Farm Service Agency 

 Kansas City Commodity Office 

 P.O. Box 419205, MS 8718 

 Kansas City, MO 64141-6205

USDA COMMODITY REQUIREMENTS

FPBS1

FORTIFIED POULTRY-BASED SPREAD 

FOOD FOR USE IN EXPORT PROGRAMS 

Effective Date: August 10, 2015
 USDA COMMODITIY REQUIREMENTS

 FPBS1

 FOR USE IN EXPORT PROGRAMS 

Table of Contents 

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

Section 1.1 Fortified Poultry-Based Spread Product Requirements................................................................................ 1

Section 1.2 Quality Assurance......................................................................................................................................... 1

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

Section 2.1 General.......................................................................................................................................................... 2

Section 2.2 Commercial Packaing ................................................................................................................................... 2

Section 2.3 Containers and Materials.............................................................................................................................. 2

Section 2.4 Unitization/ Palletization .............................................................................................................................. 1

Part 3 MARKING REQUIREMENTS ...................................................................................................................................... 4

Section 3.1 Lot Codes...................................................................................................................................................... 4

Section 3.2 Containers and Incorrect Markings............................................................................................................... 4

Exhibit A. FPBS1 Primary Container Markings............................................................................................................ 5

Exhibit B. FPBS1 Secondary Container Markings........................................................................................................ 6
Page 1 of 6

Part 1 Commodity Specifications 

Section 1.1 Fortified Poultry-Based Spread Product Requirements 

A. Quality of Fortified Poultry-Based Spread (FPBS) 

The FPBS shall meet the requirements as specified in the Commercial Item Description (CID) for Fortified 

Poultry-Based Spreads (FPBS), A-A-20373, dated August 28, 2014, which is available at: 

http://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/CID%20Spreads,%20PoultryBased,%20Fortified,%20Shelf%20Stable.pdf. 

B. Fortification

The FPBS shall be fortified with a vitamin and mineral premix, meeting requirements in the CID. A certificate 

of conformance will be provided certifying the vitamin and mineral premix meets the requirement and will be 

submitted with invoice package.

Section 1.2 Quality Assurance

A. USDA Certification:

When required in the solicitation, that product quality, acceptability or both be determined, the USDA, 

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Livestock, Poultry and Seed Program (LPS), Quality Assessment Division 

(QAD), must be the certifying agency. LPS QAD inspectors must certify the quality and acceptability of the 

poultry spreads in accordance with LPS procedures, which include: selecting random samples of the poultry 

spreads, evaluating the samples for conformance with the salient characteristics of this CID and other 

contractual requirements, and documenting the findings on official LPS score sheets and/or certificates. In 

addition, when required in the CRD, solicitation, contract, or purchase order, LPS will examine the poultry 

spreads for conformance to the U.S. Standards for Condition of Food Containers (7 CFR Part 42) in effect on 

the date of the solicitation.

In addition to any testing that the Government may perform under the Inspection clause of the contract, the 

contractor shall perform the product testing and quality analysis to ensure that the product meets the 

commodity specifications. The results of the contractor’s testing shall be evidenced by a Certificate of 

Analysis (COA). The COA shall provide the results of all tests specified. In addition, the contractor shall 

provide a Certificate of Conformance (COC) certifying that the product meets all the specifications of the 

contract. Copies of both the original COA and COC must be submitted as part of the invoice package.

B. The manufacturer will be required to provide evidence that the manufacturing plant has undertaken quality 

assurance measures with a plant survey or PSA conducted by AMS, USDA or 3rd party audit service. 

C. Contractors shall notify the Government immediately of lots that fail to meet contract requirements.
Page 2 of 6

Part 2 Container and Packaging Requirements 

Section 2.1 GENERAL

This part provides the container specifications and packaging materials requirements used under this contract.

Section 2.2 COMMERCIAL PACKAGING

A. Individual cans of FPBS1 shall have a net weight of 85g.

B. 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 

commercial channels and is sold on the commercial market with an established level of consumer 

acceptance.

C. Container and packaging requirements are those used in the current commercial shipping practices for 

export.

Section 2.3 CONTAINERS AND MATERIALS

A. The shipping container shall be a sturdy export quality, of virgin base materials. It should be constructed and 

closed to provide adequate protection of the goods for transportation by air, sea and/or road to final 

destinations worldwide, including remote locations under adverse climatic and storage conditions, and high 

humidity.

B. All containers and packaging shall be constructed to meet the requirements of the Food and Drug 

Administration (FDA) for safe contact with the packaged product. The contractor shall obtain and maintain 

documentation from the container or packaging material manufacturer to verify that the containers and 

packaging materials used in this contract were in compliance with the Government’s regulatory requirements 

for safe contact with food products as required in the Master Solicitation, Part 3, Section A, Number 3.

C. Questions concerning the containers and materials should be directed to:

USDA/FSA/DACO

Room 5755 – South Bldg, STOP 0551

1400 Independence Avenue SW Washington, DC 20250-0551

ATTN: Packaging

D. If the contractor purchases packaging and container ingredients from a foreign country and/or the package 

and container is manufactured in a foreign country, the package and container SHALL NOT display country of 

origin labeling. Phrases including, but not limited to, “Made in [Name of Foreign Country]” or “Product of 

[Name of Foreign Country]” are strictly prohibited.
Page 3 of 6

Section 2.4 UNITIZATION / PALLETIZATION

A. Unitization

(1) Unless otherwise specified by the Government, all shipments of packaged products shall be unitized 

(palletized and stretch wrapped).

(2) Twenty-four (24) cans will be unitized to a net weight of 4.5pounds per case. All cans will be unitized into 

cases by packing into new fiberboard shipping containers, placing on fiberboard trays with plastic shrink 

wrap or plastic shrink wrap only. Only one size and style of unitized cases may be offered in an individual 

delivery unit.

B. Palletization

(1) Pallets shall be

a. New or well maintained.

b. Suitable for use in the shipment of food products.

c. Constructed to facilitate the safe handling and transportation of the packaged product, as a unit, 

without loss or damage.

d. 48 X 40 inches, four-way or partial four-way, and reversible or nonreversible flush stringer.

(2) Plastic stretch wrap shall be:

a. Constructed of a plastic film which is to be stretched a minimum of 50 percent beyond its original 

length when stretched around the pallet load.

b. Applied as tightly as possible around all tiers of the palletized shipping containers. The shipping 

containers shall be held firmly in place by the stretch wrap.

(3) Pallet loads shall be:

a. Stacked in such a way as to minimize the amount that shipping containers overhang the edges of 

pallets.

b. Blocked and braced or otherwise loaded into the conveyance in a manner that prevents shifting 

during transit.

C. 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 manufacturer to determine the safe stacking height.
Page 4 of 6

Part 3 MARKING REQUIREMENTS 

Section 3.1 Lot Codes

Lot codes unique to each lot offered for inspection shall be legibly marked on each individual primary container 

and shipping container. Commodity suppliers may use any type of lot coding system provided a unique code is 

used to identify each lot offered for inspection under contract. Commodity suppliers shall provide the 

contracting officer with an explanation of the lot coding system used.

Section 3.2 Containers with Incorrect Markings

A. Any labels, bags, cans, can lids, cases, or any other type of packaging (hereinafter referred to as "containers") 

displaying incorrect markings may be used under a Government contract provided that the incorrect 

markings are obliterated and correct markings are applied in a permanent manner with approval of the 

contracting officer. 

B. The appearance of containers in commercial or other channels either filled or unfilled bearing markings 

identifying the containers as part of a Government contract may cause the Government expense in 

determining whether commodities have been diverted from authorized use and in answering inquiries. The 

contractor shall take all necessary action to prevent the appearance in commercial or other channels of 

containers and container materials bearing any markings required under a Government contract, including 

those held by the contractor or others; e.g., overruns misprints, etc. The contractor shall ensure that any 

container from a Government contract that appears in commercial or other channels shall have all markings 

required under this contract permanently obliterated.
Page 5 of 6

Exhibit A. FPBS1 Primary Container Markings
Page 6 of 6

Exhibit B. FPBS1 Secondary Container Markings