Approved by________CMS

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 03/11/16

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO THE 

AMS MASTER SOLICITATION 

FOR PURCHASE OF HAM, 

BONELESS, FULLY-COOKED, 

WATER-ADDED FOR 

DISTRIBUTION TO FEDERAL 

FOOD AND NUTRITION 

ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS 

APPROVED 

 

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)

Livestock, Poultry and Seed (LPS) Program

Food Safety and Commodity Specification (FSCS) Division

Room 2624 S-Bldg, Phone: (202) 692-0342

Effective: March 2016

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). 

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 

FSCS Division. 

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

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

230 Documentation Requirements

231 Technical Proposal Requirement 

231.1 Include a detailed description of the 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) 

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________CMS

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 03/11/16

231.3 Identify all corrective actions to be taken if deviations from contractual and specification 

requirements occur during production, and all preventative actions to be taken to preclude 

a reoccurrence. (Act) 

231.4 The technical proposal shall follow the format as shown in Exhibit B. Technical proposals 

should be brief and concise. 

231.5 The technical proposal shall be preceded by the following, as required by the template: 

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

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

applicable document name and reference number. 

232 The FSCS Division shall review each technical proposal to determine if the proposal is 

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

eligibility to bid. 

233. Animal Welfare Requirements 

233.1 All contractors and subcontractors shall meet the animal handling and welfare requirements 

set forth in the Federal Purchase Program Specification (FPPS) For Animal Handling and 

Welfare, effective January 2015 (Exhibit C). 

300 INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION OF TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

310 The following procedures establish the acceptable minimum requirements for the 

format and content of the technical proposal: 

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

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

an email file attachment to AMS (Darin.Doerscher@ams.usda.gov and 

Steve.Whisenant@ams.usda.gov). The technical proposal shall be saved in a non-portable 

document file format (not PDF; e.g., Microsoft Word). The technical proposal shall be 

submitted in its entirety. If the file size of the technical proposal is too large to send in a single 

email, it may be divided and sent in multiple emails (i.e., Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, etc.). The 

collection of attachments and appendices may be submitted as a separate document as well. 

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

310.3 While it is not the desire of the Government to penalize an offeror for non-compliance with 

formatting instructions, technical evaluators may have difficulty evaluating the technical 

proposal to the fullest extent possible if the proposal is not presented in the proper format. 

Technical evaluators shall not be required to search other subsections or sections of the 

offeror’s technical proposal for information requested in the evaluation. 
Approved by________CMS

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 03/11/16

320 Technical Proposal Revisions

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

the FSCS Division. All technical proposal revisions shall meet the following criteria: 

321.1 Any changes to a technical proposal made by the supplier after its initial submittal shall be 

accomplished by submitting an entire technical proposal. A cover letter shall be submitted 

with the changes identified and an explanation of the need for the change. The supplier 

shall include the revision date and the appropriate page number(s). 

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

strikeouts. 

400 QUALITY ASSESSMENT (QA) DIVISION 

410 Once a supplier is notified by the FSCS Division that the technical proposal meets the 

applicable criteria, the QA Division shall contact the supplier to set up a pre-award onsite 

capability assessment audit of the facility’s processes, food defense plan, and quality 

control program used to produce the product(s) to determine the supplier’s ability to meet 

contractual requirements. 

420 Pre-Award Onsite Capability Assessment Audit 

421 Food Defense Assessment 

421.1 The QA Division shall conduct a food defense audit that shall include, but is not limited to, a 

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

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

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

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

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

contact QAD. Eligibility shall depend on whether the modifications demonstrate 

compliance with its food defense plan. 

422 Documentation shall support: 

422.1 the production of Ham, Boneless, Fully-Cooked, Water-Added Items that complies with the 

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

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

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

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

423 Upon completion of the onsite capability assessment, the auditor shall provide either a 

verbal or email notification of the audit findings to the FSCS Division to determine (based 

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

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

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 03/11/16

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

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

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

and resubmit to FSCS Division for further consideration. 

423.2 Eligibility shall depend on whether the modifications demonstrate that: 

423.2.1 the process is capable of delivering Ham, Boneless, Fully-Cooked, Water-Added Items in 

compliance with the FPPS, 

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

423.2.3 includes the applicable assessment by USDA, and 

423.2.4 the supplier complies with other applicable contractual requirements. 

430 Post-Award Assessment Audit 

431 Eligible suppliers who receive contracts shall have their documented food defense plan, 

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

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

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

request by AMS agents. 

432 The QA Division shall conduct an onsite audit of the contractor’s and subcontractor’s 

facility(s) and processes when production commences for the first contract awarded. 

Additional audits shall be conducted as determined by the FSCS Division, but not less than 

once per month for contractors or subcontractors with continuous or multiple contracts, or 

once per contract for intermittent contractors. At the discretion of the FSCS Division, more 

frequent audits may be conducted when audit deficiencies are detected. 

440 Post-Award Actions 

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

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

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

442 The contractor shall assure that the delivered product complies with the provisions of the 

FPPS, the applicable assessment by USDA, and the contractor’s technical proposal 

approved by the FSCS Division. 

450 The cost of all audit, product monitoring, and certification services performed by the AMS 

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

examinations, supervision, official documentation, and related services. 

460 For questions concerning charges and the availability of AMS agents, contact USDA/AMS, 

LPS Program’s QA Division field office or the Director of the QA Division, LPS Program, 

AMS, USDA, Room 3953-S, STOP 0258, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, 

DC 20250-0258, telephone (202) 720-3271. 
Approved by________CMS

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 03/11/16

500 DOMESTIC ORIGIN CERTIFICATION CLAUSE 

510 The contractor agrees to include this domestic origin certification clause in its entirety in all 

subcontracts for meat or meat products used in fulfilling any contracts awarded under this 

Supplement and Master Solicitation. The burden of proof of compliance is on the 

Contractor. All raw materials shall be shipped in containers labeled as “Domestic Only 

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

shall contain the statement “Domestic Only Product.”

600 CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMANCE (COC) 

610 In addition to the referenced payment documents required in the Master Solicitation, 

please include a copy of the Contractor’s Certificate of Conformance (Exhibit D). 

700 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING 

710 The contractor shall perform checkloading examinations as described in the FPPS at 

the time of shipment and issue contractor’s certificate to accompany each shipment 

that includes all of the following information: 

710.1 Purchase Order Number, 

710.2 Sales Order and Sales Order Item Number,

710.3 Name of product, 

610.4 Shipping Date, 

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

710.6 Count of shipping containers and total projected net weight in each production lot, 

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

applicable 

710.8 Contractor certification that product conforms with the FPPS, 

710.9 Count and projected net weight verified, and 

710.10 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading. 

800 EXHIBITS 
APPROVED

FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM SPECIFICATION 

(FPPS) FOR HAM PRODUCTS, 

CURED, BONELESS, 

FULLY COOKED, FROZEN 

OR CHILLED

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)

Livestock, Poultry and Seed (LPS) Program 

Food Safety and Commodity Specification (FSCS) Division

Room 2628 S-Bldg, Phone: (202) 692-0342

Supersedes: FPPS for Ham Products, Cured, Boneless, Fully 

Cooked, Frozen or Chilled March 2015 – changes from previous 

requirements in blue

Effective: March 2016

Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/04/16

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________CMS 

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/04/16 2 

200 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS 

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

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

below. 

300 MATERIALS 

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

conformance with the following material requirements. 

320 MEAT COMPONENT 

321 Pork (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 Master Solicitation and 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. 

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

color uniformity. 

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/04/16 3 

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 – Meat that is mechanically separated from bone with 

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

or powered knives shall not be allowed. 

330 NON-MEAT COMPONENTS 

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

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

derived from U.S. produced products. 

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% 

334.1.2 Salt – No more than 2.5% 

334.1.3 Sodium Phosphate – No more than 0.5% 

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. 

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/04/16 4 

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. 

500 FINISHED PRODUCT LIMITATIONS 

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

regulations. 

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/04/16 5 

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 700 mg per 100 g serving. 

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

≤ 700)) 

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. 

600 STATE OF REFRIGERATION 

610 Hams shall comply with the following holding time and temperature 

requirements: 

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/04/16 6 

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 

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. 

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/04/16 7 

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

and date. 

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

733.3 Nutrition facts panel based on actual nutritional analysis of the product. 

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. 

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

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/04/16 8 

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 

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. 

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/04/16 9 

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 at the time of shipment and delivery. 

930 SEALING 

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

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

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

for Standards (ISO) 17712-2010. Seals shall be 1⁄8th-inch diameter cable, 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). 

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/04/16 10 

1020 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT 

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

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

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

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

vendor documentation of final disposition (e.g., diverted to cooked product or 

destroyed). 

1030 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING 

1031 Contractor shall perform checkloading examinations at the time of shipment 

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

all of the following information: 

1031.1 Purchase Order Number/Purchase Order Line Item Number; 

1031.2 Sales Order Number/Sales Order Line Item Number; 

1031.3 Destination of shipment; 

1031.4 Name of Product and applicable Material Number; 

1031.5 Shipping Date; 

1301.6 Production lot number(s) and date each lot was produced along with shipping 

container and immediate container code(s) and the code used that provides 

traceability to establishment number, production lot and date; 

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

lot; 

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

applicable; 

1301.9 Contractor certification that product conforms with the applicable specification 

(FPPS-HP-2016); 

1031.10 Count and projected net weight verified and; 

1301.11 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading.

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 03/11/16

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT B

Cover Page: 

Company Name 

Company Address 

Contact Person, including title, phone number, including emergency contact information, e-mail 

address (must be authorized to represent the company). 

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

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

shall be identified and referenced in the Technical Proposal). 

The technical proposal should document a quality control program that includes procedures, 

records, forms, pictures, etc., which demonstrates conformance with the following checklist of 

requirements: 

100 ITEM DESCRIPTION 

200 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________CMS

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 03/11/16

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT B 

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 
Approved by________CMS

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 03/11/16

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT B 

730 LABELING 

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 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT 

1030 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING 

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

name and reference number.
APPROVED

FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM SPECIFICATION 

(FPPS) FOR ANIMAL 

HANDLING AND WELFARE

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)

Livestock, Poultry and Seed (LPS) Program 

Food Safety and Commodity Specification (FSCS) Division

Room 2628 S-Bldg, Phone: (202) 692-0342

Supersedes: FPPS-AHW-2014 June 2014 – Changes from 

previous requirements in blue

Effective: January 2015

Approved by CMS 

Date Issued: 08/11/08 

Date Revised: 01/13/15

100 GENERAL 

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

Program to ensure that the animal handling and welfare requirements for 

Federal nutrition assistance programs reflect industry best practices. 

110 PROGRAM APPROACH 

111 All animal harvest facilities that supply raw materials from bovine, porcine and 

ovine species for the production of AMS destined finished products must 

develop and implement a written program that is consistent with a systematic 

approach to humane animal handling and welfare as outlined in 69 FR 54625. 

The program will ensure proper animal handling and welfare techniques are 

conducted from the time the transportation conveyance enters the facility’s 

premises through the stunning and exsanguination of the animal. 

120 PROGRAM SUBMISSION 

121 The program will be submitted as a supporting document to the organization’s 

approved technical proposal and must address the requirements outlined in 

Section 200 – PROGRAM COMPONENTS. 

200 PROGRAM COMPONENTS 

201 The contractor must ensure that any facility that harvests animals has a: 

210 MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT 

211 Steering Committee (internal) which is ultimately accountable for animal 

handling and welfare initiatives within the organization. 

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

employees and conspicuously displayed at the premises. 

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT C
Approved by CMS 

Date Issued: 08/11/08 

Date Revised: 01/13/15 2 

220 TRAINING PROGRAM 

221 Training program on Animal Handling and Welfare that:

221.1 is provided to all employees interacting with animals; 

221.2 covers the AMI Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines and Audit Guide 

2013 Edition;

221.3 is facilitated by an employee that has earned and maintained a certification of 

animal handling and welfare training, such as that offered through the 

Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO) or an 

equivalent. 

221.4 is conducted no less frequently than once a year for each designated 

employee; and, 

221.5 requires signed documentation from each employee and confirmation by 

signature of the designated, certified trainer upon successful completion of 

training. 

230 QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN 

231 Written quality management plan (internal) which addresses all provisions of 

Chapter 3: Transportation Audit Guidelines, 7 Core Criteria and Chapter 4: 

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

Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines and Audit Guide 2013 Edition, 

found at the following web site address: 

231.1 http://animalhandling.org/ht/d/sp/i/26752/pid/26752

 

232 This internal quality management plan must also provide for routine 

assessment and monitoring of humane handling through the use of a numerical 

scoring system conducted by a trained employee. 

233 All animal harvest facilities that supply raw materials from bovine, porcine and 

ovine species for the production of AMS destined finished products must have 

a fully functioning back-up stunning device onsite wherever animal stunning is 

performed.

240 NON-AMBULATORY AND U.S. SUSPECTS 

241 CATTLE 

242 Written protocol in-place and enforced that precludes the receipt of or having 

non-ambulatory, disabled cattle on the harvest facility premise. In the event that 

animals become non-ambulatory or disabled at any time while present at the 

harvest facility, the animal will be humanely euthanized and the carcass 

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT C
Approved by CMS 

Date Issued: 08/11/08 

Date Revised: 01/13/15 3 

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

other means. 

243 HOGS AND SHEEP 

244 Written protocol in-place and enforced that ensures all animals designated by 

Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) as U.S. Suspects (9 CFR 301.2) that are 

slaughtered are appropriately segregated during the harvest and production 

processes and precluded from inclusion in any products purchased by AMS. 

300 PROGRAM EVALUATION AND ELIGIBILITY 

301 The program will be audited (external) by AMS or a firm accredited by AMS. 

The accreditation of the firm will be conducted by the Quality Assessment 

Division (QAD) through the USDA ISO Guide 65 Program. Alternatively, at 

the option of the organization, the audits can be performed by QAD auditors. 

302 Audit findings thought to be in conflict with Food Safety and Inspection Service 

(FSIS) regulations will be communicated to the establishment’s FSIS Inspector 

in Charge (IIC) or designee. 

310 AUDIT FORMAT 

311 AMS or the AMS accredited auditing firm will conduct audits utilizing the 

following format: 

312 TRANSPORTATION SEGMENT (CHAPTER 3: AMI RECOMMENDED 

ANIMAL HANDLING GUIDELINES AND AUDIT GUIDE 2013 EDITION) 

312.1 Audited organizations must pass Core Criteria 1 and 6 with a minimum scoring 

of excellent, Core Criteria 2 through 5 with a minimum scoring of acceptable 

and Core Criteria 7 must be adhered to with full compliance (zero tolerance) 

each time an audit is performed. 

313 ANIMAL HANDLING AND STUNNING SEGMENT (CHAPTER 4: AMI 

RECOMMENDED ANIMAL HANDLING GUIDELINES AND AUDIT GUIDE 

2013 EDITION) 

313.1 Audited organizations must adhere to Core Criteria 1, 2, 6 and 7 with full 

compliance (zero tolerance) and to Core Criteria 3, 4 and 5 with a minimum 

scoring of Acceptable each time an audit is performed.1/ 

313.2 The auditor shall inform FSIS and organization officials in writing of all audit 

findings, including any observations of missed stuns and/or animals regaining 

sensibility following stunning, upon completion of the audit during the exit 

interview. 

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

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT C
Approved by CMS 

Date Issued: 08/11/08 

Date Revised: 01/13/15 4 

320 INITIAL AUDIT 

321 Initial audit must be performed prior to award of contracts. 

330 AUDIT FAILURE 

331 If an audit is failed for any of the Core Criteria, the organization is not eligible to 

provide product until such a time that corrective and preventative actions are 

approved by the Food Safety and Commodity Specification (FSCS) Division, 

implemented and proven effective. 

340 AUDIT FREQUENCY AND STATUS 

341 STANDARD - Until four (4) consecutive successfully passed audits are 

attained, an audit must be conducted within 3 months of the previous audit. 

342 MONTHLY - If at any time an audit identifies any of the Core Criteria not 

meeting the pass requirements while in the STANDARD phase, auditing will be 

required to be conducted on a monthly basis once corrective and preventative 

actions have been approved by the FSCS Division, implemented and proven 

effective. This schedule will be for a period of time until four (4) successive 

audits are found to meet the passing requirements noted in SECTION 310 – 

AUDIT FORMAT; at which time audits shall be conducted on the STANDARD 

basis. 

343 If four successfully conducted audits are sequentially completed within a one 

year period while in STANDARD auditing phase, the facility may move to a 

SEMI-ANNUAL audit basis. 

344 SEMI-ANNUAL - Semi-annual audits may continue until such time that a failed 

audit is reported or a period of greater than six months has elapsed without any 

audits being performed; at which time the audits must resume as described for 

STANDARD audits. 

345 FOR-CAUSE – Any official enforcement actions issued by FSIS for missed 

stuns or for an animal regaining sensibility following stunning shall result in an 

immediate for-cause animal handling and welfare audit by AMS. Subsequent 

audit frequency will be determined by results of the AMS audit, as described 

above. 

400 FSCS Division

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

Program out of compliance at any time. 

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

handling and welfare official enforcement action is issued by FSIS. 

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT C
Approved by________CMS

Date Issued: 06/10/11 

Date Revised: 03/11/16

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT D

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE 

LIVESTOCK, POULTRY AND SEED PROGRAM

CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMANCE FOR

THE PROCUREMENT OF 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, LPS Program, FSCS Division. 

(3) Product identification, (i.e. production lot number(s)) is in the quantity shown on the 

attached acceptance document. 

(4) Contractor assures all meat or meat products used in fulfilling this contract was produced 

in the United States as defined in the AMS Master Solicitation Section I.E. 

Date: 

Signature: 

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

Title: