s technical 

proposal, and contain the following information:

832 Immediate Container Labels – Immediate container labels will be commercially 

labeled (e.g. “Brand X”) and contain the following information:

832.1 A “Best-If-Used-By” date that is 180 calendar days from the date of production.

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

832.3 A traceability code that is traced back to establishment number, production lot, 

and date. 

832.4 Safe handling instructions.

832.5 Ingredient declaration (including single ingredient products).

832.6 Cooking instructions. 

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

information:

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

on the principal display panel.

833.2 Applicable purchase order number.

833.3 A traceability code that is traced back to establishment number, production lot, 

and date.

SUPPLEMENT 304 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by CMS 

Date Issued: 04/26/13

Date Revised: 01/29/15 5 

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

833.5 Material number: 110380

833.6 Product Name: Pork Loin Chops, Boneless, Center Cut, Frozen

833.7 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 ______.

840 CLOSURE

841 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.

850 PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS 

851 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.

900 DELIVERY UNIT 

910 Each delivery unit will consist of 950 cases and 38,000 pounds. 

1000 DELIVERED PRODUCT 

1010 SIZE AND STYLE OF CONTAINER 

1011 Only one size and style of immediate and shipping containers may be offered in 

an individual shipping unit.

1020 TEMPERATURE 

1021 All products will not exceed 0°F at the time of shipment and delivery.

1030 SEALING 

1031 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.

SUPPLEMENT 304 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by CMS 

Date Issued: 04/26/13

Date Revised: 01/29/15 6 

1100 PRODUCT ASSURANCE

1110 WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION

1111 Warranty – The contractor will guarantee that the product complies with all 

contractual requirements required under the Master Solicitation and the 

Supplement.

1112 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).

1120 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT

1121 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, or destroyed).

1130 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING

1131 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:

1131.1 Purchase Order Number/Purchase Order Line Item Number;

1131.2 Sales Order Number/Sales Order Line Item Number;

1131.3 Destination of shipment;

1131.4 Name of Product and applicable Material Number;

1131.5 Shipping Date;

1131.6 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;

1131.7 Count of shipping containers and total projected net weight in each production 

 lot; 

1131.8 Identity of car or truck (car numbers and letters, seals, truck license, etc.) as 

 applicable;

SUPPLEMENT 304 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by CMS 

Date Issued: 04/26/13

Date Revised: 01/29/15 7 

1131.9 Contractor certification that product conforms with the applicable 

 specification (FPPS-PLC-2015);

1131.10 Count and projected net weight verified and;

1131.11 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading.

SUPPLEMENT 304 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 04/14/16

SUPPLEMENT 304 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 shall be numbered and identified – all attachments 

shall 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 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS 

300 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS 

400 MATERIALS 

420 MEAT COMPONENT 

422 Domestic Origin of Meat Component 

423 Harvest (Slaughter) 

423.1 Humane Handling 

423.2 Non-Ambulatory Hogs 

424 Pork 

424.1 Traceability 

424.2 Handling 

424.3 Lean Quality 

424.4 Objectionable Materials 

425 Mechanical Separation 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 04/14/16

SUPPLEMENT 304 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT B 

500 PROCESSING 

511 PROCESSING DATE 

512 IMPS ACCORDANCE 

513 FREEZING/TEMPERING 

514 WEIGHT 

515 TAIL LENGTH 

530 METAL DETECTION 

600 FINISHED PRODUCT LIMITATIONS 

610 FAT 

620 SODIUM 

700 STATE OF REFRIGERATION 

800 PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY 

810 PACKAGING 

820 PACKING 

830 LABELING 

840 CLOSURE 

850 PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS 

900 DELIVERY UNIT 

1000 DELIVERED PRODUCT 

1010 SIZE AND STYLE OF CONTAINER 

1020 TEMPERATURE 

1030 SEALING 

1100 PRODUCT ASSURANCE 

1110 WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 04/14/16

SUPPLEMENT 304 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT B 

1120 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT 

1130 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING 

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

name and reference number.
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

Approved by CMS 

Date Issued: 08/11/08

Date Revised: 01/13/15

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.

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

employees and conspicuously displayed at the premises.

SUPPLEMENT 304 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT C
Approved by CMS 

Date Issued: 08/11/08

Date Revised: 01/13/15 2 

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 

non-ambulatory, 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 

SUPPLEMENT 304 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT C
Approved by CMS 

Date Issued: 08/11/08

Date Revised: 01/13/15 3 

removed from the premise in a timely manner through contracted services or 

other means.

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.

SUPPLEMENT 304 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT C
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 for-cause 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. 

SUPPLEMENT 304 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT C
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 04/14/16

SUPPLEMENT 304 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 PORK LOIN CHOPS, 

CENTER CUT, BONELESS, 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: