February 2013

USDA

--

Agricultural

Marketing

Service

Commodity

Procurement

Staff

1400 Independence Avenue, SW.

Room 3522, STOP 5-0239

Washington, DC 20250-0239

AMENDMENT NO.1

SUPPLEMENT 509 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION

PURCHASE OF FROZEN, ALASKA POLLOCK BLOCKS

FOR FURTHER PROCESSING FOR DISTRIBUTION TO CIDLD NUTRITION AND

OTHER FEDERAL FOOD AND NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

Supplement 509 to the AMS Master Solicitation is amended as follows:

1) The Item Description and Checklist of Requirements (IDCR) for Once-Frozen Alaska

Pollock Blocks -A747, dated November 2009 is replaced with the attached version, dated

January 2013.

~~

Attachment
Approved by_________ CMS

Date Issued: 06/18/09 

Date Revised: 01/16/13

100 ITEM DESCRIPTION

110 Once-Frozen Alaska Pollock Blocks 

120 U.S. Grade A 

130 Fish blocks will weigh approximately 16-1⁄3 pounds and will be packed three (3) 

blocks to a master carton with a net weight of 49 pounds. 

200 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS 

210 Product will be produced under the Food and Drug Administration regulations 

and all applicable federal Acts and regulatory references cited therein that are in 

effect on the date of production. 

300 MATERIALS

310 FISH FLESH 

311 Domestic Origin of Fish Flesh – The Alaska Pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) 

will be derived from fillets that are caught and processed in U.S. waters on a U.S. 

flagged vessel or caught in U.S. waters and processed in a facility based in the 

U.S. or U.S. Territory. 

312 U.S. Grade A - United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Fish Fillet Blocks. 

Standards for Grades will be implemented in accordance with the guidance set 

forth in part II of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 

Handbook 25, "Inspector's Instructions for Grading Frozen Fish Blocks." 

 

 

ITEM DESCRIPTION AND 

CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS 

(IDCR) FOR ONCE-FROZEN 

ALASKA POLLOCK BLOCKS 

Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR) 

Livestock, Poultry and Seed Program 

Food Safety and Commodity Specification Division 

Room 2608 S-Bldg, Phone: (202) 260-8295

Effective: January 2013

SUPPLEMENT 509 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION ATTACHMENT I 

Page 1 of 4
Approved by_________ CMS

Date Issued: 06/18/09 

Date Revised: 01/16/13

313 The U.S. Standards for Grades will apply to once-frozen fish blocks that are 

rectangular shaped masses made from Alaska Pollock flesh. 

314 The blocks will be made from whole fillets that are skinless and boneless (pin 

bone out). 

315 The blocks shall not contain minced or comminuted fish flesh. The blocks shall 

not be made by restructuring (reworking) pieces of fish blocks into the shape of a 

fish block. 

316 The blocks shall not contain sodium phosphates. 

317 The blocks shall never be allowed to thaw and shall have been stored at 

temperatures of 0o

F or less for no more than 12 months. 

318 The Pollock blocks will be practically free of voids and ice pockets. 

320 METAL DETECTION 

321 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 will be identified and described. 

400 PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY

410 PACKAGING AND PACKING 

411 Packaging – Fresh (never previously frozen) Alaska Pollock fillets shall be 

layered into a block mold and deep frozen to produce fish blocks that are used as 

the raw material for further processing into high quality breaded and battered fish 

products. The once-frozen Alaska Pollock Blocks shall be wrapped or sealed to 

protect blocks from freezer deterioration, physical damage, and contamination. 

412 Fish blocks will weigh approximately 16-1⁄3 pounds and will be packed three (3) to 

a master carton with a net weight of 49 pounds. 

413 The once-frozen blocks will be protected by a paperboard block liner and then 

packed in a cardboard master case, which reduces the likelihood of freezer burn 

or rancidity. The packaging should be uniform and completely cover the product. 

414 Shipping container labeling must declare a net weight, meaning actual product 

weight. 

SUPPLEMENT 509 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION ATTACHMENT I 

Page 2 of 4
Approved by_________ CMS

Date Issued: 06/18/09 

Date Revised: 01/16/13

415 Style and Size of Container – Only one size and style of bags and cases may be 

offered in an individual shipping unit. The shipping containers will be in 

compliance with the National Motor Freight Classification, or the Uniform Freight 

Classification, as applicable. 

416 Labeling - Cases will be labeled to include all information required by United 

States Department of Commerce (USDC) regulations and the required 

information listed below. 

416.1 USDA Shield – The shield will be at least 2 inches high and will appear on top or 

on the principle display panel of each case. 

416.2 The applicable purchase order number. 

416.3 A traceability code that includes information regarding production establishment, 

production date and production lot. 

416.4 USDC Inspection Mark and Grade – The Processed Under Federal Inspection 

“PUFI” mark along with the Grade A Shield. 

416.5 Material Number – 100892. 

416.5 Product Name – Once-Frozen Alaska Pollock Blocks. 

420 PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS 

421 All cases shall be stacked on new or well-maintained pallets and palletized with 

shrink wrap plastic. 

500 PRODUCT ASSURANCE

510 QUALITY ASSURANCE 

511 All frozen Pollock Blocks will be produced under the USDC, National Marine 

Fisheries Service (NMFS) Type I inspection, which may include Integrated 

Quality Assurance (IQA) or Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) 

Quality Management Program (HACCP-QMP). The contractors must declare the 

type of NMFS inspection program they are operating under. 

SUPPLEMENT 509 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION ATTACHMENT I 

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Approved by_________ CMS

Date Issued: 06/18/09 

Date Revised: 01/16/13

520 DELIVERED PRODUCT 

521 Delivery Unit - Each delivery unit will consist of 816 shipping containers with a 

net weight of 39,984 pounds. No tolerances will be allowed. 

522 Sealing – All products must be delivered to AMS destinations under seal with 

tamper proof, tamper resistant, serially numbered, high security seals that meet 

the American Society for Testing and Materials Standard F 1157-04. 

530 WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION 

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

contractual requirements. 

532 Complaint Resolution – The contractor’s technical proposal must provide the 

steps taken to resolve complaints received on the product i.e., point of contact, 

cause and effect analysis, product replacement, and corrective and preventative 

actions taken. 

600 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT 

610 The contractor must include a plan to assure 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). 

SUPPLEMENT 509 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION ATTACHMENT I 

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