USDA COMMODITY REQUIREMENTS

RUTF2

READY-TO-USE THERAPEUTIC FOOD FOR USE IN EXPORT 

PROGRAMS 

READY-TO-USE THERAPEUTIC FOOD (RUTF)

Effective Date: May 22, 2012
USDA COMMODITIY REQUIREMENTS

RUTF2

READY-TO-USE THERAPEUTIC FOOD 

FOR USE IN EXPORT PROGRAMS 

Table of Contents 

PART 1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS...................................................................................... 3

Section 1.1 Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food Product Requirements ...............................................................3

Section 1.2 Quality Assurance.........................................................................................................................3

PART 2 CONTAINER AND PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS...................................................... 3

Section 2.1 General......................................................................................................................................... 3

Section 2.2 Containers and Materials..............................................................................................................4

Section 2.3 Primary Pouch Requirements and Examinations for RUTF ............................................................4

Section 2.4 Secondary Packaging (Corrugated Fiberboard Shipping Containers) for RUTF ..............................4

PART 3 MARKING REQUIREMENTS............................................................................................. 6

Section 3.1 Lot Codes...................................................................................................................................... 6

Section 3.2 Containers with Incorrect Markings...............................................................................................6

Exhibit A RUTF Paste Primary Container Markings.......................................................................................8

Exhibit B RUTF Paste Secondary Container Markings...................................................................................9
Page 3 of 9

Part 1 Commodity Specifications 

Section 1.1 Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food Product Requirements 

A. Quality of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) 

The RUTF shall meet the requirements as specified in the Commercial Item 

Description (CID) for Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), A-A-20363A, 

dated May 17, 2012, which is available at:

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=stelprdc5091746

B. Fortification

The RUTF shall be fortified with a vitamin and mineral premix, meeting 

requirements in the CID. 

Section 1.2 Quality Assurance

A. The Dairy component manufacturer will be required to have their facility 

inspected by the Dairy Grading Branch (DGB), Dairy Program (DP), Agricultural 

Marketing Service (AMS), USDA to meet requirements contained in Title 7 Code 

of Federal Regulations, Part 110. DGB shall certify and document with official 

DGB certificates that the dairy components meet the requirements as stated in 

Section 10.2 of the CID. For DGB certification contacts refer to the CID, Section 

14. 

In addition to any testing that the Government may perform under the Inspection 

clause of the contract, the contractor shall perform the product testing and quality 

analysis to ensure that the product meets the commodity specifications. The 

results of the contractor’s testing shall be evidenced by a Certificate of Analysis 

(COA). The COA shall provide the results of all tests specified. In addition, the 

contractor shall provide a Certificate of Conformance (COC) certifying that the 

product meets all the specifications of the contract. Copies of both the original 

COA and COC must be submitted as part of the invoice package.

B. The manufacturer will be required to provide evidence that the manufacturing 

plant has undertaken quality assurance measures within the 12 months prior to the 

date of contract award in accordance with CID, Quality Assurance provisions, 

Section 11.2. 

Part 2 Container and Packaging Requirements 

Section 2.1 General 

This part provides the container specifications and requirements for packaging 

materials. “Pouch,” as used in this Part, means the primary packaging for the RUTF 

as defined in Section 7 of the CID. 
Page 4 of 9

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 0553

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 including, but not limited to, “Made in [Name of Foreign Country]” or 

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

Section 2.3 Primary Pouch Requirements and Examinations for RUTF

A. The primary pouch requirements and examinations are specified in Section 7 of 

the CID. 

B. For labeling of primary pouch package − See Exhibit A

C. Primary packaging shall have a code to indicate production lot.

Section 2.4 Section 2.4 Secondary Packaging (Corrugated Fiberboard Shipping 

Containers) for RUTF 

A. Corrugated Fiberboard Shipping Containers (Shipping Container) – Shall contain 

150 pouches of RUTF. The shipping container will be a regular slotted container 

constructed of a minimum 450 lb. burst test, corrugated fiberboard. The outside 

dimensions of each shipping container will be no higher than 8 inches in height, 

and cases should be designed to the optimal dimensions to fill at least 80% of the 

cubic capacity of a 20 foot intermodal when stacked two pallets high. Cases of 

dimensions approximately 8 in. height x 16 in. length x 13.25 in. width, have been 

found to comply with this requirement (when stacked nine cases per layer and 

five tiers high on a standard pallet). Other case dimensions will be considered 

providing the height of the case does not exceed 8 inches and the pallets, when 

double stacked, can fill at least 80% of the cubic capacity of a 20 foot intermodal 
Page 5 of 9

container. No liners shall be used inside the shipping containers. 150 pouches 

shall be placed directly into the fiberboard shipping container. 

B. The shipping container will be of a sturdy export quality, of virgin base materials 

and constructed and closed to provide adequate protection of the goods for 

transportation by air, sea and/or road to final destinations worldwide, including 

remote locations under adverse climatic and storage conditions, and high 

humidity. 

C. The shipping containers may be pre-printed, printed on line, or a pre-printed label 

may be affixed to the box.

D. Shipping container labeling − See Exhibit B. The outer shipping container shall 

include the statement, “This Product is not to be Sold or Exchanged.” Weight 

must be stated in Kilograms and Lbs. 

E. The shipping container shall comply with the following unitization requirements: 

(1) All shipments of packaged products shall be unitized (palletized and stretch 

wrapped). 

(2) Pallets shall be: 

a. Constructed to facilitate the safe handling and transportation of the 

packaged product, as a unit, without loss or damage. 

b. Pallets will be 1200 x 1000 x 144 mm, 4-way or partial 4-way entry 

with reversible or nonreversible flush stringer, wooden pallets suitable for 

international shipment. Pallets manufactured from other materials than 

solid wood are NOT acceptable (such as wood chip, plastic, MDF board, 

ply wood or carton). Pallets must have three (3) longitudinal bottom deck 

lead boards, feet are NOT acceptable. 

c. All wood packaging, including pallets and boxes, utilized in any 

shipment, must have undergone the treatment, marking and documentation 

required to meet the specifications described in ISPM No. 15: Guidelines 

for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade, available 

at www.ippc.int 
Page 6 of 9

(3) Plastic stretch wrap shall be: 

a. Constructed of a plastic film which is to be stretched a minimum of 50 

percent beyond its original length when stretched around the pallet load. 

b. Applied as tightly as possible around all tiers of the palletized shipping 

containers. The shipping containers shall be held firmly in place by the 

stretch wrap. 

(4) Pallet loads shall be: 

a. Stacked in such a way as to minimize the amount that shipping 

containers overhang the edges of pallets. 

b. Blocked and braced or otherwise loaded into the conveyance in a 

manner that prevents shifting during transit.

F. The packaging unit will be strong enough to be stacked to a height of 2 pallets 

during storage and transport without damage to the product, and will be resistant 

to puncturing. Shipping containers shall be marked to show the maximum safe 

stacking height. This should be expressed as follows: “Do not stack above ___ 

tiers per pallet, ___ pallets high.” It is the responsibility of the contractor in 

cooperation with the container manufacturer to determine the safe stacking height.

Part 3 Marking Requirements

Following are the marking exhibits for the RUTF Paste. All packaging shall meet the 

USAID Branding/Markings requirements described in the USAID Graphic Standards 

Manual on USAID’s website at: http://www.usaid.gov/branding/gsm.html. Markings for 

the pouches are to be printed entirely in red Pantone Matching System (PMS) 200. 

Section 3.1 Lot Codes

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. Commodity suppliers shall provide the contracting officer 

with an explanation of the lot coding system used.

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 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 
Page 7 of 9

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.
Page 8 of 9

Exhibit A RUTF Paste Primary Container Markings

Offerors may find more detailed renderings of the markings at the following web 

link: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=coop&topic=pasex-cr. 
Page 9 of 9

Exhibit B RUTF Paste Secondary Container Markings

Offerors may find more detailed renderings of the markings at the following web link:

http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=coop&topic=pas-ex-cr.