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 DOCUMENT

DDI2

DRIED DAIRY INGREDIENTS

FOR USE IN

INTERNATIONAL FOOD AISSISTANCE PROGRAMS

Effective Date: November 27, 2013
USDA COMMODITY REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT

DDI2

DRIED DAIRY INGREDIENTS

FOR USE IN INTERNATIONAL FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

Table of Contents

Part 1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS_______________________________________ 1

Section 1.1 COMMODITIES _____________________________________________________ 1

Section 1.2 Warranty ____________________________________________________________ 3

Section 1.3 Quality Assurance ______________________________________________________ 3

Part 2 CONTAINER AND PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS _______________________ 6

Section 2.1 GENERAL___________________________________________________________ 6

Section 2.2 CONTAINERS AND MATERIALS ______________________________________ 6

Section 2.3 BASIC PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS_________________________________ 6

Part 3 MARKING REQUIREMENTS __________________________________________ 8

Section 3.1 MARKING SPECIFICATIONS _________________________________________ 8

Section 3.2 CONTAINERS WITH INCORRECT MARKINGS_________________________ 9
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Part 1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS

Section 1.1 COMMODITIES

Section 1.1.1 Nonfat Dry Milk (NDM) Specifications

A. Quality of Product

(1) The NDM purchased shall be Type I, Class A-low heat, Salmonella negative, and

Listeria monocytogenesnegative, in accordance with Commercial Item Description 

CID A-A 20085D (January 13, 2011), available at 

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDEV3006747

(2) The NDM shall be tested for whey protein nitrogen (WPN) in accordance with the 

17th Edition, “Standard Methods for the Examination of Dairy Products”, to 

determine the heat treatment classification listed in the table below:

WPN Description

Low-Heat The finished product shall show not less than 6.0 mg 

undenatured WPN per gram. 

Medium-Heat The finished product shall show not less than 1.55 mg and not 

more than 5.99 mg undenatured WPN per gram.

High-Heat The finished product shall show not more than 1.5 mg 

undenatured WPN per gram.

B. Production Requirements for NDM

(1) The NDM delivered to the United States Government (U.S., U.S. Government, or 

Government), shall have been manufactured in the U.S. from cow’s milk 

produced in the U.S., as defined in the Master Solicitation for Commodity 

Procurements at Part 3, Section A.1. The NDM shall not have been previously 

owned by the Government.

(2) The plants in which the NDM is to be processed shall be inspected and approved 

by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Dairy Grading Branch 

(DGB), Dairy Programs (DP). The AMS plant approval code must match the 

appropriate product or operation code for the food ingredient being used.

(3) The NDM shall be nonfortified or fortified spray process as specified in the 

solicitation and shall be U.S. Extra Grade. The NDM shall be subject to penicillin 

and coliform tests, to be performed by AMS at the time of grading. The penicillin 

test shall be negative; coliform counts shall not exceed 10 per gram; and the 

moisture content shall not exceed 3.5 percent. 

(4) Each dairy ingredient used in the manufacture of NDM shall originate from a dairy 

plant listed at the time of ingredient and packaging manufacture, as surveyed and 

approved by AMS. The AMS plant approval code must match the appropriate 

product or operation code for the applicable dairy ingredient.
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Section 1.1.2 Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC) Specifications

A. Definition of WPC - WPC is the substance obtained by removal of sufficient nonprotein constituents from whey so that the finished dry product contains not less than 

25 percent of protein. WPC is produced by physical separation techniques such as 

precipitation, filtration or dialysis. Acidity may be adjusted by the addition of safe 

and suitable ingredients.

B. Quality of Product - The WPC shall comply with the appropriate definition and 

standard of identity, and all regulations issued pursuant to the Federal Food, Drug, 

and Cosmetic Act, relevant to milk (21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 

184.1979c, for the type of WPC specified in the solicitation.

C. Production Requirements for WPC

(1) The WPC delivered to the Government shall have been pasteurized and 

manufactured in the U.S. from cow’s milk that was produced in the U.S. as 

defined in the Master Solicitation for Commodity Procurements at Part 3, Section 

A.1. In addition, the dairy ingredients shall not have been previously owned by 

the Government.

(2) The plants in which the product is to be processed shall be inspected and 

approved by AMS. The AMS plant approval code must match the appropriate 

product or operation code for the applicable dairy ingredient.

(3) Dairy ingredients used in the manufacture of WPC shall originate from a plant 

that has been approved by AMS. The AMS plant approval code must match the 

appropriate product or operation code for the applicable dairy ingredient.

D. Composition Requirements - WPC shall comply with the following composition 

requirements:

Whey Protein Concentrate

Composition WPC 34% Protein WPC 80% Protein

Protein% (dry basis) 34.0%-38.0% 80.0% Min.

Milkfat %(dry basis) 2.0%-5.0% 3.0%-8.0%

Ash % (dry basis) 3.0%-8.0% 2.0%-5.5%

Lactose %(dry basis) 60% max. 4.0%-12.0%

Moisture maximum 5.0% maximum 5.0%

E. Microbiological Analysis

Item Requirement

Standard Plate Count 30,000/g max.

Coliform 10/g max.

E. Coli Negative/g

Salmonella Negative/375g

Coagulase-positive Staphylococci Negative
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F. Other Characteristics

Item Requirement

Scorched Particle Content 15.0mg max.

pH Value 5.6-6.7

Color White to light cream

Flavor Bland, clean

Penicillin Negative**

Heavy Metals (as lead) 10 ppm max.

**Penicillin should be tested on incoming milk; if negative then no need to test on WPC

Section 1.2 Warranty

The DDI shall have a shelf life of at least one year from date of delivery to the 

Government, and shall not have been manufactured more than 60 days prior to delivery 

to the Government. The words or phrases “DDI” shall apply whenever WPC or NDM are 

used in this document and any other document which becomes a part of a contract in which 

any of the provisions of this CRD are incorporated, unless otherwise specified.

Section 1.3 Quality Assurance 

A. The quality, weight, and packaging will be based on grading certificates issued by 

AMS only when required by the solicitation. When grading certificates are not 

required by the solicitation, this does not relieve the contractor of its responsibility to 

deliver product which complies with all contractual requirements. Procedures and a 

schedule of fees for these services may be obtained by contacting AMS. 

B. DDI produced in a plant determined by AMS to be using unsatisfactory 

manufacturing practices, equipment, facilities, or operating under unsanitary 

conditions shall not be offered for sale to the Government or sold for human 

consumption. 

C. The contractor shall not ship the commodity unless the contractor is informed by 

AMS that the containers, labels, and markings meet the Acceptable Quality Level of 

the United States Standard for Condition of Food Containers. Notice by AMS that a 

lot scheduled for shipment does not meet the U.S. standards shall constitute rejection. 

D. If the DDI fails to meet contract specifications on one or more factors on the first 

inspection, the contractor may arrange with AMS for subsequent inspections of the 

product. The inspections may be conducted at origin or, if agreed to by the 

Government, a subsequent point of delivery if the provisions of 7 CFR 58.22 through 

58.32 issued under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended, with respect 

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

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

basis of payment under the contract. 
DDI2 4 of 9

E. USDA INSPECTION NOTES: USDA certification shall include evaluation of the 

quality and condition of samples of the DDI and compliance with requirements in the 

following areas:

- NDM Specifications (Sec 1.1.1).

- WPC Specifications (Sec 1.1.2). 

- When USDA testing of DDI is specified, AMS inspection personnel shall select 

samples and submit them to the Science and Technology Programs laboratory 

for analysis.

- Container and Packaging Requirements (Part 2).

F. Contractors shall notify the Government immediately of lots that fail to meet contract 

requirements.

G. USDA certification. AMS performs quality assurance, and the inspectors shall certify 

the quality and acceptability of the DDI in accordance with AMS procedures which 

include selecting random samples, evaluating samples for conformance with salient 

characteristics of this CRD and other contractual requirements, and documenting the 

findings on official certificates. In addition, when required in the solicitation, 

contract, or purchase order, AMS inspectors will examine the DDI for conformance 

to the United States Standards for Condition for Food Containers in effect on the date 

of the solicitation. To qualify for this option, the plant must be listed in Dairy Plants 

Surveyed and Approved for USDA Grading Service. The AMS plant approval code 

must match the applicable product or operation code for the DDI being manufactured.

H. Contractor Quality Control. The contractor shall perform product testing and quality 

analysis to ensure that product delivered under the contract meets the requirements of

this CRD, is suitable and safe for human consumption, and is equal to or better than 

the same or similar product offered for sale in the commercial human food market. 

Section 1.4 Failure of Commodity to Meet Requirements and Specifications

A. If discovered on or after delivery that all or any part of the commodity (including 

packages and containers) failed to meet contract requirements at time of delivery, the 

Government shall have the right to:

(1) Accept or retain the entire quantity and hold Contractor liable for the damages

sustained, as determined by the Government; or

(2) Reject the entire quantity or a portion thereof and accept or retain the remainder. 

The Government may, at its discretion, terminate the contract with respect to the 

quantity rejected or permit Contractor to replace all or part of the quantity rejected 

with a quantity of the commodity that conforms to all contract requirements and, 

in either circumstance, hold Contractor liable for damages sustained, as 

determined by the Government. To "reject" means to refuse to accept upon 

delivery or, after delivery and acceptance, to notify Contractor of the revocation 

of acceptance, in whole or in part. In either event, Contractor shall be held liable 

for all damages sustained, as determined by the Government.
DDI2 5 of 9

B. Any quantity rejected may be returned to Contractor, and shall be destroyed (if unfit 

for human consumption), or disposed of for the account of Contractor in accordance 

with applicable health and sanitation laws and regulations. Any rejection of a 

quantity of the commodity delivered by common carrier shall be made by the 

Government’s office which issued the shipping instructions. Consignee may inform 

the carrier or Contractor of rejection of a quantity of the commodity delivered by 

contract carrier or by Contractor’s own trucks. Contractor will be advised of 

Government's election under (A) 2. of this Section, either at the time of rejection or 

within a reasonable time thereafter.

C. Inspection, checkloading, issuance of inspection or checkloading certificates, 

shipping instructions, or bills of lading, any payment by the Government, or the 

receipt of a commodity shall not constitute a waiver of the Government’s rights under 

this Section. 

D. The rights and remedies provided in this Section are not exclusive or in derogation of 

any other rights and remedies provided by law or this CRD.

Section 1.5 Regulatory Requirements

A. The delivered product shall comply with:

(1) All applicable Federal and State mandatory requirements and regulations relating 

to the preparation, packaging, labeling, storage, distribution, and sale of product 

within the commercial marketplace; and

(2) All applicable provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the Fair 

Packaging and Labeling Act, and regulations promulgated hereunder (e.g. 21 

CFR Parts 1-199).

Federal regulations include but are not limited to the following:

*CFR 

Title Part/Section Description

21 110 Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, 

Packing, or Holding Human Food

21 131.125 Nonfat Dry Milk (NDM)

21 131.127 NDM Fortified with Vitamins A & D

21 184.1979c Whey Protein Concentrate

*Code of Federal Regulations
DDI2 6 of 9

Part 2 CONTAINER AND PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS

Section 2.1 GENERAL

This part provides the container specifications and packaging materials 

requirements used under this contract. 

Section 2.2 CONTAINERS AND MATERIALS

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

Food and Drug Administration 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, but not limited to, “Made in [Name of Foreign Country.]” or 

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

Section 2.3 BASIC PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS

A. Container and packaging requirements for commercial products are those used in 

current commercial shipping practices for international distribution. For WPC, 

commercial packaging requirements shall be applicable unless otherwise specified 

in the solicitation. 

B. Bags shall be closed by expelling as much excess air as practical.

C. Inner film facing the product shall be loose inserted food grade liner.

D. Bottom and top of the bag shall be closed to provide a tight seal.

E. Maximum average water-vapor transmission of the film at 90% to 95% relative 

humidity at 100 ̊F (37.8 ̊C) plus or minus 5 ̊F (-15 ̊C) shall be 0.45 gram per 100 

square inches in 24 hours.
DDI2 7 of 9

F. The bag shall be capable of being printed with the information required.

G. Any product packaged in shipping containers shall be marked to show the safe 

stacking height.

H. Bags shall be manufactured to provide a tight seal designed to remain closed 

throughout the distribution system. Adhesives used in manufacture of bags must 

meet all Food and Drug Administration requirements for safe use in food 

packaging. Starch-based adhesives are not to be used.

I. Bag designs that may be utilized include, but are not limited to, Pinch top, block 

bottom bags; Pinch top, pinch bottom, flat tube bags. 

J. The packaging and containers must sufficiently protect the commodity from 

exposure to the elements throughout the distribution system, including in-country 

storage, which routinely involves numerous and rugged handlings and extremes in 

temperature and humidity levels. It is important to note that commodity vendors 

are held responsible for commodity losses due to packaging or container failures, 

at the contracted price plus the costs associated with resolving problem situations 

(including commodity disposal and freight costs). 

Section 2.4 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 (73.4o

F plus or minus 

1.8o

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 reach equilibrium.

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

applicable material, construction, and performance specifications.
DDI2 8 of 9

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.A. 

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/tes

ting_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/generated/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/

Part 3 MARKING REQUIREMENTS

Section 3.1 MARKING SPECIFICATIONS

A. The following information shall be clearly marked on each container by print, 

lithograph, stamp, or stencil with permanent waterproof blue ink before sampling:

(1) Product name;

(2) For NDM: heat treatment classification (however, heat treatment classification 

markings may be applied at the time of shipment to be in accordance with Whey 

Protein Nitrogen test result by AMS); 

(3) For WPC: Unless otherwise specified in the solicitation, commercial markings 

shall be applicable for WPC provided they include as a minimum: product name, 

percent protein, name and location of manufacturer, month and year of 

manufacture, and manufacture’s lot number, net weight in pounds and kilograms;

(4) Name and location of manufacturing plant or assigned State and plant number as 

reported for the plant by AMS in “Dairy Plants Surveyed and Approved for 

USDA Grading Service”;

(5) Month and year of manufacture;

(6) Manufacturer’s lot and sublot number;

(7) Bag serial number in order of production;

(8) Marked metric net weight in kilograms and marked net weight in pounds;
DDI2 9 of 9

(9) The AMS grading certificate number or AMS takeoff grading certificate number, 

when applicable, (both referred to as “certificate number”) shall be applied to each 

commodity container at the expense of Offeror. The lot’s final certificate number 

issued by AMS, i.e., takeoff certificate number, shall be the only certificate number 

marked on the commodity containers of the lot offered and delivered to CCC. At 

Offeror’s option and risk, the certificate number may be applied to each commodity 

container at time of packaging. To obtain a series of certificate numbers for 

application at time of packaging, contact AMS.

Section 3.2 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 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 expense to the Government in determining whether commodities have been 

diverted from authorized use and in answering inquiries. The contractor shall take all 

necessary actions 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.