Approved by DBJ 

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 07/01/22

SUPPLEMENT 213 TO THE 

AMS MASTER SOLICITATION

PURCHASE OF BEEF, 

SPECIAL TRIM 

(FRESH/FROZEN) FOR 

DISTRIBUTION TO FEDERAL 

FOOD AND NUTRITION 

ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

 APPROVED

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)

Livestock and Poultry (LP) Program 

Standards and Specification Division (SSD)

Room 2628-S, STOP 0258

Phone: (202) 690-3148

Supersedes: Supplement 213 April 2016 – Changes from 

previous requirements in blue

 

Effective: July 2022

100 OVERVIEW

110 This document provides additional program requirements for the purchase of Beef, 

Special Trim (Fresh/Frozen) by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), including 

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

200 INSTRUCTIONS TO POTENTIAL SUPPLIERS

210 The beef special trim shall be purchased on a competitive bid basis from qualified 

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

suppliers may submit a technical proposal at any time during the purchase program. 

Suppliers should allow 10 working days, from USDA’s receipt of the technical 

proposal for notification of evaluation results. A supplier is deemed eligible upon 

notification of approval of the technical proposal by the Standards and Specification 

Division (SSD). 

220 Submission of a technical proposal is not binding on USDA. Actual purchases shall

be described in the AMS Master Solicitation for Commodity Procurements – 

Domestic Programs (MSCP-D) and Solicitations.

230 Documentation Requirements

231 Technical Proposal Requirement

231.1 Include a detailed description of the production steps that are taken to meet or 

exceed the minimum product set forth in the FPPS. (Plan/Do)

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) 
Approved by DBJ 

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 07/01/22

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 C. 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 and forms provided with the technical proposal with the 

applicable document name and reference number.

232 SSD shall review each technical proposal to determine if it is adequate and shall

notify the supplier of the status of its technical proposal and eligibility to bid.

233 Animal Welfare Requirements

233.1 All eligible suppliers shall meet the animal handling and welfare requirements set 

forth in the FPPS for Animal Handling and Welfare, effective March 2021 (Exhibit 

B). 

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 to be used in preparing 

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

proposal as an email file attachment to AMS (TechnicalApprovals@usda.gov and 

Steve.Whisenant@ams.usda.gov). The technical proposal shall be saved in a nonportable 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 While it is not the desire of the Government to penalize a supplier for noncompliance with formatting instructions, technical evaluators may have difficulty 

evaluating the technical proposal to the fullest extent possible if the technical 

proposal is not presented in the proper format. Technical evaluators shall not be 

required to search other subsections or sections of the supplier’s technical proposal

for information requested in the evaluation.

310.3 The technical proposal shall be submitted by an authorized agent of the company.
Approved by DBJ 

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 07/01/22

320 Technical Proposal Revisions

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

request of the SSD. 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 changes. 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 AMS CONTRACT COMPLIANCE

410 The contractor may request to use either AMS’s QAD Grading-based Monitoring 

and Certification service or QAD Audit-based Verification service, for assessing 

contract compliance of the finished product. AMS will seek to honor the request 

but reserves the right to make a final determination. Once an option is 

implemented, the contractor shall remain under that service until completion of the 

contract, at which time it may request a change in oversight option for any 

subsequent contract.

420 The cost of all audit, grading 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.

430 Questions concerning charges and the availability of AMS agents can be directed 

to a USDA/AMS, LP Program’s Quality Assessment Division (QAD) field office or 

to: 

USDA, AMS, LP, QAD Business Operations Branch

10809 Executive Center Drive, Suite 318

Little Rock, AR 72211-6022

Phone: 501-312-2962

Email: QAD.BusinessOps@usda.gov 

440 Option A: QAD Grading-Based Monitoring and Certification 

440.1 Monitoring of production and processing and product certification shall be 

conducted through the direct continuous supervision of a USDA grader in 

accordance with the requirements listed in the FPPS and AMS/LP/QAD 

Policies and Procedures for certifying USDA commodity foods. A technical 

proposal is not required to be submitted when the contractor is operating 

under the QAD Grading-based Monitoring and Certification service option.
Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 07/01/22

440.2 Pre-Production Onsite Plant Survey

440.2.1 QAD shall contact the contractor to set-up a pre-production plant survey and 

discuss production and certification requirements.

440.3 Post-Award Monitoring and Certification

440.3.1 The USDA grader shall be present at all times during production and processing 

of the commodity food. 

440.3.2 The USDA Grader may select samples for laboratory analyses or inspect the 

commodity at any point in transit and after delivery to point of destination.

440.3.3 The contractor shall perform checkloading examinations as described in the FPPS 

at the time of shipment and issue an acceptance document to accompany each 

shipment.

440.3.4 The AMS Grader shall be responsible for certification of compliance with the 

requirements of the FPPS for raw material, packaging and packing, metal 

detection, labeling and marking and net weight.

450 Option B: Audit-Based Verification

450.1 Verification of production and processing shall be conducted through routine 

audits performed by QAD according to the suppliers’ and contractor’s approved 

technical proposal (see section 200 and 300 Technical Proposal Requirements) 

and the applicable FPPS. 

450.1.1 Interested contractors may submit sample(s) and a technical proposal at any time 

during the purchase program. Contractors should allow 10 working days, from 

USDA’s receipt of the product sample(s) and technical proposal for notification of 

evaluation results. A contractor is deemed eligible upon notification of approval of

the sample(s) and technical proposal by the SSD.

450.1.2 Once a contractor is notified by the SSD that the technical proposal meets the 

applicable criteria, QAD shall contact the contractor to set up a pre-award onsite 

capability assessment audit. 

450.2 Pre-Award Onsite Capability Assessment Audit

450.2.1 QAD shall conduct an onsite capability assessment that shall consist of reviewing:

450.2.2 Food Defense Requirements – Refer to Section 521 of this Supplement.

450.2.3 Production of the commodity that complies with the applicable FPPS and 

approved technical proposal. 

450.2.4 Records related to purchasing, receiving, production, quality control, inventory, 

shipping, and, 
Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 07/01/22

450.2.5 Interviews with management and production personnel.

450.2.6 Upon completion and if necessary (due to time constraints), QAD may provide the 

SSD either with a verbal or email notification of the audit findings. SSD shall notify 

the vendor of their status based on the audit findings as well as QAD and the 

Commodity Procurement Program (CP). The official final audit report shall be sent 

to the contractor once released from QAD. 

450.2.7 After bid opening, CP shall contact QAD and SSD to determine that vendors have 

met all requirements to deem the bids responsive or non-responsive.

450.2.8 Bids that are determined to be non-responsive bids, CP shall notify the 

contractor(s) directly.

450.3 Post-Award Assessment Audit

450.3.1 Contractors who receive contracts shall have their required documentation readily 

available for review upon request by SSD, QAD, or other AMS agents. Records 

may be maintained in hard copy or electronic media. However, records 

maintained as electronic media shall be made available in printed form 

immediately upon request.

450.3.2 QAD 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, and their frequency, shall be conducted as determined 

by the QAD, 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 QAD, more frequent audits may be conducted 

when audit deficiencies are detected. 

450.4 Post-Award Actions

450.4.1 Any deviation from contractual requirements shall be immediately reported by the 

contractor to the Contracting Officer and SSD. The Contracting Officer or SSD 

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

contractor. 

450.4.2 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 SSD.

450.4.3 In the instance that any non-conformance is cited by the USDA auditor, or when a 

complaint is received by commodity recipient agencies, the supplier or contractor 

shall submit a cause-and-effect analysis and corrective actions to address the 

non-conformance or complaint. 

500 CAPABILITY ASSESSMENTS
Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 07/01/22

510 Once a supplier is notified by the SSD that the technical proposal meets the 

applicable criteria, QAD 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 to determine the supplier’s 

ability to meet contractual requirements.

520 Pre-Award Onsite Capability Assessment Audit

521 Food Defense Assessment

521.1 The QA Division shall conduct a food defense audit that shall include, but is not 

limited to, a thorough evaluation of the supplier’s food defense plan. 

Documentation shall support the supplier’s food defense plan. If the report 

demonstrates that the food defense plan is inadequate, the supplier shall be 

notified by the SSD that it is ineligible to bid. The supplier shall have an opportunity 

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

description for further consideration. Eligibility shall depend on whether the 

modifications demonstrate compliance with the food defense plan.

522 Harvesting Requirement

522.1 The QA Division shall conduct harvesting and humane handling audits based on 

the requirements stated in the attached FPPS’s and the company’s approved 

technical proposal. Documentation shall support the supplier’s adherence to 

meeting the harvesting and humane handling requirements as set forth in the 

FPPS’s.

523 Documentation shall support:

523.1 the production of the beef item that complies with the applicable FPPS and the 

supplier’s approved technical proposal, and

523.2 the supplier’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.

524 Upon completion of the onsite capability assessment, the auditor shall provide 

either a verbal or email notification of the audit findings to the SSD to determine 

(based on the audit findings), supplier eligibility to bid. Supplier shall be notified by 

the SSD and the official final report shall be sent once released from QAD.

524.1 If the audit findings demonstrate that the process or food defense plan is 

inadequate, the supplier shall be notified by the SSD that it is ineligible to bid. The 

supplier shall have an opportunity to correct identified deficiencies, modify its

process, food security plan, and/or technical proposal, and resubmit for further 

consideration.

524.2 Eligibility shall depend on whether the modifications demonstrate that:
Approved by DBJ 

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 07/01/22

524.2.1 the process is capable of delivering fresh/frozen beef special trim in compliance 

with the FPPS, 

524.2.2 the supplier is in compliance with its food defense plan,

524.2.3 a successful QAD corrective action audit is conducted, and 

524.2.4 the supplier complies with other applicable contractual requirements.

530 Post-Award Assessment Audit

531 Eligible suppliers who receive contracts shall have their documented food defense

plan, technical proposal, and supporting documentation readily available for review 

by the SSD or 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.

532 QAD shall conduct an onsite audit of the supplier’s facility(s) and processes when 

production commences for the first contract awarded. Additional audits shall be 

conducted as determined by the SSD, but not less than once per month for 

suppliers with continuous or multiple contracts, or once per contract for intermittent 

suppliers. At the discretion of the SSD, more frequent audits may be conducted 

when audit deficiencies are detected.

540 Post-Award Actions

541 Any deviation from contractual requirements shall be immediately reported by the 

contractor to the Contracting Officer and SSD. The Contracting Officer or SSD

shall notify the supplier regarding eligibility to continue to participate as a supplier. 

542 Suppliers shall assure that the delivered product complies with the provisions of the 

FPPS, the applicable assessment by AMS, and the supplier’s technical proposal

approved by the SSD. 

550 The cost of all audit, product monitoring, and certification services performed by 

the AMS agents shall be borne by the supplier. This includes, but is not limited to, 

audits, examinations, supervision, official documentation, and related services.

551 Questions concerning charges and the availability of AMS agents can be directed 

to a USDA/AMS, LP Program’s Quality Assessment Division (QAD) field office or 

to: 

USDA, AMS, LP, QAD Business Operations Branch

10809 Executive Center Drive, Suite 318

Little Rock, AR 72211-6022

Phone: 501-312-2962

Email: QAD.BusinessOps@usda.gov
Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 07/01/22

600 DOMESTIC ORIGIN CERTIFICATION CLAUSE

610 The supplier agrees to include the below 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 principal display panel and the bill of 

lading accompanying the shipment shall contain the statement “Domestic Only 

Product.”

700 CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMANCE (COC)

710 Include a copy of the contractor’s Certificate of Conformance (Exhibit D) in

addition to the referenced payment documents required in the Master Solicitation.

800 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING

810 Under both the QAD Grading-based Monitoring and Certification option and 

the QAD Audit-based Verification service option, 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:

810.1 Purchase Order Number,

810.2 Sales Order and Sales Order Item Number,

810.3 Name of product,

810.4 Shipping Date,

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

810.6 Count of shipping containers and total projected net weight in each 

production lot,

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

applicable,

810.8 Contractor certification that product conforms with the FPPS,

810.9 Count and projected net weight verified, and

810.10 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading.

900 EXHIBITS
APPROVED

FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM 

SPECIFICATION (FPPS) 

FOR BEEF SPECIAL TRIM

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)

Livestock and Poultry (LP) Program 

Standards and Specification Division (SSD)

Room 2628-S, STOP 0258

Phone: (202) 690-3148

Supersedes: FPPS ST April 2016 – Changes from previous 

requirements in blue

Effective: July 2022

Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 02/01/08

Date Revised: 07/01/22

100 ITEM DESCRIPTION

110 Beef Special Trim shall be limited to any combination of the following muscle 

systems: 

111 Peeled Knuckle – The peeled knuckle shall include the rectus femoris, and 

vastus lateralis, and may include the vastus medialis, and vastus intermedius. 

112 Chuck Tender – The chuck tender shall consist of the supraspinatus muscle 

only. 

113 Shoulder Clod Arm Meat – The shoulder clod arm meat shall include the 

triceps brachii muscles (long, medial and lateral head) only.

200 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS

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

Service (FSIS) regulations and the AMS Checklist of Requirements. The 

contractor’s technical proposal, submitted to the Standards and Specification

Division (SSD), shall adhere to the following checklist requirements. 

210 MATERIALS

211 MEAT COMPONENT

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

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

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Date Revised: 07/01/22 2 

211.1.2 Beef Round, Knuckle, Peeled or Beef Round, Knuckle, Full, Peeled - This 

item consists of the full knuckle or posterior portion of the full knuckle (rectus 

femoris, vastus lateralis, and may include vastus medialis, vastus 

intermedius). The knuckle shall (1) have the tensor faciae latae removed 

(peeled); (2) be butterflied to expose and remove the heavy connective tissue 

within the rectus femoris muscle and between the rectus femoris and vastus 

lateralis; (3) have the tendinous ends removed; and (4) have the sartorius

removed. 

211.1.3 Beef Chuck Tender - This item consists of the supraspinatus muscle, which 

lies dorsal to the medial ridge of the blade bone. The chuck tender shall be 

separated from other muscles through the natural seams. The large end 

(anterior end) shall be butterflied to expose and remove the heavy connective 

tissue within the muscle.

211.1.4 Beef Chuck, Shoulder Clod Arm Meat - This item is derived from the beef 

shoulder clod and shall consist of the large muscle system of the thick end of 

the clod (triceps brachii – long, medial and lateral heads only). The shank 

end shall be butterflied to expose and remove heavy connective tissue 

associated with the elbow tendon.

211.2 Domestic Origin – Beef shall originate from U.S. produced livestock as 

defined in the AMS Master Solicitation for Commodity Procurements – 

Domestic Programs (MSCP-D) and Supplement. 

211.3 Harvesting (Slaughtering) – Cattle shall be harvested in facilities that comply 

with the following requirements:

211.3.1 Humane Handling – Cattle shall be humanely handled in accordance with all 

applicable FSIS regulations and AMS requirements.

211.3.2 Pathogen Intervention Steps – Include at least two pathogen intervention 

steps. One of the intervention steps shall be steam pasteurization, an organic 

acid rinse, or a 180°F hot water wash and shall be a critical control point 

(CCP) in the establishment’s FSIS recognized slaughter process Hazard

Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan.

211.3.3 Spinal Cord Removal – Remove all spinal cord material during the harvesting 

process. 

211.4 Boneless Beef – Only fresh-chilled boneless special trim that complies with 

211.2 – 211.3.3 and the following requirements and has never been 

previously frozen shall be allowed:

211.4.1 Traceability – Contractors shall provide sufficient product traceability and shall

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

SUPPLEMENT 213 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
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211.4.2 Handling – All boneless beef shall 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.

211.4.3 Objectionable Materials – The following objectionable materials shall be 

excluded: Major lymph glands (prefemoral, popliteal, and prescapular), 

thymus gland, bone, cartilage, sciatic (ischiatic) nerve, heavy connective 

tissue (shoulder tendon, elbow tendon, silver skin, sacrosciatic ligament, 

opaque periosteum, tendinous ends of shanks, patellar ligament (stifle joint).

211.5 Mechanically Separated – Beef that is mechanically separated from bone with 

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

systems is not allowed.

212 NON-MEAT COMPONENTS

212.1 Non-meat components such as spinal cord, organ tissue, and foreign material 

are not allowed.

213 FAT LIMITATIONS

213.1 Maximum average surface fat thickness – Peeled/Denuded, Surface 

Membrane Removed (90 percent lean exposed). Flake fat shall not exceed 

1⁄8-inch in depth at any point.

214 GRADE REQUIREMENT

214.1 No grade requirement.

215 STATE OF REFRIGERATION

215.1 Fresh-Chilled or Frozen as specified in each Solicitation. When Fresh-Chilled 

is specified, product shall be maintained and delivered at a temperature not 

less than 28°F (-2.2°C) or higher than 40°F (4.4°C). When frozen is specified, 

product shall 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 lot.

220 PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY

220.1 The contractor’s technical proposal shall assure that all packaging, packing, 

labeling, closure, marking, and palletization comply with the National Motor 

Freight Regulations and FSIS regulations and the requirements listed below.

221 PACKAGING

221.1 For Beef Special Trim to be delivered frozen, product shall be bulk packaged 

without use of plastic liner material. When Beef Special Trim is to be

delivered fresh-chilled, product shall be placed into plastic lined combo bins 

and shall be covered so that the container arrives at the destination intact.

SUPPLEMENT 213 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
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Date Issued: 02/01/08

Date Revised: 07/01/22 4 

222 PACKING

222.1 Frozen bulk packaged Beef Special Trim shall be packed into containers to a 

net weight of 60 pounds. Only one style and size of leak proof container shall

be used for each item within any one delivery unit. 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 the gluing or 

taping method. 

222.2 Fresh-chilled Beef Special Trim bulk packaged product shall be placed in 

plastic lined combo-bins to a weight of between 1850 to 2250 pounds.

223 CLOSURE

223.1 Sixty (60) pound shipping containers shall be strapped, taped or glued. 

Combo-bins shall be sealed.

224 LABELING

224.1 Shipping container labels shall be illustrated in the contractor’s technical 

proposal and contain the following information:

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

or on the principal display panel.

224.3 Applicable purchase order number.

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

lot, and date.

224.5 The appropriate product name and material number listed in the table below 

for each of the items.

Item Material Number 

Beef, Boneless, Special Trim, Frozen 100156

Beef, Boneless, Special Trim, Chilled 100171 

224.6 The words “For Further Processing into Cooked Product” shall appear on the 

principal display panel.

SUPPLEMENT 213 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
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Date Issued: 02/01/08

Date Revised: 07/01/22 5 

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

224.8 Ingredient declaration (including single ingredient products).

224.9 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 ______.

230 PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS

231 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.

240 DELIVERY UNIT

241 The delivery unit shall be 42,000 pounds (18,900 kg.) net weight (700 frozen 

shipping containers or 20 fresh-chilled combo-bins).

250 DELIVERED PRODUCT

251 SIZE AND STYLE OF CONTAINER

251.1 Only one size and style of shipping container shall be used in any one 

delivery unit.

252 TEMPERATURE

252.1 Product temperature shall not exceed 0°F at the time of shipment and 

delivery for frozen delivery, 40°F at the time of shipment and delivery for 

fresh-chilled delivery.

253 SEALING

253.1 All products shall 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)

F1157-04 and/or the International Organization for Standards (ISO) 17712-

2013 as required under the Master Solicitation. Seals shall be 1⁄8th-inch 

diameter cable, high-security bolt, or equivalent. 

260 PRODUCT ASSURANCE

261 WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION

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Date Issued: 02/01/08

Date Revised: 07/01/22 6 

261.1 Warranty – The contractor shall guarantee that the product complies with all 

contractual requirements required under the Master Solicitation and 

Supplement. 

261.2 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).

262 AMS MONITORING AND PRODUCTION ASSESSMENT

262.1 The contractor may request to use either AMS’s QAD Grading-based 

Monitoring and Certification service or QAD Audit-based Verification service, 

for assessing contract compliance of the finished product.

262.2 If the contractor uses the AMS QAD Grading-based Monitoring and 

Certification service, it shall be implemented in accordance with Section 400

of Supplement 213. 

262.3 A technical proposal is not required to be submitted when the contractor 

is operating under the QAD Grading-based Monitoring and Certification 

service option. The contractor’s technical proposal shall specify that the 

AMS QAD Audit-based Verification service option will be used.

263 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT

263.1 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 to 

commercial production, cooked or destroyed).

 

264 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING

264.1 Under both the QAD Grading-based Monitoring and Certification option and the

QAD Audit-based Verification service option, the 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:

264.1.1 Purchase Order Number/Purchase Order Line Item Number;

264.1.2 Sales Order Number/Sales Order Line Item Number;

264.1.3 Destination of shipment;

264.1.4 Name of Product and applicable Material Number;

1041.5 Shipping Date;

SUPPLEMENT 213 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 02/01/08

Date Revised: 07/01/22 7 

264.1.6 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;

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

lot;

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

applicable;

264.1.9 Contractor certification that product conforms with the applicable specification 

(FPPS-BST-2022); 

264.1.10 Count and projected net weight verified and;

264.1.11 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading.

SUPPLEMENT 213 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
APPROVED

FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM SPECIFICATION 

(FPPS) FOR ANIMAL 

HANDLING AND WELFARE

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)

Livestock and Poultry (LP) Program 

Standards and Specification Division (SSD)

Room 2628-S, STOP 0258

 Phone: (202) 690-3148

Supersedes: FPPS-AHW-2020 November 2020 –

Changes from previous requirements in blue

Effective: March 2021

Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 08/11/08

Date Revised: 03/15/21

100 GENERAL

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

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.

SUPPLEMENT 213 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT B
Approved by DBJ 

Date Issued: 08/11/08

Date Revised: 03/15/21 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 North American Meat Institute (NAMI) Recommended Animal 

Handling Guidelines & Audit Guide: A Systematic Approach to Animal Welfare.

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 4: Transportation Audit Guidelines, 7 Core Criteria and Chapter 5: 

Auditing Animal Handling and Stunning, 7 Core Criteria, of the NAMI 

Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines & Audit Guide: A Systematic 

Approach to Animal Welfare, found at the following web site address: 

231.1 http://animalhandling.org/producers/guidelines_audits

 

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 REGULATORY OVERSIGHT

241 For all species, animals/carcasses that are inspected and passed by the Food 

Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) are eligible for AMS purchase programs.

300 PROGRAM EVALUATION AND ELIGIBILITY

SUPPLEMENT 213 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT B
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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 17065 Program. 

302 Audit findings will be communicated to the establishment’s Food Safety and 

Inspection Service (FSIS) Inspector in Charge (IIC) or designee. 

310 AUDIT FORMAT

311 Audits will be conducted utilizing the following format:

312 TRANSPORTATION SEGMENT (CHAPTER 4: NAMI Recommended Animal 

Handling Guidelines & Audit Guide: A Systematic Approach to Animal Welfare). 

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 5: NAMI 

Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines & Audit Guide: A Systematic 

Approach to Animal Welfare).

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. 

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 Standards and Specification (SS) 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.

1/Religious harvest (Kosher and Halal) shall be exempt from the AMS auditing of Core Criteria 6: Effective Stunning.

SUPPLEMENT 213 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT B
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Date Issued: 08/11/08

Date Revised: 03/15/21 4 

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 SS 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. 

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 SS 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 oneyear 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 SS DIVISION

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

Program out of compliance at any time.

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

handling and welfare official enforcement action is issued by FSIS. 

SUPPLEMENT 213 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT B
Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 07/01/22

SUPPLEMENT 213 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT C

Cover Page:

Company Name

Company Address

Contact Person, including title, phone number, including emergency contact information, email address (shall be authorized to represent the company).

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

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

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 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS

210 Materials

211 Meat Component

211.1 Domestic Origin of Meat Component 

211.2 Harvest 

211.2.1 Humane Handling

211.2.2 Pathogen Intervention Steps

211.2.3 Spinal Cord Removal

211.3 Boneless Beef

211.3.1 Traceability

211.3.2 Handling

211.3.3 Objectionable Materials

211.4 Mechanically Separated
Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 07/01/22

212 Non-Meat Components

213 Fat Limitations

214 State of Refrigeration

220 Preparation for Delivery

221 Packaging

222 Packing

223 Closure

224 Labeling

224.1 All labeling shall be illustrated in the Supplier’s technical proposal.

230 Palletized Unit Loads

240 Delivery Unit

250 Delivered Product

251 Size and Style of Container

252 Temperature

253 Sealing

260 Product Assurance

261 Warranty and Complaint Resolution

262 Non-Conforming Product

263 AMS Monitoring and Production Assessment

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

document name and reference number.
Approved by DBJ 

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 07/01/22

SUPPLEMENT 213 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT D

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE LIVESTOCK AND 

POULTRY PROGRAM

CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMANCE FOR

THE PROCUREMENT OF BEEF, SPECIAL TRIM (FRESH/

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, LP Program, 

Standards and Specification 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: