APPROVED

FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM SPECIFICATION 

(FPPS) FOR SMOKED PIT 

HAM, CURED, BONELESS, 

FULLY COOKED, WATERADDED, 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: July 2017

Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 07/20/17 

Date Revised: N/A

100 ITEM DESCRIPTION 

110 Smoked Pit Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, Water-Added, Frozen – For 

this item, six (6) hams (5.0 ± 0.5 lbs. each) shall be packed per shipping 

container with a catch weight range of 30 ± 2 lbs. Additionally, these hams shall 

be 94.0 percent fat free (6.0 percent fat), have a minimum Protein Fat Free 

(PFF) value of 17.0 percent, have a whole muscle appearance with uniform, 

cured color (no two-toning), minimal fat pockets, and exhibit a firm, non-porous 

texture post thawing. The exterior shall be tear drop in shape, netting imprinted 

(e.g. honeycomb) and display a rich mahogany color, typical of smoked ham 

products. 

200 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS 

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

Service (FSIS) regulations and the AMS Checklist of Requirements listed 

below. 

300 MATERIALS 

310 The contractor’s technical proposal shall include procedures to address 

conformance with the following material requirements. 

320 MEAT COMPONENT 

321 Pork leg insides (Semimembranosus), knuckles (Tensor fasciae latae & 

Quadriceps group) and/or outsides (Biceps femoris & Semitendinosus) of the 

sow and/or hog carcass shall be the only meat components allowed. Pork 

derived from boars is not permissible. 

322 Domestic Origin of Meat Component – All sows and/or hogs shall originate from 

U.S. produced livestock as defined in the Master Solicitation for Commodity 

Procurements and this Supplement. 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 07/20/17 

Date Revised: N/A 2 

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

that comply with the following requirements: 

323.1 Humane Handling – All sows and/or hogs shall 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 shall not be included in USDA Purchase Programs. 

324 Pork Leg Insides/Knuckles/Outsides – Hams shall be derived from pork leg 

insides, knuckles and/or outsides that comply with the following requirements: 

324.1 Traceability – The contractor is responsible for providing sufficient product 

traceability and shall have records to verify the source of raw materials used in 

each lot of product. 

324.2 Handling – All pork leg insides, knuckles and/or outsides shall be maintained in 

excellent condition. The contractor’s technical proposal shall include detailed 

production scheduling with time and temperature controls necessary to 

maintain excellent condition of the pork leg insides, knuckles and/or outsides. 

324.3 Fresh Chilled Only – Hams shall be derived from fresh chilled pork leg insides, 

knuckles and/or outsides. Previously frozen pork leg insides, knuckles and/or 

outsides cannot be used. 

324.4 Lean Quality – The pork leg insides, knuckles and/or outsides shall not exhibit 

any evidence of pale, soft, and/or exudative conditions. 

324.5 Uniform Color – Pork leg insides, knuckles and/or outsides shall be sorted for 

color uniformity to preclude two-toning in the finished product. 

324.6 Objectionable Materials – Pork leg insides, knuckles and/or outsides shall be 

free of skin, bone, cartilage, organ tissue, significant glandular tissue, heavy 

connective tissue and foreign materials. 

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

automatic deboning systems and/or advanced lean (meat) recovery (AMR) 

systems shall not be allowed. 

330 NON-MEAT COMPONENTS 

331 All non-meat components shall be listed in the ingredient statements. 

332 Domestic Origin – Significant ingredients (more than 1 percent) shall be 

derived from U.S. produced products. 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 07/20/17 

Date Revised: N/A 3 

333 Product Formula – The product formula shall include water, dextrose, salt, 

sodium phosphate, antimicrobial agent(s) and sodium nitrite. Sodium 

erythorbate, and/or sodium ascorbate, may be used. 

334 The following non-meat ingredients shall be precluded from use in the 

formulation:

334.1 Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). 

334.2 Soy Protein Products (SPP). 

334.3 Gluten-containing ingredients. 

400 PROCESSING 

410 PROCESSING DATE 

411 Ham products, as delivered to AMS destinations, shall be processed no more 

than 60 days prior to shipment. 

420 PRODUCT COOKING 

421 Hams shall be fully cooked and smoked in accordance with FSIS regulations. 

The use of natural wood smoking and/or liquid smoke may be used to achieve 

the appropriate standard of identity (“Smoked”). 

430 METAL DETECTION 

431 All hams shall be free of metal contamination. Detection of stainless steel, 

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

The equipment, location, detection procedure, sensitivity levels, frequency of 

equipment validation, and corrective action procedures shall be identified and 

described. 

500 FINISHED PRODUCT LIMITATIONS 

510 Fat and protein fat free label declarations shall comply with FSIS labeling 

regulations. 

520 FAT 

521 The fat content of the finished product will not exceed six (6.0) percent. 

522 Percent Fat = (Total Fat / Serving Size) x 100. 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 07/20/17 

Date Revised: N/A 4 

530 PFF 

531 The contractor shall target its production to maintain a minimum PFF value of 

17.0 percent. 

532 Percent PFF = (Percent Protein / (100 – Percent Fat)) X 100. 

540 SODIUM 

541 Sodium level shall not exceed 750 mg per 100 g. 

542 ((Declared Sodium Level (mg) X 100) ÷ Declared Serving Size (grams – 

reference amount customarily consumed (racc)) < 750). 

550 MICROBIAL 

551 Contractor shall have a documented plan to comply with the latest FSIS 

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

Product tested positive for any pathogen shall not be allowed delivery to USDA. 

600 STATE OF REFRIGERATION 

610 Hams shall comply with the following holding time and temperature 

requirements: 

620 HOLDING TIME 

621 After processing, hams shall be refrigerated for a minimum of eight (8) hours. 

630 HOLDING TEMPERATURE 

631 Hams shall have an internal temperature not to exceed 40F prior to placement 

in the freezer. 

640 72 HOURS TEMPERATURE 

641 Hams shall be 0F or below within 72 hours after placement into the freezer. 

700 PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY 

710 PACKAGING 

711 Individual hams (5.0 ± 0.5 lbs. each) shall have the netting removed and be 

vacuum packaged.

720 PACKING 

721 Six (6) hams (5.0 ± 0.5 lbs. each) shall be packed per shipping container with a 

catch weight of 30 ± 2 lbs. 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 07/20/17 

Date Revised: N/A 5 

730 LABELING1/, 2/

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

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

immediate (packaging material) and shipping containers shall be labeled to 

include all information required by FSIS regulations. 

732 Immediate Container Label – Each immediate container shall contain the 

following information: 

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

and date. 

732.2 A “Best-If-Used-By” date that is 360 calendar days from the date of production. 

732.3 Nutrition facts panel based on actual laboratory analysis of the product. 

733 Shipping Container Label – Shipping containers shall contain the following 

information: 

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

on the principal display panel. 

733.2 Appropriate purchase order number. 

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

and date. 

733.4 Ingredient declaration. 

733.5 A nutrition facts panel based on actual laboratory analysis of the product. 

733.6 Product name: Smoked Pit Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, WaterAdded, Frozen 

733.7 Material number: 110900 

733.8 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 ______. 

1/All labeling illustrations shall be provided in the contractor’s technical proposal. 

2/Commercial labeling (Brand “X”) of immediate and shipping containers is permissible. 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 07/20/17 

Date Revised: N/A 6 

740 CLOSURE 

741 Shipping containers shall be closed by strapping, taping or gluing. When 

strapping is used, the initial closure (usually the bottom of container) shall be 

secured by gluing or taping. 

750 PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS 

751 All product shall be stacked on new or well-maintained pallets and palletized 

with shrink wrap plastic. 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 shall consist of 1,280 cases (7,680 individual hams) with a 

net weight not to exceed 39,050 pounds. 

900 DELIVERED PRODUCT 

910 SIZE AND STYLE OF CONTAINER 

911 Only one size and style of immediate and shipping containers shall be offered 

in an individual shipping unit. 

920 TEMPERATURE 

921 All products shall be frozen and not exceed 0°F at the time of shipment. This 

temperature shall be maintained during transit, from originating establishment 

to receipt at the final destination. 

930 SEALING 

931 All products shall be delivered to AMS destinations under seal. Seals shall be 

serially numbered, barrier-type and meet the American Society for Testing and 

Materials (ASTM) standards (F-1157-04) and/or the International Organization 

for Standards (ISO) 17712-2010. 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 shall guarantee that the product complies with all 

contractual requirements required of this Supplement. 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 07/20/17 

Date Revised: N/A 7 

1012 Complaint Resolution – The contractor’s technical proposal shall 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 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT 

1021 The contractor shall include a plan and supporting documentation to assure 

that non-conforming product is not delivered under USDA contracts. The plan 

shall address 1) control and segregation of non-conforming product, 2) removal 

of any USDA markings, and 3) disposition of non-conforming product, including 

vendor documentation of final disposition (e.g., diverted from AMS production 

or destroyed). 

1030 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING 

1031 Contractor shall perform checkloading examinations at the time of shipment 

and issue a contractor’s certificate to accompany each shipment that includes 

the following information: 

1031.1 Purchase Order Number/Purchase Order Line Item Number; 

1031.2 Sales Order Number/Sales Order Line Item Number; 

1031.3 Destination of shipment; 

1031.4 Name of Product and applicable Material Number; 

1031.5 Shipping Date; 

1301.6 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; 

1301.7 Count of shipping containers and total projected net weight in each production 

lot; 

1031.8 Identity of car or truck (car numbers and letters, seals, truck license, etc.) as 

applicable; 

1301.9 Contractor certification that product conforms with the applicable specification 

(FPPS-HP-2017); 

1031.10 Count and projected net weight verified and; 

1031.11 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading.