Approved by DBJ 

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 07/08/21

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO 

MASTER SOLICITATION

PURCHASE OF HAM, 

BONELESS, FULLY COOKED 

WATER-ADDED FOR

DISTRIBUTION TO FEDERAL 

FOOD NUTRITION 

ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

APPROVED

 Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)

Livestock and Poultry (LP) Program

Standards and Specifications Division (SSD)

Room 3932 S-Bldg. Stop 0258, Phone: (202) 690-3148

Supersedes: Supplement 303 August 2017

– Changes from previous requirements in blue

 Effective: July 2021

100 OVERVIEW

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

Boneless, Fully-Cooked, Water-Added Items by the Department of Agriculture 

(USDA), including the applicable Federal Purchase Program Specification (FPPS)

(Exhibit A and A1).

200 INSTRUCTIONS TO POTENTIAL SUPPLIERS

210 The Ham, Boneless, Fully-Cooked, Water-Added Items 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 Standards and Specifications

Division. 

220 Submission of sample(s) and a technical proposal is not binding on USDA. 

Additional procurement requirements shall be described in the AMS Master 

Solicitation for Commodity Procurements – Domestic Programs (MSCP-D) and 

individual Solicitations.

230 Documentation Requirements

231 Technical Proposal Requirement

231.1 Include a detailed description of the Ham, Boneless, Fully-Cooked, Water-Added 

Items 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 DBJ 

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 07/08/21

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 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, forms provided with the technical proposal, if appropriate with the 

applicable document name and reference number.

232 The Standards and Specification 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 March 2021 (Exhibit B).

300 DOMESTIC ORIGIN CERTIFICATION CLAUSE

310 The contractor agrees to include the domestic origin certification clause at Section 

4A52.225-1 of the MSCP-D, in its entirety, in all subcontracts for meat or meat 

products used in fulfilling any contracts awarded under the MSCP-D and this 

Supplement. 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.”

320 Domestic origin verification requirements shall be included in the 

contractor’s or subcontractor’s technical proposal, if applicable. 

Otherwise, prior to any work performed under the contract or purchase 

order awarded, the Domestic Origin Certificate (refer to the MSCP-D) 

shall be presented to an AMS representative, the Contracting Officer, or 

agent thereof upon request.
Approved by DBJ 

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 07/08/21

400 FOOD DEFENSE

410 Food Defense Requirements – Refer to Section 4A52.246-2 of the MSCP-D for 

Commodity Procurements.

420 Regardless of the contract compliance service utilized for the contract (see section 

500), the USDA, AMS, LP Quality Assessment Division (QAD) shall conduct a food 

defense audit on the contractor’s and/or subcontractor’s documented and 

operational Food Defense Plan for approval. 

430 A QAD-approved Food Defense Plan is required prior to the bid opening date for 

submitted bids to be considered.

500 AMS CONTRACT COMPLIANCE

510 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.

520 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.

530 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 or email: 

QAD.BusinessOps@usda.gov

540 Option A: QAD Grading-Based Monitoring and Certification 

540.1 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 Option A. Pork raw materials will 

be subjected to QAD audit-based verification and the pork raw material supplier is 

required to submit a technical proposal. 

540.2 Pre-Production Onsite Plant Survey

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

production and certification requirements.

540.3 Post-Award Monitoring and Certification
Approved by DBJ 

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 07/08/21

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

the commodity food. 

540.3.2 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.

540.3.3 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.

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

requirements of the FPPS for raw material, formulation, marinating, cooking, 

freezing, packaging and packing, metal detection, labeling and marking and net 

weight.

550 Option B: Audit-Based Verification

550.1 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 1000 Technical Proposal Requirements) and the applicable 

FPPS. Poultry raw materials will be subjected to the QAD grading-based certification 

process prior to being utilized to manufacture finished products. 

550.1.1 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. 

550.1.2 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. 

550.2 Pre-Award Onsite Capability Assessment Audit

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

550.2.2 Food Defense Requirements – Refer to Section 400 of this Supplement.

550.2.3 Production of the commodity that complies with the applicable FPPS and approved 

technical proposal. 

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

shipping, and, 

550.2.5 Interviews with management and production personnel.
Approved by DBJ 

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 07/08/21

550.2.6 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. 

550.2.7 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. 

550.2.8 Bids that are determined to be non-responsive bids, CP shall notify the contractor(s) 

directly.

550.3 Post-Award Assessment Audit 

550.3.1 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.

550.3.2 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. 

550.4 Post-Award Actions

550.4.1 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. 

550.4.2 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. 

550.4.3 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 nonconformance or complaint. 

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 PRODUCT SAMPLE FOR OPTION B
Approved by DBJ 

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 07/08/21

710 Potential contractors, that choose to operate under Option B, shall submit samples 

that are produced in accordance with their submitted technical proposal.

800 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING

810 Under Option A and B 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 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS FOR OPTION B

910 Under Option B, the supplier(s) and contractor will submit a Technical Proposal that 

meets the following Requirements: 

910.1 Include a detailed description of the cooked products 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)

910.2 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)

910.3 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)
Approved by DBJ 

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 07/08/21

910.4 The technical proposal shall follow the format as shown in Exhibit C. Technical 

proposals should be brief and concise.

910.5 The technical proposal shall be preceded by the following, as required by the 

template:

910.5.1 Table of Contents listing the major areas as they appear in the technical proposal; and

910.5.2 List of attachments, forms provided with the technical proposal, if appropriate with the 

applicable document name and reference number.

920 The SSD shall review each technical proposal to determine if the proposal is 

adequate and shall notify the contractor of the status of their technical proposal and 

their eligibility to bid.

930 INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION OF TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

930.1 The following procedures establish the acceptable minimum requirements for 

the format and content of the technical proposal:

930.1.1 The Government has provided a technical proposal format which is to be used in 

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

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

Angelia.Gale@usda.gov, William.Stone@usda.gov and 

Steve.Whisenant@.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. 

930.1.2 The technical proposal shall be submitted by an authorized agent of the company.

930.1.3 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.

940 Technical Proposal Revisions

940.1 Changes to a contractor’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:

940.2 Any changes to a technical proposal made by the contractor 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 
Approved by DBJ 

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 07/08/21

change. The contractor shall include the revision date and the appropriate page 

number(s).

940.3 Changes from the original technical proposal shall be highlighted and deletions in

strikeouts. 

1000 EXHIBITS
APPROVED

FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM SPECIFICATION 

(FPPS) FOR HAM PRODUCTS, 

CURED, BONELESS, FULLY 

COOKED, FROZEN OR 

CHILLED

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 for Ham Products July 2017 – changes from 

previous requirements in blue

Effective: July 2021 

Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 07/08/21

100 ITEM DESCRIPTION

110 Bulk Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully-Cooked, Water Added, Frozen or Chilled – 

For material numbers 100184 and 100186, four 10-pound hams shall be snugly 

packed into shipping containers to a net weight of 40 pounds. For material 

number 100182, twelve 3-pound hams shall be snugly packed into a shipping 

container to a net weight of 36 pounds. The bulk packaged hams shall be 

round or oval shaped and have a diameter of 4.0 to 4.5 inches. 

120 Sliced Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully-Cooked, Water Added, Frozen –Thinly 

sliced (not shaved) ham (material numbers 100187 and 100891) shall be 

shingle layered and packaged. For material number 100187, eight 5-pound 

packages shall be snugly packed into shipping containers to a net weight of 40 

pounds. For material number 100891, twenty 2-pound packages shall be 

snugly packed into shipping containers to a net weight of 40 pounds. The full 

intact slices shall be round or oval shaped with a diameter of 4.0 to 4.5 inches, 

or square shaped with dimensions of 4.0 X 4.0 or 4.0 X 6.0 inches. 

130 Items described in Sections 110 and 120 shall be 97 percent fat free 

(3 percent fat), minimum Protein Fat Free (PFF) value of 17.0 percent, and 

have a whole muscle appearance (not ground or chopped), uniform color 

(slightly two tone color is permissible), no spongy (porous texture) appearance 

(after thawing of frozen ham). 

140 Diced Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully-Cooked, Frozen – The product shall be 97 

percent fat-free and have a minimum PFF value of 15.0 percent. This item 

(material number 100188) is recommended for use as a topping for pizza, 

salads, omelets and as a component for soups, stews, and casseroles. Eight 

5-pound packages shall be snugly packed into shipping containers to a net

weight of 40 pounds. The dices shall be 0.5-inch cubes and may be made from

ground or chopped and formed ham.

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 07/08/21 2

200 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS

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

Service (FSIS) regulations. The contractor’s technical proposal, submitted to 

the Standards and Specification Division (SSD), shall adhere to the following 

Checklist of Requirements. A technical proposal is not required to be submitted 

when the contractor is operating under the QAD Grading-based Monitoring and 

Certification service option (See Section 1020).

300 MATERIALS

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

conformance with the following material requirements.

320 MEAT COMPONENT

321 Pork (shall be derived from suitable lean from any portion of the sow and/or hog 

carcass) shall be the only meat component 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 AMS Master Solicitation for 

Commodity Procurements – Domestic Programs (MSCP-D) and this 

Supplement.

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 Boneless Pork Legs – Hams shall be derived from boneless pork legs that 

comply with the following requirements:

324.1 Traceability – Contractors are 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 boneless pork legs 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 boneless pork legs.

324.3 Fresh Chilled Only – Meat shall be derived from fresh chilled boneless pork 

legs. Previously frozen boneless pork legs cannot be used.
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Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 07/08/21 3

324.4 Uniform Color – To the extent possible, pork leg muscles should be sorted for 

color uniformity.

324.5 Lean Quality – The pork leg muscles shall not exhibit any evidence of pale, 

soft, and/or exudative conditions.

324.6 Shanks and Inner Shanks – If used, shanks and inner shanks shall be ground, 

emulsified, or otherwise reduced in size.

324.7 Objectionable Materials – Pork legs shall be free of bones, cartilages, skins, 

spinal cord, and foreign materials.

324.8 Ground Meat – Pork leg trimmings (including shank meat and rework) that are

ground, emulsified, or otherwise reduced in size cannot exceed 7.0 percent of 

the meat component.

324.9 Rework - If used, rework shall be derived from finished ham product intended 

for delivery to USDA, not be associated with any positive pathogen test and be 

included as a component of the ground meat (see Section 324.8) while not 

exceeding a level of 2 percent based on finished product weight.

325 Mechanical Separation - Pork that is mechanically separated from bone with 

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

is not allowed.

330 NON-MEAT COMPONENTS

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

332 Domestic Origin – Significant ingredients (more than 1.0 percent) shall be 

derived from U.S. produced products.

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

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

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

334 Ingredient Limitations – The ingredients in the product formula shall comply 

with the amounts as listed:

334.1 Material Number 100182:

334.1.1 Dextrose – No more than 3.0 percent

334.1.2 Salt – No more than 2.5 percent

334.1.3 Sodium Phosphate – No more than 0.5 percent
Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 07/08/21 4

334.2 Material Numbers 100184, 100186, 100187, 100188 and 100891

334.2.1 The product formulation(s) shall be developed such that the prescribed finished 

product limitations (see Sections 500 - 561) are met.

335 Binder Agent – Binder agents such as carrageenan and modified food starch 

may be used.

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

formulation:

336.1 MSG – Monosodium Glutamate (MSG).

336.2 Soy Protein Products (SPP).

336.3 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 CASING DIAMETER / DIMENSION

421 Bulk Packaged Ham - All bulk packaged hams shall be stuffed and processed 

within high oxygen and high moisture barrier poly “cook-n-ship” casings with a 

diameter of 4.0 to 4.5 inches. Ham then may be pressed.

422 Sliced and Diced Packaged Ham - All sliced and diced packaged hams shall be 

stuffed and processed within high oxygen and high moisture barrier poly “cookn-ship” casings with a diameter of 4.0 to 4.5 inches or square shaped with 

dimensions of 4X4 or 4X6 inches. Ham then may be sliced or diced and 

repackaged (see Section 712.2).

430 PRODUCT COOKING

431 Ham shall be fully cooked in accordance with FSIS regulations.

440 METAL DETECTION

441 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.
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Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 07/08/21 5

500 FINISHED PRODUCT LIMITATIONS

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

regulations. 

520 FAT

521 The contractor will target production to maintain a process average for fat 

content to be 3.0 percent or less. The contractor shall use a Statistical Process 

Control (SPC) program to analyze fat test results. The SPC Upper 

Specification Limit (USL) is 3.6 percent fat. The average test results of each 

production lot exceeding the USL shall not be allowed delivery to USDA. For 

the purpose of this section, a lot cannot exceed one day’s production. 

530 PROTEIN FAT FREE (PFF)

531 The contractor shall target its production to maintain the PFF values as 

specified with the item description. 

540 SODIUM

541 Material Number 100182:

541.1 The product formulation shall be developed such that the prescribed 

ingredient limitations (see Section 334.1) are met.

542 Material Numbers 100184, 100186, 100187, 100188 and 100891:

542.1 The sodium level shall not exceed 650 mg per 100 g serving.

542.2 ((Declared Sodium Level (mg) X 100) ÷ Declared Serving Size (g; reference

amount customarily consumed) ≤ 650))

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 as rework or 

delivery to USDA.

560 PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

561 Since one or more freeze/thaw cycles shall cause moisture loss and affect 

quality, hams shall not appear spongy or porous in texture after freezing and 

thawing. Diced hams shall be processed to minimize ‘clumping’ so that product

is easily removed from bags by the end user without completely thawing.
Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 07/08/21 6

600 STATE OF REFRIGERATION

610 Hams shall comply with the following holding time and temperature 

requirements:

620 HOLDING TIME 

621 Frozen Ham Products – After processing, ham destined for freezing shall be 

refrigerated for a minimum of 24 hours. The diced ham shall be frozen in a 

manner to minimize ‘clumping’ after freezing.

630 HOLDING TEMPERATURE 

631 Frozen Hams (material numbers 100184, 100182, 100187, 100188, 100891) – 

Hams destined for freezing shall have an internal temperature not to exceed 

40°F prior to placement in the freezer.

632 Chilled Hams (material number 100186) – Chilled hams shall be maintained at 

a temperature of not less than 28°F (2.2°C) or higher than 40°F (4.4°C).

640 72 HOURS TEMPERATURE 

641 Frozen hams shall be 0°F or below within 72 hours after placement into the 

freezer.

700 PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY

710 PACKAGING 

711 Package – All bulk packaged hams shall be stuffed and processed within poly 

"cook-n-ship" high oxygen and high moisture barrier casings. Sliced, shingle 

layered hams and diced hams shall be packaged into bags or thermoformed 

packaging and vacuum sealed. All packages shall be closed by heat seal or 

metal clips. 

712 Package Net Weight

712.1 Bulk Ham – For material number 100182, ham shall be packaged into casings 

to a net weight of 3 pounds. For material numbers 100184 and 100186, ham 

shall be packaged into casings to a net weight of 10 pounds. 

712.2 Sliced and Diced Hams – For material numbers 100187 and 100188, ham 

product shall be vacuum packaged or thermoformed vacuum packaged to a net 

weight of 5 pounds. For material number 100891, ham product shall be 

vacuum packaged or thermoformed vacuum packaged to a net weight of 

2 pounds.

720 PACKING
Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 07/08/21 7

721 Bulk Ham – For material number 100182, twelve, 3-pound hams shall be 

snugly packed into a new shipping container to a net weight of 36 pounds. For 

material numbers 100184 and 100186, four 10-pound hams shall be snugly 

packed into a new shipping container to a net weight of 40 pounds.

722 Sliced or Diced Hams – For material numbers 100187 and 100188, eight 

5-pound packages shall be snugly packed into a new shipping container to a

net weight of 40 pounds. For material number 100891, twenty 2-pound

packages shall be snugly packed into a new shipping container to a net weight

of 40 pounds.

730 LABELING1/

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 10-Pound Ham, 5-Pound Sliced and Diced Hams Immediate Container Labels

(casings or package) – Each immediate container is required to have a

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

and date.

733 3-Pound Ham and 2-Pound Sliced Immediate Container Label (casings or

package) – Each immediate container shall contain the following information:

733.1 Product name.

733.2 Manufacturer name and address.

733.3 Ingredient declaration.

733.4 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; 

Contains ______.

733.5 A traceability code that includes information regarding production 

establishment, production date and production lot.

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

733.7 Heating Instructions.

723.8 Safe handling instructions.

733.9 A “Best-If-Used-By” date that is 365 calendar days from the date of production.

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

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 07/08/21 8

733.10 Labels shall be contractor’s own retail (i.e. commercially available, off-the-shelf) 

labels. Immediate package labels shall include two colors other than black and 

white (exclusive of package color). Distributor’s labels are not permitted. 

734 Shipping Container Label – Shipping containers shall contain the following 

information: 

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

on the principal display panel.

734.2 Appropriate purchase order number.

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

and date.

734.4 Ingredient declaration.

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

734.6 10-Pound Ham, 5-Pound Sliced and Diced Hams shipping containers shall

have the statement “for institutional use only”.

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

each of the items.

Item Material Number

10 lb. Bulk Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, 

Water Added, Frozen 100184

10 lb. Bulk Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, 

Water Added, Chilled 100186

3 lb. Bulk Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, 

Water Added, Frozen 100182

5 lb. Sliced Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, 

Water Added, Frozen 100187

5 lb. Diced Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, 

Frozen 100188

2 lb. Sliced Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, 

Water Added, Frozen 100891
Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 07/08/21 9

734.8 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 ______.

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 the gluing or taping method.

750 PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS

751 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.

800 DELIVERY UNIT

810 The delivery units for each of the following respective material numbers are as 

follows:

820 MATERIAL NUMBERS 100184, 100186, 100187, 100188, 100891

821 Each delivery shall consist of 1,000 shipping containers with a net weight of 

40,000 pounds.

830 MATERIAL NUMBER 100182

831 Each delivery shall consist of 1,000 shipping containers with a net weight of 

35,940 - 36,000 pounds.

900 DELIVERED PRODUCT

910 SIZE AND STYLE OF CONTAINER

911 Only one size and style of immediate (casings) and shipping containers shall be 

offered in an individual shipping unit.

920 TEMPERATURE

921 Chilled Ham Temperature – Chilled ham shall be delivered at a temperature of 

not less than 28°F (2.2°C) or greater than 40°F (4.4°C).

922 Frozen Ham Temperature – All products shall be frozen and shall not exceed 

0°F (-17.8°C) at the time of shipment and delivery. 
Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 07/08/21 10

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) 17712-2013. Seals shall be 1⁄8th-inch diameter cable, highsecurity 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.

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 AMS MONITORING AND PRODUCTION ASSESSMENT

1021 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.

1022 If the contractor uses the AMS QAD Grading-based Monitoring and 

Certification service, it shall be implemented in accordance with Section 540 of 

Supplement 303. 

1023 The contractor’s technical proposal shall specify that the AMS QAD Audit

 based Verification service option will be used.

1030 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT

1031 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).

1032 The Contractor shall be deemed ineligible to supply to USDA purchase 

programs (while under contract) should one of the following circumstances 

 arise:

1032.1 The Contractor is subject to a Class I recall for Ham Items.
Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 07/08/21 11

1032.2 The Contractor’s supplier for any ingredient is subject to a Class I recall for 

 that ingredient.

1032.3 The Contractor shall be ineligible until it:

1032.3.1 Submits a written corrective action to the SSD.

1032.3.2 The SSD approves the written corrective action.

1032.3.3 The Quality Assessment Division verifies implementation of the written 

 corrective action through an onside audit.

1040 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING

1041 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:

1041.1 Purchase Order Number/Purchase Order Line Item Number;

1041.2 Sales Order Number/Sales Order Line Item Number;

1041.3 Destination of shipment;

1041.4 Name of Product and applicable Material Number;

1041.5 Shipping Date;

1041.6 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;

1041.7 Count of shipping containers and total projected net weight in each production 

lot;

1041.8 Identity of car or truck (car numbers and letters, seals, truck license, etc.) as 

applicable;

1041.9 Contractor certification that product conforms with the applicable specification 

(FPPS-HP-2021); 

1041.10Count and projected net weight verified and;

1041.11 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading.
APPROVED

FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM SPECIFICATION 

(FPPS) FOR SMOKED PIT 

HAM, CURED, BONELESS, 

FULLY COOKED, WATERADDED, FROZEN

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 for Smoked Pit Ham July 2017

– Changes from previous requirements in blue

Effective: July 2021 

Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 07/20/17 

Date Revised: 07/08/21

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. The contractor’s technical proposal, submitted to 

the Standards and Specification Division (SSD), shall adhere to the following 

Checklist of Requirements. A technical proposal is not required to be submitted 

when the contractor is operating under the QAD Grading-based Monitoring and 

Certification service option (See Section 1020).

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.

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A1
Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 07/20/17 

Date Revised: 07/08/21 2

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

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

Commodity Procurements – Domestic Programs (MSCP-D) and this 

Supplement.

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. 
Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 07/20/17 

Date Revised: 07/08/21 3

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

derived from U.S. produced products.

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 DBJ

Date Issued: 07/20/17 

Date Revised: 07/08/21 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 DBJ

Date Issued: 07/20/17 

Date Revised: 07/08/21 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 Product name.

732.2 Manufacturer name and address.

732.3 Ingredient declaration.

732.4 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; 

Contains ______.

732.5 A traceability code that includes information regarding production 

establishment, production date and production lot.

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

732.7 Heating Instructions. 

723.8 Safe handling instructions.

732.9 A “Best-If-Used-By” date that is 365 calendar days from the date of production.

732.10 Labels shall be contractor’s own retail (i.e. commercially available, off-the-shelf) 

labels. Immediate package labels shall include two colors other than black and 

white (exclusive of package color). Distributor’s labels are not permitted. 

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. 

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 DBJ

Date Issued: 07/20/17 

Date Revised: 07/08/21 6

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 ______.

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
Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 07/20/17 

Date Revised: 07/08/21 7

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) 17712-2013. 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.

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 AMS MONITORING AND PRODUCTION ASSESSMENT

1021 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.

1022 If the contractor uses the AMS QAD Grading-based Monitoring and 

Certification service, it shall be implemented in accordance with Section 540 

of Supplement 303. 

1023 The contractor’s technical proposal shall specify that the AMS QAD Audit- 

 based Verification service option will be used.

1030 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT

1031 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).

1032 The Contractor shall be deemed ineligible to supply to USDA purchase 

programs (while under contract) should one of the following circumstances 

arise:
Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 07/20/17 

Date Revised: 07/08/21 8

1032.1 The Contractor is subject to a Class I recall for Ham Items.

1032.2 The Contractor’s supplier for any ingredient is subject to a Class I recall for that 

ingredient.

1032.3 The Contractor shall be ineligible until it:

1032.3.1 Submits a written corrective action to the SSD.

1032.3.2 The SSD approves the written corrective action.

1032.3.3 The Quality Assessment Division verifies implementation of the written

corrective action through an onside audit.

1040 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING

1041 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:

1041.1 Purchase Order Number/Purchase Order Line Item Number;

1041.2 Sales Order Number/Sales Order Line Item Number;

1041.3 Destination of shipment;

1041.4 Name of Product and applicable Material Number;

1041.5 Shipping Date;

1041.6 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;

1041.7 Count of shipping containers and total projected net weight in each production 

lot;

1041.8 Identity of car or truck (car numbers and letters, seals, truck license, etc.) as

applicable;

1041.9 Contractor certification that product conforms with the applicable specification

(FPPS-PH-2021); 

1041.10Count and projected net weight verified and;

1041.11Signature of company official responsible for checkloading.
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 210 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
Approved by DBJ

Date Issued: 08/11/08

Date Revised: 03/15/21 3 

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.
Approved by DBJ

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. 
Approved by DBJ 

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 07/08/21

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT C

Cover Page:

Company Name

Company Address

Contact Person, including title, phone number, including emergency contact information, email 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 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS

300 MATERIALS

320 MEAT COMPONENT

322 Domestic Origin of Meat Component 

323 Harvest (Slaughter)

323.1 Humane Handling

323.2 Non-Ambulatory Hogs

324 Boneless Pork Legs

324.1 Traceability

324.2 Handling

324.3 Fresh Chilled

324.4 Uniform Color

324.5 Lean Quality

324.6 Shanks

324.7 Objectionable Materials
Approved by: DBJ

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 07/08/21

324.8 Ground Meat

324.9 Rework

325 Mechanical Separation

330 NON-MEAT COMPONENTS

332 Domestic Origin

333 Product Formula

334 Ingredient Limitations

400 PROCESSING

410 PROCESSING DATE 

420 CASING DIAMETER / DIMENSION

430 PRODUCT COOKING

440 METAL DETECTION

500 FINISHED PRODUCT LIMITATIONS

520 FAT

530 PROTEIN FAT FREE (PFF)

540 SODIUM

550 MICROBIAL

560 PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

600 STATE OF REFRIGERATION

620 HOLDING TIME 

630 HOLDING TEMPERATURE 

640 72 HOURS TEMPERATURE 

700 PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY

710 PACKAGING 

720 PACKING

730 LABELING
Approved by: DBJ

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 07/08/21

740 CLOSURE

750 PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS

800 DELIVERY UNIT

900 DELIVERED PRODUCT

910 SIZE AND STYLE OF CONTAINER

920 TEMPERATURE

930 SEALING

1000 PRODUCT ASSURANCE

1010 WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION

1020 AMS MONITORING AND PRODUCTION ASSESSMENT

1030 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT

1040 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING

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

document name and reference number.
Approved by: DBJ

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 07/08/21

SUPPLEMENT 303 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 HAM, BONELESS, FULLYCOOKED, WATER-ADDED

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,

SSD. 

(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 for

Commodity Procurements – Domestic Programs (MSCP-D).

Date: 

Signature: 

(Signed by an officer or representative authorized to sign offers)

Title: