Approved by_________ MEO 

Date Issued: 05/01/03 

Date Revised: 05/03/12 

Changes – in blue

I. SCOPE 

This technical data supplement (TDS) is for use by the United States Department of 

Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Commodity Procurement 

Division for the procurement of frozen ground buffalo and buffalo stew meat. For this 

program, AMS will utilize the Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications (IMPS) descriptions 

and requirements for ground beef and beef for stewing as specification requirements for the 

production of ground buffalo and buffalo stew meat, respectively. 

II. APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS 

The following documents will be incorporated as part of this USDA, TDS-BUF-2012: 

 Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Directive 10,010.1 Revision 3. 

 IMPS General Requirements, effective June 1996. 

 IMPS For Fresh Beef Products, Series 100, effective March 2010. 

 IMPS Quality Assurance Provisions, effective June 1997. 

 Grading and Verification Division (GVD) Instruction Manual, Series 600 and 700. 

III. ORDERING DATA: TO BE SPECIFIED BY THE PURCHASER 

(Section in the IMPS 100 Series) For the purposes of this TDS, references to “Ground Beef” 

(IMPS Item No. 136) and “Beef for Stewing” (IMPS Item No. 135A) are changed to Ground 

Buffalo and Buffalo Stew Meat, respectively. 

A. ITEMS 

1. GROUND BUFFALO AND BUFFALO STEW MEAT 

The ground buffalo and buffalo stew meat shall be produced from buffalo harvested 

in, and the finished product shall be prepared and handled in, an establishment(s) 

operating under the Voluntary Exotic Animal Inspection Program of the USDA, Food 

Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and must comply with the Sanitation 

Performance Standards provisions of 9 CFR 416.1-416.6. Buffalo must originate 

from U.S. produced American buffalo which have been range-fed (animals that have 

not been finished in confinement or supplemented/finished with grain). 

a) Ground Buffalo - Ground Buffalo shall be produced from fresh buffalo cuts and 

trimmings from any portion of the carcass, which yields product that meets the 

end item requirements for IMPS Item 136. Frozen, boneless buffalo (certified to 

the material requirements) may be used provided it is ground into the final 

product within 60 days from date of pack.

 

TECHNICAL DATA SUPPLEMENT FOR 

FROZEN GROUND BUFFALO AND 

BUFFALO STEW MEAT (TDS-BUF-2012) 

 Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR) 

Livestock and Seed Program, Standardization Division 

Room 2607 S-Bldg, Phone: (202) 260-8295 

Effective: May 2012
Approved by_________ MEO 

Date Issued: 05/01/03 

Date Revised: 05/03/12 2

b) Buffalo Stew Meat – Buffalo stew meat shall be prepared from fresh buffalo cuts 

and trimmings from any portion of the carcass, which yields product that meets 

the end- item requirements for IMPS 135A.

2. MATERIAL 

a) The contractor’s production plan must describe a process that includes 

procedures, records, forms, etc. that demonstrate conformance with the 

following Checklist of Requirements and have received a satisfactory onsite 

capability assessment by GVD. 

b) The contractor will ensure, through their production plan, that the product 

complies with the Material section of IMPS Item No. 136 for ground buffalo and 

IMPS Item No. 135A for buffalo stew meat, and the following additional criteria: 

1) Domestic Origin – All buffalo will originate from U.S. produced livestock as 

defined in this Supplement. 

2) Harvest Requirements – Contractor must have documentation and a 

program in place that verifies the source of raw materials used in each lot of 

production. All buffalo will be harvested in facilities that comply with the 

following additional requirements: 

(a) Humane Handling – All buffalo shall be humanely handled in accordance 

with all applicable FSIS regulations and AMS requirements. 

(b) Pathogen Intervention – The harvest process must include at least two 

pathogen intervention steps and must be scientifically validated to 

collectively achieve a 3 log reduction of enteric pathogens. 

(c) Carcasses Testing – Routinely test carcasses for Shiga-toxigenic 

Escherichia coli O157 (including O157:H7 and O157:Non-Motile (NM); 

herein referred to as E. coli O157:H7) at CCP to verify effectiveness of 

interventions. 

(d) Spinal Cord Removal – All spinal cord tissue shall be removed during 

the harvesting process. 

(e) Traceability – Boneless buffalo shall be traceable to sources that comply 

with the above domestic origin and harvest requirements. 

3) Mechanical Separation – Buffalo meat that is mechanically separated from 

bone with automatic deboning systems, advanced meat (lean) recovery 

(AMR) systems or powered knives, will not be allowed. 

4) Fresh Chilled Buffalo – Prior to processing, boneless buffalo shall be 

examined for compliance with IMPS Item No. 136 MATERIAL requirements. 

Product failing this examination will be rejected. 
Approved by_________ MEO 

Date Issued: 05/01/03 

Date Revised: 05/03/12 3

3. PROCESSING 

a) Ground Buffalo – Ground buffalo will be processed in accordance with IMPS 

and the following additional requirements: 

1) Ground Buffalo Processing – Ground buffalo will be processed in 

accordance with the Processing section of IMPS Item No. 136. Frozen, 

boneless buffalo (certified to the material requirements) may be used 

provided it is ground into the final product within 60 days from date of pack. 

2) Bone Collector / Extruder System – A bone collector/extruder system must 

be in operation on the final grind of product. 

b) Buffalo Stew Meat – Buffalo stew meat must comply with the following 

additional requirements: 

1) Buffalo Stew Meat Processing – Buffalo Stew Meat shall be processed to 

meet the end item requirements listed within IMPS Item No. 135A. 

2) Dicing – The meat shall be either hand-diced or mechanically diced (grinding 

is not permitted). 

3) Handling – To facilitate dicing, meat may be frozen and/or tempered one 

time only. 

4) Shank or Heel Meat – No shank or heel meat is permitted. 

4. METAL DETECTION 

All products shall be free of metal contaminants. Detection of stainless steel, 

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

contractor's production plan must identify and describe the equipment, location, 

detection procedure, sensitivity levels, frequency of equipment validation, and 

corrective action procedures. 

B. GRADE – Not applicable. 

C. STATE OF REFRIGERATION 

All finished buffalo products will be frozen, in accordance with FREEZING OPTION 1. 

Refer to I. MEAT HANDLING, A. STATE OF REFRIGERATION, and B. 

PRODUCTION, TEMPERATURE AND TIME LIMITATIONS section of the IMPS 

General Requirements. 

D. FAT LIMITATIONS 

1. Ground Buffalo - The average fat content shall be less than 10 percent and the 

number of grams of fat per 112 gram serving will be declared in the nutritional facts 

panel on the package label. The fat content will be certified by AMS in accordance 

with IMPS QAPs. The 4 individual fat results shall be put into ascending order from 

the lowest to the highest value for evaluation (e.g., 8.30, 9.19, 9.63, and 9.80). The 

4 individual fat test results shall be used to calculate average, median and range. 

Results not meeting the following requirements shall cause rejection of the lot: 
Approved by_________ MEO 

Date Issued: 05/01/03 

Date Revised: 05/03/12 4

a) Average – The average of the 4 individual results cannot exceed 10 percent 

(e.g., average of the 4 test results =9.23). 

b) Median – The median, which is the average of the middle two test results, 

cannot deviate from the average of the four individual samples by more than 2.0 

percent (e.g., median is equal to the average of 9.19 and 9.63 = 9.41). 

c) Range – The difference between the highest and lowest test results cannot 

exceed 5 percent (e.g., 9.80 – 8.30 = 1.50). 

2. Buffalo Stew Meat – Surface and seam fat will not exceed 1⁄4-inch in thickness at any 

point.

E. WEIGHT RANGE – Not applicable. 

F. NETTING AND TYING – Not applicable. 

G. PACKAGING AND PACKING 

Refer to II. PACKAGING AND PACKING section of the IMPS General Requirements 

and the following additional requirements: 

1. Packaging – All immediate containers (casings or packages) shall function as a 

tamper evidence indicator to provide added assurance of product integrity through 

the method of sealing or closure. 

a) Package Net Weight – Ground buffalo and buffalo stew meat shall be packaged 

as specified within the Contracting Officer’s invitation:

1) 100090 Ground Buffalo 1-pound

2) 100091 Buffalo Stew Meat 1-pound

b) Package Method – Ground buffalo and buffalo stew meat shall be packaged 

using one of the following methods: 

1) Mechanical Packaged – Mechanically packaged into tamper-proof 

commercial casings. 

2) Vacuum Packaged – Vacuum packaged in accordance with the IMPS 

General requirements. 

2. Packing 

a) Shipping Container Net Weight 

1) Ground Buffalo – Forty (40) 1-pound packages of lean ground buffalo shall 

be packed into non-perforated shipping containers to a net weight of 

40pounds, without slackfilling or overfilling. Spacers or fillers may not be 

used to satisfy this requirement. 

2) Buffalo Stew Meat – Forty (40) 1-pound packages of buffalo stew meat shall 

be packed into non-perforated shipping containers to a net weight of 40 

pounds, without slackfilling or overfilling. Spacers or fillers may not be used 

to satisfy this requirement. 
Approved by_________ MEO 

Date Issued: 05/01/03 

Date Revised: 05/03/12 5

b) Style and Size of Container – Only one style and size of shipping containers may 

be used in any one-delivery unit. 

c) Commingling – Commingling of lean ground buffalo and buffalo stew meat in the 

same shipping container will not be allowed. 

3. Closure - Shipping containers will 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. 

4. Marking of Containers*– Immediate and shipping containers will be labeled to 

include all information required by FSIS regulations. In addition, each immediate 

and shipping container must have the following markings: 

a) Immediate Container – Each immediate container (package) will have the 

following information included on commercially labeled packages: 

1) Name of Product. 

2) Safe Handling Instructions. 

3) "Best-if-used-by" Date – A date that is 180 calendar days from the date of 

production. 

4) Traceability Code – A code that is traceable to production lot and date. 

5) Nutrition Fact Panel – Include fat declaration for number of grams of fat per 

112 gram (ready-to-cook) serving. 

6) FSIS Establishment Number and any other FSIS required markings. 

b) Shipping container – The following markings will be included on the shipping 

containers: 

1) Appendix A – Shipping containers will be marked in accordance with 

Appendix A. However, contractors may vary the placement of the required 

information shown in Appendix A. Additional markings (e.g., company bar 

codes, logos, etc.) that are consistent with all other commercial labels may 

be included. 

2) Traceability Code – A code that is traceable to production lot and date. 

3) Nutrition Fact Panel – Include fat declaration for number of grams of fat per 

112 gram (ready-to-cook) serving. 
Approved by_________ MEO 

Date Issued: 05/01/03 

Date Revised: 05/03/12 6

4) The appropriate material number listed in the table below for each of the 

items. 

Item Material Number

Ground Buffalo, Frozen – 1-pound 100090

Buffalo Stew Meat, Frozen – 1-pound 100091

5) Name of Product. 

6) USDA Shield (at least 2 inches high and appearing on the top of the 

container or on the principle display panel). 

7) Purchase Order Number. 

8) Ingredient declaration (including single ingredient products). 

9) An allergen statement in a format which complies with the Food Allergen 

Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) for any product which 

contains milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, soy or 

wheat; e.g., Allergen: This product contains ______. 

*All primary and shipping container labeling illustrations must be provided within 

the production plan. 

5. Palletized Unit Loads – Required, see IMPS General Requirements. 

H. USDA CERTIFCATION 

1. Product Will Be Certified By USDA, AMS, GVD – AMS agents will perform 

examinations in accordance with IMPS General Requirements, IMPS QAPS, and 

GVD Instructions and as specified below: 

a) Product Examinations 

1) Ground Buffalo – Product examination for excellent condition and detailed 

item description requirements will be in accordance with QAPS. In TABLE 

100 I, delete defect numbers 218 and 219 in their entirety and replace with 

the following defects: 

218 Presence of any portion of the popliteal, prescapular, or prefemoral 

lymph glands or any other exposed lymph glands measuring 1.0 inch or 

more in one dimension and 0.5 inch in a second dimension. 

219 Presence of non-carcass components or fat from the thoracic, lumbar, 

pelvic, cod, and /or udder areas of the carcass measuring 2.0 square 

inches or more and 0.5 inch or more in depth at any point. 
Approved by_________ MEO 

Date Issued: 05/01/03 

Date Revised: 05/03/12 7

Delete defect 294 in its entirety. Insert the following note at the bottom of 

the table: 

Note: The presence of any non-meat components not listed as defects 

above (e.g., spinal cord, organ tissue, foreign materials, etc.) shall cause 

rejection of the product by AMS. 

2) Buffalo Stew Meat – Refer to LOT ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA section for 

diced items within QAPS. In TABLE 100 H, delete defect number 218 in its 

entirety. Replace defect number 218 with the following defect: 

218 Presence of any portion of the popliteal, prescapular, or prefemoral 

lymph glands or any other exposed lymph glands measuring 1.0 inch or 

more in one dimension and 0.5 inch in a second dimension. 

Delete defect 194 in its entirety. Insert the following note at the bottom of 

the table: 

Note: The presence of any non-meat components not listed as defects 

above (e.g., spinal cord, organ tissue, foreign materials, etc.) shall cause 

rejection of the product by AMS.

b) Condition of Container – Condition of containers will be examined as follow: 

1) Production Container Examination – At time of production, randomly scan 

shipping containers to ensure defective containers are corrected and 

replaced. 

2) Shipping Container Examination – Final examination of condition of shipping 

containers will be limited to scanning (without destructive sampling) the 

delivery unit for defects which may have occurred during handling and 

storage (e.g., crushed, torn, dirty, stained, etc.). All defective containers 

must be replaced or corrected. 

c) Net Weight – Net weight will be in accordance with the QAPS only. 

d) Fat Content Analysis – Fat content analysis will be in accordance with the 

QAPS and FAT LIMITATIONS section of this specification. 

e) Traceability Code – Stamping (sealing) of shipping containers by the AMS 

agent is not required. The AMS agent will ensure that each primary and 

shipping container has a traceability code that is traceable to a production lot 

and date. 

f) Temperature Examinations – Temperature will be examined using Freezing 

Option 1. 
Approved by_________ MEO 

Date Issued: 05/01/03 

Date Revised: 05/03/12 8

2. Lot Size and Purchase Unit: 

a) Lot Size – For finished product, the lot size will not exceed the amount specified 

by the purchaser as a purchase unit. 

b) Purchase Unit Size – The purchase unit size for lean ground buffalo and buffalo 

stew meat is 40,000 pounds net weight (1,000 shipping containers) plus the 

amount for use in making box fills at the time of laboratory sample withdrawal. 

3. The AMS Agent Will: 

a) Certify and Issue Certificate – Certify and issue an official certificate indicating 

the status of each lot as required by GVD Instructions. 

b) Supervise Loading and Sealing – Supervise the loading and sealing of each 

truck. All products must be delivered to AMS designated destinations under 

seal using tamper proof, tamper resistant, serially numbered, high security 

seals that meet the American Society for Testing and Materials Standard F 

1157-04 as required under this Supplement. 

4. Official Certificates Shall Include: 

a) Purchase Order Number and Purchase Order line item number. 

b) Sales Order Number and Sales Order Item number. 

c) Name of product. 

d) Applicable material number. 

e) Production lot number(s) and the date each lot was produced. 

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

lot. 

g) Total projected net weights per delivery unit. 

h) Identity of conveyance (numbers and letters, seals, license, etc.) as applicable. 

i) Destination(s). 

j) Sample average fat content analysis of each production lot for lean ground 

buffalo only (calculated to 2 decimal places, e.g., 8.25). 

I. MICROBIOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR GROUND BUFFALO 

1. Boneless Buffalo for Grinding 

a) Lot – A lot shall consist of a single combo sized bin of approximately 2,000 

pounds of boneless buffalo produced within a day, between “cleanup to cleanup” 

and that is from a single harvester or from a single processor. 
Approved by_________ MEO 

Date Issued: 05/01/03 

Date Revised: 05/03/12 9

b) Microbial Testing – All lots of fresh chilled boneless buffalo must be tested for all 

microbes listed in Appendix B. All samples will be sent to the AMS designated 

laboratory (ADL). 

1) Sample Preparation and Handling – The ADL will be responsible for 

supplying sampling procedures for sample selection, preparation, and 

submission. The laboratory shall require suppliers to submit a sample 

submission form as an official record with each sample. The laboratory will 

also be responsible for supplying shipping supplies (including sampling bags 

and shipping materials), to each supplier. Suppliers’ production plan will 

include and describe sample collection and preparation procedures provided 

by the AMS accredited laboratory. 

2) Sample Selection 

(i) For Buffalo Manufacturing Trimmings – The composite sample will be 

selected as described within FSIS Directive 10,010.1 Revision 3 (N-60 

Sections 8, 9 and NOTE). 

(ii) The composite sample shall consist of exactly seventy (70) pieces of trim 

from seventy (70) different pieces of buffalo product and shall weigh 400-

425 grams. 

(iii) When boneless buffalo has been exposed to any anti-microbial 

treatment, no sample units shall be selected for at least 15 minutes after 

such treatment. 

3) Testing and Results 

(i) The microbiological testing for all microbes will be in accordance with the 

applicable AMS-approved testing methodologies. 

(ii) Notification for presence of pathogens and exceeding critical limit criteria 

– When presence of E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella is presumptive 

positive or confirmed positive or any critical limit is exceeded for indicator 

microbes, the ADL will immediately notify FSIS (pathogens only) and the 

Contracting Officers Technical Representative (COTR). 

(iii) The ADL will record results on spreadsheets for each Microbial Testing 

performed on each approximately 2,000 pound lot. 

(iv) Any lot that tests positive for E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella or exceeds 

the critical limit criteria for indicator microbes set forth in Appendix B 

cannot be used to produce ground buffalo or any other product 

purchased by USDA. 

(v) Any lot subjected to microbial analysis by FSIS or other regulatory 

authority that results in a positive finding for E. coli O157:H7 or 

Salmonella or exceeds the critical limit criteria for indicator microbes set 

forth in Appendix B cannot be used to produce ground buffalo or any 

other product purchased by USDA. 
Approved by_________ MEO 

Date Issued: 05/01/03 

Date Revised: 05/03/12 10

2. Ground Buffalo Microbial Requirements 

a) Lot – For the purpose of microbiological testing, a lot is defined as the 

amount of finished ground buffalo product produced within a day, between 

“cleanup to cleanup” which must be further divided into sub-lots not to 

exceed 10,000 pounds. 

b) Microbiological Testing – All lots of ground buffalo will be tested for all 

microbes listed in Appendix B after final grinding and before freezing. All 

samples will be sent to the ADL. 

1) Sample Preparation and Handling – The ADL will be responsible for 

supplying sampling procedures for sample selection, preparation, and 

submission. The laboratory shall require suppliers to submit a sample 

submission form as an official record with each sample. The laboratory 

will also be responsible for supplying shipping supplies (including 

sampling bags and shipping materials), to each supplier. Suppliers’ 

production plan will include and describe sample collection and 

preparation procedures provided by the AMS accredited laboratory. 

2) Sample Selection – Production processes of ground buffalo will be subject 

to the following sampling strategy: 

(i) Sub-lot Microbial Testing – For every sub-lot, an original and reserve 

sample of approximately 400 grams will be prepared from individual 

sample units (approximately 100 grams each) of finished ground 

buffalo, randomly selected throughout each 10,000 pounds of 

production. The four (4) individual sample units shall be blended to 

produce a composite sample that represents each sub-lot. This 

sample shall be submitted to the ADL for analysis. The reserve 

sample will be held for testing in case the COTR deems it necessary. 

The contractor will describe, in their production plan, the approach 

taken for documenting the amount of ground buffalo produced for each 

sub-lot, as well as the method to be used to maintain the identity and 

traceability of each sub-lot. No more than 10,000 pounds shall be 

produced during each sub-lot, except for the last sub-lot produced in 

the lot, may exceed the 10,000 pound limitation by five (5) percent. 

3) Testing and Results - The sample from each sub-lot will be analyzed by the 

ADL for all microbes listed in Appendix B. 

(i) The microbiological testing for all microbes will be in accordance with the 

applicable AMS-approved testing methodologies. 
Approved by_________ MEO 

Date Issued: 05/01/03 

Date Revised: 05/03/12 11

(ii) Any sub-lot that tests positive for E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, or any 

critical limit criteria for indicator microbes set forth in Appendix B that is 

exceeded will result in that sub-lot and adjoining sub-lots (one preceding 

and one following within “clean up to clean up”) being ineligible for this 

program or any other USDA purchase program. Additionally, any sub-lot 

subjected to microbial analysis by FSIS or other regulatory authority that 

results in a positive finding for E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella or exceeds 

the critical limit criteria for indicator microbes set forth in Appendix B will 

result in that sub-lot and adjoining sub-lots being ineligible for this 

program or any other USDA purchase program. Other sub-lots produced 

within that lot unit will be deemed ineligible for this program unless the 

contractor can demonstrate a scientific or other data-supported basis for 

defining the sub-lot(s) relative to test results and why ground buffalo 

produced from same source material that resulted in the ineligible 

determination should not be considered affected by the test results. 

(iii) Notification for presence of pathogens or when critical limit is exceeded – 

When presence of E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella is presumptive positive 

or confirmed positive; any critical limit is exceeded for indicator microbes: 

 The ADL will immediately notify FSIS (pathogens only) and the 

COTR. 

 Confirmed Pathogen – The contractor shall conduct a cause and 

effect analysis to determine the appropriate corrective action 

necessary to eliminate the probable cause. 

 The ground buffalo associated with the positive pathogen test results 

or critical limit exceeded results will be ineligible for any USDA 

purchase program. 

(iv) The ADL will record results on spreadsheets for each test performed on 

each Sub-lot. 

J. PRODUCT ASSURANCE 

1. WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION 

a) Warranty – The contractor will guarantee that the product complies with all 

specification requirements, production plan declarations, and provisions set 

forth in the program announcement. 

b) Complaint Resolution – Customer complaint resolution procedures will be 

included in the production plan. These procedures will include: a point of 

contact, investigation steps, intent to cooperate with AMS, and product 

replacement or monetary compensation. The procedures will be used to 

resolve product complaints from recipient agencies or AMS. 
Approved by_________ MEO 

Date Issued: 05/01/03 

Date Revised: 05/03/12 12

2. NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT 

The contractor must include a plan to ensure that non-conforming product is not 

delivered under USDA contracts. The plan must address 1) control and 

segregation of non-conforming product, 2) removal of any USDA markings, and 3) 

disposition of non-conforming product, including vendor notification in writing to the 

COTR of final disposition (e.g., diverted to commercial production, cooked product, 

or destroyed). 
Approved by_________ MEO 

Date Issued: 05/01/03 

Date Revised: 05/03/12 13

APPENDIX A 

SHIPPING CONTAINER MARKINGS: COMMERCIALLY LABELED SHIPPING CONTAINERS SHALL INCLUDE THE 

INFORMATION SHOWN BELOW. MANUFACTURER’S NAME AND ADDRESS SHALL APPEAR. THE NUTRITION 

FACTS PANEL, USDA SYMBOL, AND DONATED STATEMENT SHALL BE BLACK, FLAT, WATERFAST, AND 

NONSMEARING. THE USDA SYMBOL SHALL BE AT LEAST 2.0 INCHES HIGH. ALL OTHER PRINTING OR 

STENCILING SHALL BE OF A SIZE AND CONTRASTING COLOR TO STAND OUT PROMINENTLY AND COMPLY 

WITH THE USDA-FSIS REGULATIONS OR STATE REGULATIONS. 

 

 

 Boxes must include Safe Handling instructions in 

accordance with FSIS Mandatory Safe Handling 

Statements on Labeling of Raw Meat and Poultry.

 

 

 

NOTES: DATE PACKED SHALL BE THE MONTH, DAY, AND YEAR OF PACKING. 

 

 SERIAL PURCHASE ORDER NUMBER WILL BE FURNISHED BY USDA. 

 LOT NO. AND BOX NO. MAY BE PLACED ON THE SAME LINE OR AS SHOWN ABOVE. 

 BOX NUMBERS SHALL BE SEQUENTIAL. 

PER 9 CFR 317.4 & 317.5, PRIOR APPROVED LABELS NEED NOT BE RESUBMITTED. CONTRACTORS THAT DO NOT HAVE APPROVED LABELS ON FILE 

MUST SUBMIT LABELS IN SKETCH FORM ONLY TO THE APPROPRIATE USDA, FSIS OR STATE AGENCY. 

Product Name 

Material Number_____ 

Purchase Order No. 

KEEP FROZEN

DATE 

PACKED 

LOT#___ 

BOX___ 

Manufacturer's Name and Address 

(here or on principle display panel) 

PERISHABLE 

FROZEN - STORE AT 

0°F (-17.8°C) OR 

BELOW
Approved by_________ MEO 

Date Issued: 05/01/03 

Date Revised: 05/03/12 14

APPENDIX B 

 AMS MICROBIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR 

BONELESS & GROUND BUFFALO 

Microbial Test Critical Limits 

Standard Plate Count 100,000 cfu / gram 

Total Coliforms 1,000 cfu / gram 

E. coli 500 cfu / gram 

Salmonella Positive (+) result / 25 grams 

E. coli O157:H7 Positive (+) result / 325 grams