USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 

 Farm Service Agency 

 Kansas City Commodity Office 

 P.O. Box 419205, MS 8698 

 Kansas City, MO 64141-6205

USDA COMMODITY REQUIREMENTS 

MR25 

MILLED RICE 

AND FORTIFIED MILLED RICE 

FOR USE IN 

INTERNATIONAL FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS 

FedBizOpps Posting Date: 

Effective Date: January 26, 2016 
USDA COMMODITY REQUIREMENTS 

MR25 

MILLED RICE 

FOR USE IN 

INTERNATIONAL FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS 

Table of Contents 

Part 1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS ______________________________________ 1

Section 1.1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS ________________________________________ 1

Section 1.2 FORTIFICATION ______________________________________________________ 1

Section 1.3 QUALITY ASSURANCE _________________________________________________ 4

Section 1.4 FUMIGATION _________________________________________________________ 5

Section 1.5 INSPECTION __________________________________________________________ 6

Part 2 CONTAINER AND PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS _______________________ 7

Section 2.1 GENERAL _____________________________________________________________ 7

Section 2.2 CONTAINERS AND MATERIALS ________________________________________ 7

Section 2.3 50-KILOGRAM WOVEN POLYPROPYLENE BAGS ________________________ 7

Section 2.4 SEWING OF BAG SEAMS _______________________________________________ 8

Section 2.5 PERFORMANCE TEST PROCEDURES ___________________________________ 9

Section 2.6 TEST FREQUENCY ___________________________________________________ 10

Part 3 MARKING REQUIREMENTS _________________________________________ 10

Section 3.1 MARKINGS __________________________________________________________ 10

Section 3.2 MARKING DESCRIPTIONS ____________________________________________ 11

Section 3.3 EMPTY BAG DIMENSIONS ____________________________________________ 13

Section 3.4 CONTAINERS WITH INCORRECT MARKINGS __________________________ 14

Exhibit A _______________________________________________________________________ 15

Exhibits SMR-1 through SMR-4 and LMR-1 through LMR-8 ___________________________ 16
MR25 Page 1 of 25 

Part 1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS 

Section 1.1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS 

A. The Government will accept offers for long or medium grain milled rice. The 

milled rice may include U.S. #5 or better, maximum 20 percent broken kernels; 

#3 or better, maximum 15 percent broken kernels; or #2 or better; maximum 7 

percent maximum broken kernels and will be specifically stated in the solicitation. 

The rice shall meet the specifications of the class and grade offered as defined in 

the “Official United States Standards for Rice,” in effect at the time the applicable 

solicitation for offers is issued. 

B. If the rice-premix is being achieved using the coating technology, the rice-based 

carrier grains to produce the fortified milled rice should meet a minimum grade of 

U.S. #2 or better. The standards are available at: 

http://www.gipsa.usda.gov/fgis/standards/ricestandards.pdf. 

C. Dusting technology should not be used, as the resulting fortified rice would not 

withstand pre-washing, a step in the cooking process in many of the target 

countries where the fortified rice will be used. 

D. Offers for parboiled rice will be accepted when specifically stated in the 

solicitation. No specialty rice, including but not limited to aromatic rice, will be 

acceptable unless specified in the solicitation. 

E. The Government will accept delivery of rice grading better than the specified 

contract grade, but: 

(1) No adjustment in contract price will be made for rice grading better than 

the contract grade. 

(2) No substitution of one class of rice for another class of rice will be 

allowed after a contract has been awarded. 

Section 1.2 FORTIFICATION 

A. For the purpose of this CRD, the following definitions apply:1

(1) Fortificant: source of each micronutrient 

(2) Fortificant mix: blend of all the fortificants 

(3) Micronutrient-premix: fortificant mix ready for use directly in rice 

fortification 

(4) Rice-premix: rice grains highly fortified with the fortificant mix 

(5) Retail rice: polished rice packaged at the rice mills 

(6) Fortified rice: retail rice combined with micronutrient premix or the rice 

premix 

 

1 Academy for Educational Development. 2008. Rice Fortification in Developing Countries: A Critical Review of the Technical 

and Economic Feasibility. 
MR25 Page 2 of 25 

B. When the solicitation calls for Fortified Milled Rice, the following requirements 

apply: 

(1) Offers will be accepted for fortified rice fortified with rice-premix using 

technologies which will result in a final product that has been demonstrated to be 

effective, from the standpoints of end food preparation and utilization. Thus, ricepremix shall have scientific evidence from which scientific conclusions can be 

drawn, or is sufficient to demonstrate, that rice-premix and its use will deliver the 

requisite levels of micronutrients in one or more appropriate conditions of the 

intended use. It shall be, therefore, part of the pre-award survey to provide 

supportive documentation on such evidence. 

(2) Rice-premix shall be sourced from U.S. companies, producing such 

micronutrient-premixes in the U.S. and using domestic raw material/ingredients, 

unless such ingredients are deemed to be unavailable, in which case waivers shall 

be granted, in accordance to U.S. food aid procurement guidelines. 

 

(3) Any rice-premix, other than dusted rice, and meeting the requirements of B.(1) 

above, are acceptable, as long as the following requirements are met: 

a. Evidence shall be provided that rice-premix will closely approximate the 

size, shape, color, and density of the rice they are intended to fortify in both 

dry and cooked state. Physicochemical characterization using reproducible 

and quantitative measurements should be provided, when applicable. 

b. Micronutrient premix shall be loaded to a rice based carrier by any means 

that proves cost-effective and conforms to the quality standards in this CRD. 

(4) The fortificant-mix shall be added to a rice based carrier to form the rice-premix. 

(5) Other food grade additives may be included in the micronutrient premix 

formulation as long as they do not impart a different flavor or appearance that 

would detract from the end product acceptability. Rice-premix should not, 

however, present any significant organoleptic (texture, taste, color, appearance) 

differentiation in a way that it would result unappealing to the average consumer. 

For instance, color differentiation of the rice-premix against the rice grains 

intended to be fortified could cause rejection of fortified rice in countries where it 

is a culture to pick uncharacteristic (color, shape and size) grains before further 

pre-washing for final cooking. Thus it is a very relevant requirement to obtain 

color, size and shape homogeneity. 

(6) Final fortified rice blend shall come pre-blended with traditional rice, with no 

modifications to traditional rice preparation and cooking required. Fortified rice 
MR25 Page 3 of 25 

shall withstand final preparation process (i.e., pre-washing, heat, high moisture, 

agitation, etc.) without compromising functionality of encapsulated or extruded 

rice-premix. 

C. The rice-premix will be thoroughly blended with the milled rice to ensure a uniform 

disbursement. The fortified blended rice will achieve the minimum levels of 

micronutrients shown in Table 1. 

Table 1. Target levels of micronutrients and suggested chemical forms in fortified 

milled rice per gram of rice premix2. 

Micronutrient Analytical Target/ 

gram of premix [1]3

Label Claims/ 

gram of premix Recommended Chemical Form [2]/4

Vitamin A 668 IU 668 IU Micro-encapsulated vitamin A Palmitate 5

Vitamin B1 0.57 mg 0.57 mg Thiamine Mononitrate 

Vitamin B3 7.95 mg 7.95 mg Niacinamide 

Vitamin B6 0.68 mg 0.68 mg Pyridoxine Hydrochloride 

Folic Acid 148 mcg 148 mcg Folic Acid 

Vitamin B12 1.14 mcg 1.14 mcg Vitamin B12 0.1% WS 

Iron 4.55 mg 4.55 mg Micronized Ferric Pyrophosphate, or other 

iron forms if same or better bioavailability 

can be demonstrated 

Zinc 6.82 mg 6.82 mg Zinc oxide 

Carrier and 

binding agents 

Report usage in 

formulation 

Report usage in 

formulation

Must be GRAS-approved and must not 

interfere with bioavailability of 

micronutrients 

Fortification Ratio 1:99 – 1:199 The dilution factor should be adjusted to 

optimum payload, which would allow best 

sensorial characteristics and fortificant 

homogenous distribution 

 

 

2

 A plus and minus 20% variation is allowed, assuming a blending ratio of one grain of fortified kernel per each 100-200 grains of 

unfortified rice (1:100-200). Values should be the result of pulling composite samples throughout production lots. 

3

Levels shown are target levels unless otherwise specified in the solicitation. Alternative levels may be specified in individual 

solicitations based on the national and beneficiary consumption level of rice, nutritional needs and regulatory requirements in the 

destination country. These average fortificant levels shall be guaranteed at the end of 24-month shelf life at 30°C (86°F) supported 

by appropriate data, from uncooked samples. Appropriate overages should be used to compensate for potency loss over the shelf 

life period due to storage and packaging conditions. 

4

Alternative forms will only be used when they can be formulated and appropriately demonstrated to achieve equivalent 

bioavailability to the recommended chemical form.

5

 The selection of the product formulation (oily Vitamin A, spray dried Vitamin A, encapsulated Vitamin A in a beadlet) depends on the fortified 

kernels and the technology to produce them. The producer of the fortified kernels (either fortified by coating technology or extrusion technology) 

has to ensure that the vitamin A loss during storage at 30°C 65% relative humidity is below 5% per month. However, accumulated variation 

around the mean of Vitamin A allowed from the moment of production up to one year of storage under the specified conditions should not be less 

than 20% or over 40%. 
MR25 Page 4 of 25 

D. The government reserves the right to perform verification testing for all 

micronutrients specified in Section 1.2.C. Table 1, but will routinely test for only 

Vitamin A and Iron if the contractor submits a Certificate of Analysis for the ricepremix which indicates the appropriate level of all micronutrients specified in Table 

1. 

E. Shelf Life. Considering the lengthy handling through supply chain of fortified rice 

intended to be used in international nutrition programs, the expected shelf life is an 

average of twenty four (24) months from the date of packaging. This should 

guarantee that there is no change in product odor or color and that commodity is in 

compliance with FDA CFR 137.350 standard of identity for enriched rice. 

Section 1.3 QUALITY ASSURANCE 

A. Rice premix production shall comply with corresponding food safety 

requirements. For instance, if microencapsulation or granulation of particular 

micronutrients is necessary, processing sites should be GMP-ready. If rice premix is 

sourced, suppliers should provide CoAs from ISO-approved labs. 

B. Certificate of Analysis of the rice-premix shall include lot/batch number. While, 

specific data verifying the rinse resistant and cook resistant properties of each 

fortificant is not required for each lot/batch, an annual testing shall be done indicating 

levels of retention of at least 90% after rinsing and at least 80% of each nutrient listed 

in 1.2.C. Table 1 after cooking. 

C. Copies of the original Certificates of Analysis of the rice-premix with the blending 

validation description must be submitted as part of the invoice package. 

D. CoA from rice-premix suppliers should provide certificate as proof of the levels of 

each micronutrient within the rice-premix. 

E. There should be a certificate provided by the processor, certifying that the proper 

amount of rice-premix was added to the shipment to meet the USDA fortification 

requirements. 

F. Fortified milled rice blend should comply with Codex standards. The processor must 

be able to demonstrate by principle and practice the adoption, implementation and 

recording of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Hazard Analysis Critical Control 

Point program (HACCP). Thus, vendor should agree on allowing USDA Food 

Safety/Quality Inspectors to visit the factory without prior notice during any period 

when USDA/USAID product is being manufactured, to check that the GMP and 

HACCP systems are in place. The Inspector may request to see records such as: 

1.Names of people in charge of the process and quality control, temperatures of 

the process, mixing times / quantity, cleaning schedules, etc). 
MR25 Page 5 of 25 

2.Procedures (e.g. cleaning, personnel hygiene, HACCP, sampling and 

analysis). 

3.Instructions (e.g. standard operating procedures, sanitation standard operating 

procedures). The quality manual for the process or factory. 

G. Microbiology and Contaminants 

In addition to minimum levels of micronutrients, fortified rice suppliers shall provide 

microbiological tests which shall not to exceed the following levels of 

microbiological contamination in the finished product: 

Table 2: Limit of microorganisms and Contaminants in Fortified Rice

Microbiological

Test

IC/SU n c m M Report

Unit

Ref. Methods

Salmonella

(cfu/25g)

C/25 10 0 0 0 /250g AACC 42‐25B

Escherichia coli

(cfu/g)

I/10 1 0 0 0 /g AOAC 991.14

Staphylococcus

aureus (cfu/g)

I/10 1 0 0 0 /g AACC 42‐30B

Yeasts and molds   I/25 1 0 100 100 /g ICC No 146 AACC

42‐50

Aflatoxin B1, B2, G1

and G2. (ppb)

I/25 1 0 10 10 /g AACC 45‐16

Annotations:  

IC:  Whether the testing sample is individual (I) or composite (c)

SU: Sample Units

n: Number of sub‐samples to be examined

c: Number of acceptable sample units between m and M

m: maximum of cfc of the organism per gram that are of no concern

M: Maximum allowable number of microorganism (cfu) per gram in any one sub‐

sample.  Any sub‐sample with a number above M causes the rejection of the lot

under consideration.

Section 1.4 FUMIGATION 

A. Not more than ten (10) days prior to packaging, the milled rice shall be fumigated 

in a quantity and manner which will effect a kill in all stages of weevil or other 

insect infestation. 

B. The Contractor shall submit with his invoice for payment a statement certifying 

that the rice was fumigated in accordance with this requirement. 
MR25 Page 6 of 25 

Section 1.5 INSPECTION 

A. The contractor shall be responsible for arranging and obtaining Federal Grain 

Inspection Service (FGIS), or any other organization designated by FGIS, official 

domestic and export weight and grade certificates. Procedures to follow, 

additional information and points of contact for these services may be obtained at: 

http://www.gipsa.usda.gov/fgis/insp_weigh/ricestandsvc.html. Contractors are 

required to notify the Government immediately of lots that fail to meet contract 

requirements. 

B. The average net weight of the sampled shipping units as determined by FGIS 

shall not be less than 98 percent of the marked net weight. Failure of the lot to 

meet the average net weight requirement shall cause rejection of the involved lot 

pursuant to FAR clause 52.212-4(a)6. (Contract Terms and Conditions—

Commercial Items). 

C. If the product fails to meet contract specifications on one or more factors on the 

first inspection, the Contractor may arrange with FGIS for subsequent inspections 

of the commodity. The inspections may be conducted at origin or a subsequent 

point of delivery if the provisions of Title 7 CFR 868.50 through 868.63, with 

respect to retest, appeal, and new inspections can be met. When subsequent 

inspections of the product are made, the results of the last inspection will be used 

as the basis for payment under the contract. 

D. FGIS will perform a condition of container examination in accordance with the 

United States Standards for Condition of Food Containers (7 CFR Part 42) and 

the Agricultural Marketing Service Handbook for Inspection of the Condition of 

Food Containers. 

E. For Fortified Milled Rice, FGIS will include the statement “This Milled Rice is 

Fortified”, in the results section of the inspection certificate. 

 

F. For Fortified Milled Rice, the contractor shall perform product testing and 

analysis to ensure that the product meets the micronutrient requirements specified 

in 1.2.C. Table 1. The result of the contractor’s testing shall be evidenced by: 

(1) Certificate of Analysis of the Micronutrient premix that indicates the level 

and chemical form for each fortificant. 

(2) Certificate of Analysis of the rice-premix that indicates the levels of each 

micronutrient in the fortificant. 

(3) Declaration of coefficient of variation and description of the methodology 

used to validate the blend. 

(4) Copies of the original Certificates of Analysis of the micronutrient premix 

and the fortificant along with the blending validation description must be 

submitted as part of the invoice package. 

 

6 http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2002-title48-vol2/pdf/CFR-2002-title48-vol2-sec52-212-4.pdf 
MR25 Page 7 of 25 

Part 2 CONTAINER AND PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS 

Section 2.1 GENERAL 

This part provides the container specifications and packaging materials 

requirements to be used for contracts under this Requirements Document. 

Section 2.2 CONTAINERS AND MATERIALS 

A. All containers and packaging shall be constructed to meet the requirements of the 

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for safe contact with the packaged product. 

The contractor shall obtain and maintain documentation from the container or 

packaging material manufacturer to verify that the containers and packaging 

materials used in this contract were in compliance with the Government’s 

regulatory requirements for safe contact with food products as required in the 

Master Solicitation, Part 3, Section A, Number 3. 

B. Questions concerning the containers and materials should be directed to: 

USDA/FSA/DACO 

Room 5755 – South Bldg, STOP 0551 

1400 Independence Avenue SW 

Washington, DC 20250-0551 

ATTN: Packaging 

C. If the contractor purchases packaging and container ingredients from a foreign 

country and/or the package and container is manufactured in a foreign country, 

the package and container SHALL NOT display country of origin labeling. 

Phrases similar to but not inclusive of, “Made in [Name of Foreign Country.]” or 

“Product of [Name of Foreign Country.]” are strictly prohibited. 

D. In addition, all containers and packaging materials shall be constructed to comply 

with the sum concentration levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, and hexavalent 

chromium addressed by the Coalition of Northeast Governors (CONEG) model 

legislation. The sum of the concentration levels of lead, cadmium, mercury 

and/or hexavalent chromium present in any package or packaging component 

shall not exceed 100 parts per million. Concentration levels shall be determined 

using American Standard of Testing Materials test methods, as revised, or U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency test methods for evaluating solid waste, S-W 

846, as revised. 

Section 2.3 50-KILOGRAM WOVEN POLYPROPYLENE BAGS 

Contractors may utilize woven polypropylene fabric and circular-woven style 

bags but are not limited to these constructions. If woven poly bags are used, the 

following is to apply: 

A. The color of the fabric shall be white, unless otherwise specified. At the 

contractor's discretion, it may use fabric containing marker yarns as a means of 

identifying the manufacturer of the fabric. 
MR25 Page 8 of 25 

B. The polymer in the fabric shall be 100 percent virgin polypropylene with no 

recycled material. Rework product will be limited to excess material produced 

during the initial extrusion process and will be limited to the amount produced 

during normal continuous operation. A system to identify and document this 

process must be in place for review by the Government's audit personnel. 

C. The fabric in an unstressed state shall permit a minimum air flow of 3 cubic feet 

per minute per square foot and a maximum of 30 cubic feet per minute per square 

foot, when tested in accordance with ASTM Test Method D737, as amended. 

D. The fabric shall be finished by coating or other suitable method to prevent 

slippage. Individual test results shall be 28 degrees or greater, when tested in 

accordance with TAPPI Test Method T-503-OM-84. The fabric shall accept and 

retain printing ink that will not rub or flake off to a degree where legibility is 

impaired. 

E. The fabric shall be capable of resisting ultraviolet deterioration for a minimum of 

200 hours of exposure in a weather meter, when tested in accordance with Test 

Method 5804-Federal Standard 191, as amended. The fabric shall retain 70 

percent of its original minimum tensile strength in each direction, after 200 hours 

exposure, when tested in accordance with Test Method ASTM D 5034 (Grab 

Test), as amended. 

F. Bags may be flat tube or gusseted. 

G. Bags may be extrusion coated. Extrusion coated bags shall have the proper 

number, size and location of micro perforations to achieve the air permeability 

rate required for product stability and fumigation, as well as filling efficiency. 

Section 2.4 SEWING OF BAG SEAMS 

A. All bag seams shall be sewn in a manner which prevents the product from leaking 

through the seams during handling, storage, and distribution. 

B. The color of the sewing thread shall be natural or white. The tensile strength of 

the sewn seams shall not be less than the tensile strength of the fabric in the body 

of the bag. 

C. The top and bottom of the bag shall be heat cut or otherwise finished to prevent 

fraying or unraveling of the fabric during distribution. The bottom seam shall be 

constructed in accordance with Federal Standard 751a, SSn-1 Single Turnover, as 

amended. A minimum of 4 stitches per inch is required. 
MR25 Page 9 of 25 

Section 2.5 PERFORMANCE TEST PROCEDURES 

A. All bags shall be capable of withstanding the following performance test for 

impact resistance. 

(1) Ten filled and sealed bags shall each survive a single drop test on the butt 

and side on a shock machine that produces for each test a velocity change 

of 195 inches per second using a shock duration of .002 seconds without 

loss of product. 

(2) Testing shall be conducted under standard temperature (73.4 o F plus or 

minus 1.8 o F) and relative humidity (50% plus or minus 2%) conditions. 

(3) Filled bags shall be placed in the conditioned atmosphere for sufficient 

time before the tests are conducted for the bag materials to come to 

equilibrium. 

(4) Bags submitted under this performance specification shall conform to all 

other applicable material, construction, and performance specifications. 

B. Test Laboratories 

The contractor may use any independent or private laboratory that is capable of 

conducting the performance test for impact resistance described in Section 2.5. 

However, the Government is aware of only the following domestically located 

independent or private laboratories that have such capability: 

Michigan State University 

School of Packaging 

130 Packaging Building 

East Lansing, MI 48824-1223 

(517) 355-9580 

http://www.packaging.msu.edu/

research/testing_services/

Lansmont Corporation 

17 Mandeville Court 

Monterey, CA 93940 

(831) 655-6600 

www.lansmont.com

Rutgers University 

Center for Packaging Science 

and Engineering 

Busch Campus 

137 Winchester Road, 

Piscataway, NJ 08854-8029 

(732) 445-3224 

http://catalogs.rutgers.edu/gene

rated/nbgrad_0810/pg24361.html

Ten-E Packaging Services, Inc. 

1666 County Road 74 

Newport, MN 55055 

(651) 459-0671 

http://www.tene.com/index.php/package-testing/
MR25 Page 10 of 25 

Section 2.6 TEST FREQUENCY 

A. All testing specified shall be performed and documented. 

B. The air permeability and ultraviolet resistance tests shall, as a minimum, be 

performed annually and when a change in the formulation/design of the fabric is 

being made. 

C. The performance test for impact resistance shall be performed when a change in 

the formulation/design of the fabric is being made. 

D. The slide angle test shall, as a minimum, be performed in-house for every 10,000 

lineal meters of fabric production. Testing performed in-house is not required to 

be performed under the specified temperature and humidity requirements. In 

addition, the slide angle test shall, as a minimum, be performed annually by an 

outside testing facility and when a change in the formulation/design of the fabric 

is being made. This testing shall be performed in accordance with all contract 

requirements, including the specified temperature and humidity. 

E. All supporting test and quality control documentation shall be retained and made 

available for review by the Government for a minimum of three years after final 

payment under the contract. 

Part 3 MARKING REQUIREMENTS 

Section 3.1 MARKINGS 

A. The bag shall be marked in the color specified in the markings exhibits. Any 

markings not shown on the exhibits shall be printed in blue. When printed on the 

bag, the colors blue and red shall match the Pantone Matching System (PMS) 

chart numbers 280 and 200, respectively, to the extent practicable. 

B. All dimensions are approximate. Unless otherwise specified, all characters shall 

be in normal block print. 

C. The US Flag shall be 7 inches high and 12 3/4 inches in total width, on the back 

of the applicable bag, see exhibits. 

D. The letters USA shall be Universal black (75) oblique, or Helvetica extra bold 

with 70% scaling and -70 tracking or equivalent to match the style as shown in 

the exhibits. The letters USA shall be 6 1/2 inches high and 12 1/2 inches in total 

width. The three stripes adjacent USA shall be 1 1/4 inches high and printed as 

close to the edges of the bag as possible, not to exceed 1 1/2 inches from any 

edge. 

E. The USAID vertical identity, including the logo, brand name, and tagline, shall 

be printed in the same style as shown in the markings exhibits, sized 

approximately 7 1/2 inches high and 9 3/8 inches in total width. The USAID 
MR25 Page 11 of 25 

logo shall be 4 1/4 inches in diameter. The USAID brand name shall be 2 

inches in height. The tagline “FROM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE” shall be 1/2 

inch in height. The USAID vertical identity is available to download at 

http://www.usaid.gov/branding/. 

F. The USDA logo shall be 5 1/2 inches high and 7 3/4 inches in total width, see 

exhibits. 

G. The commodity name shall be 1 1/2 inch print. Immediately below the 

commodity name on the front and back panels insert additional commodity 

description in 5/8 inch print, if applicable. See Exhibit A for appropriate 

commodity name/additional commodity description that shall be printed on each 

bag. 

H. The net weight, contract number and the statement “NOT TO BE SOLD OR 

EXCHANGED” shall be 3/4 inch print. The bag dimensions and Standard 

Marking Requirement (SMR) or Language Marking Requirement (LMR) number 

shall be 1/2 inch print. The contract number, net weight, and SMR or LMR 

number shall be at the bottom of the bag, centered. See exhibits. 

I. The symbol indicating “USE NO HOOKS” shall be 2 3/4 inches in height. See 

exhibits. 

J. The letters or symbols used in the language markings for LMR-1, LMR-3, LMR4, LMR-5, LMR-7, and LMR-8 should be sized approximately 1 5/8 inches, see 

exhibits. The language marking for LMR-2 and LMR-6 should be sized to fit as 

shown in the exhibits. 

K. Lot codes unique to each lot offered for inspection shall be legibly marked on each 

individual primary container and shipping container. Commodity suppliers may use 

any type of lot coding system provided a unique code is used to identify each lot 

offered for inspection under contract.

Section 3.2 MARKING DESCRIPTIONS 

The Government shall furnish required markings within two business days after the date 

of the contract. The procurement of containers should be deferred for at least two 

business days after the date of the contract. 

The following standard marking requirements may be requested under the contract: 

Standard Marking Requirement #1 (SMR-1) 

USAID – Distribution 

Front: US Flag, the commodity name, the words "NOT TO BE SOLD OR 

EXCHANGED,” USAID logo, contract number, net weight, dimensions, “SMR1,” and use no hooks symbol. See exhibit SMR-1, front 

Back: Identical to front. See exhibit SMR-1, back. 
MR25 Page 12 of 25 

Standard Marking Requirement #2 (SMR-2) 

FAS - Distribution 

Front: USA with stripes, the commodity name, the words "NOT TO BE SOLD 

OR EXCHANGED," USDA logo, contract number, net weight, dimensions, 

“SMR-2”, and use no hooks symbol. See exhibit SMR-2, front. 

Back: Identical. See exhibit SMR-2, back. 

Standard Marking Requirement #3 (SMR-3) 

USAID – Monetization 

Front: US Flag, the commodity name, USAID logo, contract number, net weight, 

dimensions, “SMR-3,” and use no hooks symbol. See exhibit SMR-3, front. 

 Back: Identical to front. See exhibit SMR-3, back. 

Standard Marking Requirement #4 (SMR-4) 

FAS or USAID - Monetization 

Front: USA with stripes, the commodity name, contract number, net weight, 

dimensions, “SMR-4,” and use no hooks symbol. See exhibit SMR-4, front. 

Back: Identical. See exhibit SMR-4, back. 

Language Marking Requirement #1 (LMR-1) 

USAID – Distribution for North Korea

Front: US Flag, the commodity name, the words "NOT TO BE SOLD OR 

EXCHANGED,” USAID logo, contract number, net weight, dimensions, and 

“LMR-1.”. See exhibit LMR-1, front. 

Back: US Flag, the commodity name, North Korean language panel, and “LMR1” only. See exhibit LMR-1, back. 

Language Marking Requirement #2 (LMR-2) 

USAID – Distribution for Afghanistan, with Pashtu and Dari 

Front: US Flag, the commodity name, the words "NOT TO BE SOLD OR 

EXCHANGED,” USAID logo, contract number, net weight, dimensions, and 

“LMR-2.” See exhibit LMR-2, front. 

Back: US Flag, the commodity name, Pashtu and Dari language panel, and 

“LMR-2” only. See exhibit LMR-2, back. 

Language Marking Requirement #3 (LMR-3) 

USAID – Distribution for South Africa Region 

Front: US Flag, the commodity name, the words "NOT TO BE SOLD OR 

EXCHANGED,” USAID logo, contract number, net weight, dimensions, and 

“LMR-3.” See exhibit LMR-3, front. 

Back: US Flag, the commodity name, English language panel, and “LMR-3” 

only. See exhibit LMR-3, back. 
MR25 Page 13 of 25 

Language Marking Requirement #4 (LMR-4) 

USAID – Distribution for Iraq with Arabic 

Front: US Flag, the commodity name, the words "NOT TO BE SOLD OR 

EXCHANGED,” USAID logo, contract number, net weight, dimensions, and 

“LMR-4.” See exhibit LMR-4, front. 

Back: US Flag, the commodity name, Arabic language panel, and “LMR-4” only. 

See exhibit LMR-4, back. 

Language Marking Requirement #5 (LMR-5) 

FAS – Distribution for North Korea 

Front: USA with stripes, the commodity name, the words "NOT TO BE SOLD 

OR EXCHANGED,” USDA logo, contract number, net weight, dimensions, and 

“LMR-5.” See exhibit LMR-5, front. 

Back: USA with stripes, the commodity name, North Korean language panel, and 

“LMR-5” only. See exhibit LMR-5, back. 

Language Marking Requirement #6 (LMR-6) 

FAS – Distribution for Afghanistan, with Pashtu and Dari 

Front: USA with stripes, the commodity name, the words "NOT TO BE SOLD 

OR EXCHANGED,” USDA logo, contract number, net weight, dimensions, and 

“LMR-6.” See exhibit LMR-6, front. 

Back: USA with stripes, the commodity name, Pashtu and Dari language panel, 

and “LMR-6” only. See exhibit LMR-6, back. 

Language Marking Requirement #7 (LMR-7) 

FAS – Distribution for South Africa Region 

Front: USA with stripes, the commodity name, the words "NOT TO BE SOLD 

OR EXCHANGED,” USDA logo, contract number, net weight, dimensions, and 

“LMR-7.” See exhibit LMR-7, front. 

Back: USA with stripes, the commodity name, English language panel, and 

“LMR-7” only. See exhibit LMR-7, back. 

 

Language Marking Requirement #8 (LMR-8) 

FAS – Distribution for Iraq with Arabic 

Front: USA with stripes, the commodity name, the words "NOT TO BE SOLD 

OR EXCHANGED,” USDA logo, contract number, net weight, dimensions, and 

“LMR-8.” See exhibit LMR-8, front 

Back: USA with stripes, the commodity name, Arabic language panel, and 

“LMR-8” only. See exhibit LMR-8, back. 

Section 3.3 EMPTY BAG DIMENSIONS 

A. All bags shall be marked with the empty dimensions as follows: 

Gusseted Bags Face Width X Gusseted Width X Finished Length 

Flat Tube Bags Face Width X Finished Length 
MR25 Page 14 of 25 

B. The dimensions shall be printed at the bottom of the bag, centered, see exhibits. 

C. The finished size of the circular woven polypropylene bags will be determined by 

the contractor, unless otherwise specified by the contracting officer. 

Section 3.4 CONTAINERS WITH INCORRECT MARKINGS 

A. Any labels, bags, cans, can lids, cases, or any other type of packaging (hereinafter 

referred to as "containers") displaying incorrect markings may be used under a 

Government contract provided that the incorrect markings are obliterated and 

correct markings are applied in a permanent manner with approval of the 

contracting officer. 

B. The appearance of containers in commercial or other channels either filled or 

unfilled bearing markings identifying the containers as part of a Government 

contract may cause the Government expense in determining whether commodities 

have been diverted from authorized use and in answering inquiries. The 

contractor shall take all necessary action to prevent the appearance in commercial 

or other channels of containers and container materials bearing any markings 

required under a Government contract, including those held by the contractor or 

others; e.g., overruns misprints, etc. The contractor shall ensure that any 

container from a Government contract that appears in commercial or other 

channels shall have all markings required under this contract permanently 

obliterated. 
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Exhibit A 

List of Commodity Names Printed on 50 Kilogram Woven Polypropylene Bags 

Commodity 

Requirements 

Commodity Name Commodity 

Requirements 

Commodity Name 

Bulgur / SoyFortified Bulgur 

(BWSF) 

BULGUR Dry Edible 

Beans (DEB) 

BLACK BEANS 

SOY-FORTIIFIED BULGUR BLACKEYE BEANS 

Buckwheat 

(BWP) 

BUCKWHEAT GROATS DARK RED KIDNEY BEANS 

BUCKWHEAT GRITS LIGHT RED KIDNEY BEANS 

BUCKWHEAT FLOUR GARBANZO BEANS 

Bagged Grain 

(KCBG) 

WHEAT 

HARD RED WINTER 

GREAT NORTHERN BEANS 

WHEAT 

SOFT WHITE 

PEA BEANS 

WHEAT 

HARD RED SPRING 

PINK BEANS 

WHEAT 

NORTHERN SPRING 

PINTO BEANS 

SORGHUM SMALL RED BEANS 

YELLOW CORN SMALL WHITE BEANS 

YELLOW CORN 

YELLOW SOYBEANS 

Milled Rice (MR) MILLED RICE 

LONG GRAIN 

Peas and Lentils 

(PL) 

LENTILS 

MILLED RICE 

MEDIUM GRAIN 

SPLIT GREEN PEAS 

MILLED RICE 

PARBOILED

SPLIT YELLOW PEAS 

FORTIFIED MILLED RICE SMOOTH GREEN DRY PEAS 

SMOOTH YELLOW DRY 

PEAS 

Wheat Flour/ 

Bread Flour 

(WFBF) 

FLOUR 

ALL PURPOSE 

BREAD FLOUR 

50 KG 

Polypropylene 

Bags 

(KCPBAGS) 

WHEAT 

CORN 

SORGHUM 

SOYBEANS 

SOYBEAN MEAL 
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Exhibits SMR-1 through SMR-4 and LMR-1 through LMR-8 
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