APPROVED

FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM SPECIFICATION 

(FPPS) FOR HAM PRODUCTS, 

CURED, BONELESS, 

FULLY COOKED, FROZEN 

OR CHILLED

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)

Livestock, Poultry and Seed (LPS) Program 

Food Safety and Commodity Specification (FSCS) Division

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

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

Cooked, Frozen or Chilled March 2016 – changes from previous 

requirements in blue

Effective: May 2017

Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 05/10/17

100 ITEM DESCRIPTION 

110 Bulk Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully-Cooked, Water Added, Frozen or Chilled – 

For material numbers 100184 and 100186, four 10-pound hams shall be snugly 

packed into shipping containers to a net weight of 40 pounds. For material 

number 100182, twelve 3-pound hams shall be snugly packed into a shipping 

container to a net weight of 36 pounds. The bulk packaged hams shall be 

round or oval shaped and have a diameter of 4.0 to 4.5 inches. 

120 Sliced Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully-Cooked, Water Added, Frozen –Thinly 

sliced (not shaved) ham (material numbers 100187 and 100891) shall be 

shingle layered and packaged. For material number 100187, eight 5-pound 

packages shall be snugly packed into shipping containers to a net weight of 40 

pounds. For material number 100891, twenty 2-pound packages shall be 

snugly packed into shipping containers to a net weight of 40 pounds. The full 

intact slices shall be round or oval shaped with a diameter of 4.0 to 4.5 inches, 

or square shaped with dimensions of 4.0 X 4.0 or 4.0 X 6.0 inches. 

130 Items described in Sections 110 and 120 shall be 97 percent fat free 

(3 percent fat), minimum Protein Fat Free (PFF) value of 17.0 percent, and 

have a whole muscle appearance (not ground or chopped), uniform color 

(slightly two tone color is permissible), no spongy (porous texture) appearance 

(after thawing of frozen ham). 

140 Diced Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully-Cooked, Frozen – The product shall be 97 

percent fat-free and have a minimum PFF value of 15.0 percent. This item 

(material number 100188) is recommended for use as a topping for pizza, 

salads, omelets and as a component for soups, stews, and casseroles. Eight 

5-pound packages shall be snugly packed into shipping containers to a net 

weight of 40 pounds. The dices shall be 0.5-inch cubes and may be made from 

ground or chopped and formed ham. 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 05/10/17 2 

200 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS 

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

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

below. 

300 MATERIALS 

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

conformance with the following material requirements. 

320 MEAT COMPONENT 

321 Pork (shall be derived from suitable lean from any portion of the sow and/or hog 

carcass) shall be the only meat component allowed. Pork derived from boars is 

not permissible. 

322 Domestic Origin of Meat Component – All sows and/or hogs shall originate from 

U.S. produced livestock as defined in the Master Solicitation and Supplement. 

323 Harvesting (Slaughtering) – All sows and/or hogs shall be harvested in facilities 

that comply with the following requirements: 

323.1 Humane Handling – All sows and/or hogs shall be humanely handled in 

accordance with all applicable FSIS regulations and AMS requirements. 

323.2 Non-Ambulatory Disabled Animals – Meat from carcasses of non-ambulatory 

disabled livestock shall not be included in USDA Purchase Programs. 

324 Boneless Pork Legs – Hams shall be derived from boneless pork legs that 

comply with the following requirements: 

324.1 Traceability – Contractors are responsible for providing sufficient product 

traceability and shall have records to verify the source of raw materials used in 

each lot of product. 

324.2 Handling – All boneless pork legs shall be maintained in excellent condition. 

The contractor’s technical proposal shall include detailed production scheduling 

with time and temperature controls necessary to maintain excellent condition of 

the boneless pork legs. 

324.3 Fresh Chilled Only – Meat shall be derived from fresh chilled boneless pork 

legs. Previously frozen boneless pork legs cannot be used. 

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

color uniformity. 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 05/10/17 3 

324.5 Lean Quality – The pork leg muscles shall not exhibit any evidence of pale, 

soft, and/or exudative conditions. 

324.6 Shanks and Inner Shanks – If used, shanks and inner shanks shall be ground, 

emulsified, or otherwise reduced in size. 

324.7 Objectionable Materials – Pork legs shall be free of bones, cartilages, skins, 

spinal cord, and foreign materials. 

324.8 Ground Meat – Pork leg trimmings (including shank meat and rework) that are 

ground, emulsified, or otherwise reduced in size cannot exceed 7.0 percent of 

the meat component. 

324.9 Rework - If used, rework shall be derived from finished ham product intended 

for delivery to USDA, not be associated with any positive pathogen test and be 

included as a component of the ground meat (see Section 324.8) while not 

exceeding a level of 2 percent based on finished product weight. 

325 Mechanical Separation – Meat that is mechanically separated from bone with 

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

or powered knives shall not be allowed. 

330 NON-MEAT COMPONENTS 

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

332 Domestic Origin – Significant ingredients (more than 1.0 percent) shall be 

derived from U.S. produced products. 

333 Product Formula – The production formula shall include water, dextrose, salt, 

sodium phosphate, antimicrobial agent(s) and sodium nitrite. Sodium 

erythorbate, and/or sodium ascorbate, may be used. 

334 Ingredient Limitations – The ingredients in the product formula shall comply 

with the amounts as listed: 

334.1 Material Number 100182: 

334.1.1 Dextrose – No more than 3.0 percent 

334.1.2 Salt – No more than 2.5 percent 

334.1.3 Sodium Phosphate – No more than 0.5 percent 

334.2 Material Numbers 100184, 100186, 100187, 100188 and 100891 

334.2.1 The product formulation(s) shall be developed such that the prescribed finished 

product limitations (see Sections 500 - 561) are met. 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 05/10/17 4 

335 Binder Agent – Binder agents such as carrageenan and modified food starch 

may be used. 

336 The following non-meat ingredients shall be precluded from use in the 

formulation: 

336.1 MSG – Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). 

336.2 Soy Protein Products (SPP). 

336.3 Gluten-containing ingredients.

400 PROCESSING 

410 PROCESSING DATE 

411 Ham products, as delivered to AMS destinations, shall be processed no more 

than 60 days prior to shipment. 

420 CASING DIAMETER / DIMENSION 

421 Bulk Packaged Ham - All bulk packaged hams shall be stuffed and processed 

within high oxygen and high moisture barrier poly “cook-n-ship” casings with a 

diameter of 4.0 to 4.5 inches. Ham then may be pressed. 

422 Sliced and Diced Packaged Ham - All sliced and diced packaged hams shall be 

stuffed and processed within high oxygen and high moisture barrier poly “cookn-ship” casings with a diameter of 4.0 to 4.5 inches or square shaped with 

dimensions of 4X4 or 4X6 inches. Ham then may be sliced or diced and 

repackaged (see Section 712.2). 

430 PRODUCT COOKING 

431 Ham shall be fully cooked in accordance with FSIS regulations. 

440 METAL DETECTION 

441 All hams shall be free of metal contamination. Detection of stainless steel, 

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

The equipment, location, detection procedure, sensitivity levels, frequency of 

equipment validation, and corrective action procedures shall be identified and 

described. 

500 FINISHED PRODUCT LIMITATIONS 

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

regulations. 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 05/10/17 5 

520 FAT 

521 The contractor will target production to maintain a process average for fat 

content to be 3.0 percent or less. The contractor shall use a Statistical Process 

Control (SPC) program to analyze fat test results. The SPC Upper 

Specification Limit (USL) is 3.6 percent fat. The average test results of each 

production lot exceeding the USL shall not be allowed delivery to USDA. For 

the purpose of this section, a lot cannot exceed one day’s production. 

530 PROTEIN FAT FREE (PFF) 

531 The contractor shall target its production to maintain the PFF values as 

specified with the item description. 

540 SODIUM 

541 Material Number 100182: 

541.1 The product formulation shall be developed such that the prescribed 

ingredient limitations (see Section 334.1) are met. 

542 Material Numbers 100184, 100186, 100187, 100188 and 100891:

542.1 The sodium level shall not exceed 650 mg per 100 g serving. 

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

amount customarily consumed) ≤ 650)) 

550 MICROBIAL 

551 Contractor shall have a documented plan to comply with the latest FSIS 

Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes requirements for ready-to-eat foods. 

Product tested positive for any pathogen shall not be allowed as rework or 

delivery to USDA. 

560 PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS 

561 Since one or more freeze/thaw cycles shall cause moisture loss and affect 

quality, hams shall not appear spongy or porous in texture after freezing and 

thawing. Diced hams shall be processed to minimize ‘clumping’ so that product 

is easily removed from bags by the end user without completely thawing. 

600 STATE OF REFRIGERATION 

610 Hams shall comply with the following holding time and temperature 

requirements: 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 05/10/17 6 

620 HOLDING TIME 

621 Frozen Ham Products – After processing, ham destined for freezing shall be 

refrigerated for a minimum of 24 hours. The diced ham shall be frozen in a 

manner to minimize ‘clumping’ after freezing. 

630 HOLDING TEMPERATURE 

631 Frozen Hams (material numbers 100184, 100182, 100187, 100188, 100891) – 

Hams destined for freezing shall have an internal temperature not to exceed 

40F prior to placement in the freezer. 

632 Chilled Hams (material number 100186) – Chilled hams shall be maintained at 

a temperature of not less than 28F (2.2C) or higher than 40F (4.4C). 

640 72 HOURS TEMPERATURE 

641 Frozen hams shall be 0F or below within 72 hours after placement into the 

freezer. 

700 PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY 

710 PACKAGING 

711 Package – All bulk packaged hams shall be stuffed and processed within poly 

"cook-n-ship" high oxygen and high moisture barrier casings. Sliced, shingle 

layered hams and diced hams shall be packaged into bags or thermoformed 

packaging and vacuum sealed. All packages shall be closed by heat seal or 

metal clips. 

712 Package Net Weight 

712.1 Bulk Ham – For material number 100182, ham shall be packaged into casings 

to a net weight of 3 pounds. For material numbers 100184 and 100186, ham 

shall be packaged into casings to a net weight of 10 pounds. 

712.2 Sliced and Diced Hams – For material numbers 100187 and 100188, ham 

product shall be vacuum packaged or thermoformed vacuum packaged to a net 

weight of 5 pounds. For material number 100891, ham product shall be 

vacuum packaged or thermoformed vacuum packaged to a net weight of 

2 pounds. 

720 PACKING 

721 Bulk Ham – For material number 100182, twelve, 3-pound hams shall be 

snugly packed into a new shipping container to a net weight of 36 pounds. For 

material numbers 100184 and 100186, four 10-pound hams shall be snugly 

packed into a new shipping container to a net weight of 40 pounds. 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 05/10/17 7 

722 Sliced or Diced Hams – For material numbers 100187 and 100188, eight 

5-pound packages shall be snugly packed into a new shipping container to a 

net weight of 40 pounds. For material number 100891, twenty 2-pound 

packages shall be snugly packed into a new shipping container to a net weight 

of 40 pounds. 

730 LABELING1/

731 The shipping containers shall be in compliance with the National Motor Freight 

Classification, or the Uniform Freight Classification, as applicable. Both 

immediate (packaging material) and shipping containers shall be labeled to 

include all information required by FSIS regulations. 

732 10-Pound Ham, 5-Pound Sliced and Diced Hams Immediate Container Labels 

(casings or package) – Each immediate container is required to have a 

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

and date. 

733 3-Pound Ham and 2-Pound Sliced Immediate Container Label (casings or 

package) – Each immediate container shall contain the following information: 

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

and date. 

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

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

734 Shipping Container Label – Shipping containers shall contain the following 

information: 

734.1 USDA shield at least 2 inches high and appearing on the top of the container or 

on the principal display panel. 

734.2 Appropriate purchase order number. 

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

and date. 

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

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 05/10/17 8 

734.4 Ingredient declaration. 

734.5 A nutrition facts panel based on actual nutritional analysis of the product. 

734.6 10-Pound Ham, 5-Pound Sliced and Diced Hams shipping containers shall 

have the statement “for institutional use only”. 

734.7 The appropriate product name and material number listed in the table below for 

each of the items. 

Item Material Number 

10 lb. Bulk Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, 

Water Added, Frozen 100184 

10 lb. Bulk Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, 

Water Added, Chilled 100186 

3 lb. Bulk Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, 

Water Added, Frozen 100182 

5 lb. Sliced Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, 

Water Added, Frozen 100187 

5 lb. Diced Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, 

Frozen 100188 

2 lb. Sliced Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, 

Water Added, Frozen 100891 

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

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

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

e.g. Allergen: This product contains ______. 

740 CLOSURE 

741 Shipping containers shall be closed by strapping, taping or gluing. When 

strapping is used, the initial closure (usually the bottom of container) shall be 

secured by the gluing or taping method. 

750 PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS 

751 All product shall be stacked on new or well-maintained pallets and palletized 

with shrink wrap plastic, unless otherwise specified in the solicitation. Pallet 

loads shall be stacked in a manner that minimizes the overhang of the shipping 

containers over the edges of the pallets and exposes each shipping container’s 

principal display panel to facilitate certification examinations. 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 05/10/17 9 

800 DELIVERY UNIT 

810 The delivery units for each of the following respective material numbers are as 

follows: 

820 MATERIAL NUMBERS 100184, 100186, 100187, 100188, 100891 

821 Each delivery shall consist of 1,000 shipping containers with a net weight of 

40,000 pounds. 

830 MATERIAL NUMBER 100182 

831 Each delivery shall consist of 1,000 shipping containers with a net weight of 

35,940 - 36,000 pounds. 

900 DELIVERED PRODUCT 

910 SIZE AND STYLE OF CONTAINER 

911 Only one size and style of immediate (casings) and shipping containers shall be 

offered in an individual shipping unit. 

920 TEMPERATURE 

921 Chilled Ham Temperature – Chilled ham shall be delivered at a temperature of 

not less than 28F (2.2C) or greater than 40F (4.4C). 

922 Frozen Ham Temperature – All products shall be frozen and shall not exceed 

0°F (-17.8C) at the time of shipment and delivery. 

930 SEALING 

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

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

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

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

1000 PRODUCT ASSURANCE 

1010 WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION 

1011 Warranty – The contractor shall guarantee that the product complies with all 

contractual requirements required of this Supplement. 

1012 Complaint Resolution – The contractor’s technical proposal shall provide steps 

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

and effect analysis, corrective and preventative actions taken, and product 

replacement). 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 03/01/09 

Date Revised: 05/10/17 10 

1020 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT 

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

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

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

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

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

destroyed). 

1030 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING 

1031 Contractor shall perform checkloading examinations at the time of shipment 

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

all of the following information: 

1031.1 Purchase Order Number/Purchase Order Line Item Number; 

1031.2 Sales Order Number/Sales Order Line Item Number; 

1031.3 Destination of shipment; 

1031.4 Name of Product and applicable Material Number; 

1031.5 Shipping Date; 

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

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

traceability to establishment number, production lot and date; 

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

lot; 

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

applicable; 

1301.9 Contractor certification that product conforms with the applicable specification 

(FPPS-HP-2017); 

1031.10 Count and projected net weight verified and; 

1301.11 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading.