An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer

June 3, 2014

AMENDMENT NO. 1

SUPPLEMENT 801 TO THE AMS MASTER SOLICITATION

PURCHASE OF INDIVIDUALLY FROZEN COOKED CHICKEN STRIPS FOR 

DISTRIBUTION TO FEDERAL FOOD AND NUTRITION ASSISTANCE 

PROGRAMS

This Amendment is issued to make the following change to Supplement 801 to the 

AMS Master Solicitation, dated May 2014:

1) Replace Attachment I “Federal Purchase Program Specification (FPPS) for 

Chicken Strips, Fully Cooked, Frozen” dated April 2014 with the attached, dated 

June 2014. Changes to the FPPS are indicated in blue font.

All other terms and conditions remain unchanged. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for 

employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where 

applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income 

is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity 

conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.)

If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form 

(PDF), found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to 

request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed 

complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence

Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at program.intake@usda.gov.

Agricultural Marketing 

Service

Commodity 

Procurement Staff

1400 Independence 

Ave., SW, 

Room 3522-S, 

STOP 0239

Washington, DC 

20250-0239

Voice 202.720.4517 

Fax 202.720.5871
APPROVED

FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM SPECIFICATION 

(FPPS) FOR CHICKEN 

STRIPS, FULLY COOKED, 

FROZEN

Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR)

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

Effective: June 2014

Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 06/02/14

1

100 GENERAL

110 Product Description. This item is composed of strips of chicken meat 

marinated and fully cooked with grill marks and without added flavorings.

111 Frozen, fully cooked, chicken strips (commodity) produced under this 

Specification will be packaged and packed in the following form as specified 

in the contract:

112 Chicken Strips (110462) - Frozen, fully cooked, chicken meat strips of natural 

proportion white and dark chicken meat or no less than 50% white meat and 

no more than 50% dark meat produced from ready-to-cook broiler/fryer 

chickens and chicken parts. The commodity will be packaged 5 or 10 pounds

(2.27 or 4.54 kg) per plastic-film bag and packed either six 5-pound bags or 

three 10 pound bags to a net weight of 30 pounds (13.61 kg) in each 

fiberboard shipping container. A purchase unit will consist of 1,300 shipping 

containers totaling 39,000 pounds (17,690 kg).

120 Food Defense Requirements

121 Contractors and subcontractors participating in the commodity purchase 

program must have a documented and operational food defense plan that 

provides for the security of a plant’s production processes and includes the 

storage and transportation of finished product after production. The plan shall 

address the following areas: (1) food defense plan management; (2) outside 

and inside security of the production and storage facilities; (3) harvest and 

processing, including all raw material sources; (4) shipping and receiving; (5) 

storage; (6) water and ice supply; (7) mail handling; (8) personnel security; 

and (9) controlled access to production and storage areas. The food defense 

plan shall be made available to the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA)

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Auditor upon request. Verification of 
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 06/02/2014 2

the Food Defense Program at the processing, storage, and distribution facility 

will be conducted by the USDA/AMS Auditor.

130 Commodity Complaints

131 The contractor/processor must immediately report all complaints received on 

the commodity to the Contracting Officer.

140 Humane Handling

141 All poultry shall be humanely handled in accordance with all applicable Food 

Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulations.

200 COMMODITY SPECIFICATION

210 Basic Requirements

211 Date Processed. The commodity must not be processed or packaged more 

than 30 days prior to the first day of the delivery period.

212 Class. The commodity must be prepared from freshly harvested broiler/fryer 

chickens (AMS 70.201(c)) or parts (AMS 70.210). 

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDEV3004377

213 Origin of Chickens. The commodity must be produced and processed from 

chickens that were produced, raised, and processed in the United States, its 

territories or possessions, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the Trust 

Territories of the Pacific Islands. If the contractor processes or handles 

chicken carcasses and parts originating from sources other than the United 

States, its territories or possessions, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or 

the Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands, the contractor must have a USDA 

approved identification and segregation plan for those chicken carcasses and 

parts to ensure they are not used in the commodity produced under this 

Specification. This plan must be made available to a representative of the 

Quality Assessment (QA) Division, Livestock, Poultry and Seed (LPS) 

Program, AMS, USDA (Grader), and the Contracting Officer or agent thereof 

upon request. 

213.1 The contractor must ensure that both the contractor and subcontractor(s) 

maintain records such as invoices, or production and inventory records 

evidencing product origin, and make such records available for review by the 

Grader or other Government official(s)

214 Inspection. Processing operations must comply with Poultry Products 

Inspection Regulations (9 CFR § 381) and be under the supervision of a 

representative of USDA/FSIS (Inspector). Inspection for contract and 

Specification compliance will be in accordance with the Regulations 

Governing the Voluntary Grading of Poultry Products and Rabbit Products (7 

CFR § 70) and the U.S. Classes, Standards, and Grades for Poultry (AMS 
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 06/02/2014 3

70.200 et seq.) under the supervision of a QAD Grader. The QAD Grader will 

be responsible for certification of compliance with the requirements of this

Specification for chilled chicken carcasses and parts; formulating, marinating, 

cooking, and slicing chicken into strips; chicken strips; freezing; packaging 

and packing; labeling and marking; net weight; and checkloading.

215 FSIS Requirements. The commodity must be produced and processed in an

FSIS inspected establishment, be accurately marked and/or labeled, and 

meet all FSIS regulatory requirements, including all microbiological testing 

requirements, currently in place.(9 CFR § 381.94)

216 USDA Sampling Option. USDA may select additional samples of the 

commodity for further inspection or may draw samples for laboratory 

analyses.

217 Chicken from Other Plants. Chilled and/or frozen chicken and chicken parts 

may be transferred or obtained from other processing plants, provided they: 

(1) have been processed, handled, and identified in accordance with this 

Specification; and (2) comply with the freshly harvested, organoleptic, 

temperature, and other applicable requirements of this Specification as 

evidenced by USDA certification.

217.1 Type, class, and specific name of the product, part, or meat; date harvested; 

and the USDA-assigned plant number must be shown on each shipping 

container.

217.2 The chilled and/or frozen chicken and chicken parts must be at an internal 

product temperature not higher than 40 °F (4.4 °C) when shipped from the 

origin plant and when received at the destination plant.

220 Meat Component

221 Time Requirements. The chilled ready-to-cook chicken and bone-in, skin-on 

chicken parts must be fabricated into cooked commodity within 7 calendar 

days from the date of harvest. Frozen meat may be used when: produced 

from freshly harvested chicken, packaged to protect against quality 

deterioration during storage and identified so that the time in storage and the 

class, kind, and specific deboned product can be determined, held no more 

than 180 days in frozen storage, and the product shows no evidence of 

thawing and refreezing or freezer deterioration. After thawing, the meat must 

be processed (without refreezing) into the commodity within 48 hours of 

tempering.

222 Maximum Temperature. The temperature of the carcasses, boneless parts, 

or meat must not exceed 55°F (12.8°C) at any time during the preparation 

and processing into the commodity.
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Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 06/02/2014 4

223 Cooling Requirements. The meat which is not used in the commodity on a 

continuous basis after deboning must be cooled by cooling media (224) and 

methods that ensure that the internal product temperature is lowered to not 

higher than 40°F (4.4°C) and not lower than 26°F (-3.3°C). 

224 Cooling Medium.

224.1 Cooling methods and media (e.g., use of liquid carbon dioxide (CO2), dry ice

(CO2), or liquid nitrogen (N2)) may be used to maintain the temperature of the 

meat.

224.2 Water, refrigerated water, slush ice and water, or ice used to cool or maintain 

the temperature of the meat must not be incorporated into the commodity. 

Liquid associated with normal product purge is acceptable.

225 Meat. The following kinds of chicken meat must be used to prepare the 

commodity. The meat must be:

225.1 boneless, skinless chicken meat in natural proportion white and dark meat or 

no less than 50% white meat and no more than 50% dark meat from whole 

carcasses or parts (AMS 70.201(c)) or parts (AMS 70.210)

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDEV3004377

226 Unacceptable Meat. Mechanically separated (comminuted), finely ground, 

flaked, or finely chopped chicken meat cannot be used.

227 Bone, Skin, and Fat. The bones, skin, and excess fat must be removed from 

the meat before use. Excess fat includes:

227.1 visible fat not integrated in the muscle tissue that exceeds an aggregate area 

equivalent to the area of a circle with a diameter of 1-1⁄2inches (3.8 cm), and;

227.2 fat deposit not integrated in the muscle that extends more than 1⁄2-inches (1.3

cm) beyond the meat tissue.

228 Organoleptic Requirements and Defects.

228.1 Organoleptic requirements. Boneless, skinless meat will be examined on a 

continuous basis for organoleptic requirements shown in Table 1. If the meat 

does not comply with the organoleptic requirements, the meat the samples 

represent will be rejected for use in the commodity.

228.2 Defects. Boneless, skinless meat will be examined for defects on a sample 

basis.

228.3 Prior to marinating, 30 pieces of boneless, skinless meat will be sampled for 

bone and other defects and examined separately (Table 1). The frequency of 

sampling and the number of defects allowed will be those outlined in the LPS 

Program’s Sample Plan Level-1 for poultry. 
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Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 06/02/2014 5

228.4 Regardless of the kind and number of defects found, any sample with bone or 

hard bone-like material will be cause for the rejection of the meat the sample 

represents.

228.5 If the sample has more defects than the maximum tolerance for the sample 

plan, the meat the sample represents will be rejected.

230 Formulation and Processing

231 Processing Sequence. The marinating and pressing or pressing and 

marinating, cooking, cutting into strips, and individual freezing of the 

commodity will be a sequential process.

231.1 Marination. Marination must be at no more than 10 percent of the boneless, 

skinless chicken meat in natural proportion (see 225.1). 

The marinating solution shall be comprised of the following; (added flavorings 

are not allowed)

Water (minimum) 88.75 percent

Added processing aids (up to) 8.00 percent

Phosphate (sodium or potassium) (up to) 3.25 percent

231.2 If any sample of the marinated boneless and skinless chicken meat strips has 

more than 10 percent marinade, the marinated chicken meat the sample 

represents will be rejected.

232 The commodity will be produced from 100 percent marinated boneless, 

skinless chicken meat (Sections 225-228).

240 Cooking, Slicing, and Freezing

241 Uniform Thickness (Pressing). The marinated meat must pass through a 

press to assist in creating an approximately uniform thickness of the chicken 

strips.

242 Cooking and Grill Markings.

242.1 The commodity must reach an internal temperature of at least 160 °F 

(71.1°C) during cooking. The time and temperature of cooking must provide 

cooked commodity that complies with the prescribed organoleptic 

requirements in Table 2.

242.2 Parallel grill markings are required on one surface of the meat strip.

243 Slicing into Strips. The meat must be cut/sliced into strips. All cuts must be 

in a manner that will provide strips of whole muscle chicken meat with 

reasonably smooth outer surfaces with no tears along the cut edges. These 
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 06/02/2014 6

cuts may be made by mechanical means. The strips must be a minimum 

0.375 inch (3/8-inch) (0.95 cm) in width and at least 1.0-inch (2.54 cm) in 

length which would contribute a minimum of 0.5 ounce cooked meat 

equivalent per strip but not exceed 2.0 ounces cooked meat equivalent per 

strip. 

244 Individual Freezing. Immediately after cooking is completed, the internal 

product temperature of the cooked commodity must be lowered continuously 

by an in-line chilling/freezing system. Individually frozen commodity exiting an 

in-line chilling/freezing system with internal product temperatures higher than 

0°F (-17.8°C) must be packaged and placed in a freezer. The internal 

product temperature must be lowered to 0°F (-17.8°C) or lower within 24

hours from the time the commodity enters the freezer.

245 Reprocessing

245.1 Product eligible for reprocessing. Undercooked marinated boneless, skinless 

meat may be reprocessed by cooking.

2.4.5.2 Product ineligible for reprocessing. Cooked boneless, skinless meat or 

cooked chicken strips which do not meet the criteria that are listed in Criteria 

(a) of Table 2, may not be reprocessed for use under this FPPS.

250 Requirements for Cooked Commodity

251 Organoleptic Requirements. A sample of 10 cooked chicken meat strips will 

be sampled and examined for the organoleptic requirements shown in Table 

2. If any sample of commodity does not comply with the organoleptic 

requirements, the commodity the sample represents will be rejected.

251.1 Sodium Requirement. The sodium content of the cooked commodity should 

be no more than 250 mg per 100 gram basis as evidenced by laboratory 

analysis.

252 Metal Detection. The commodity must be examined by a metal detection 

device capable of detecting metallic contaminants including, but not limited to, 

stainless steel shavings, metal clips, metal fragments from cutting equipment, 

and pieces of wire. The commodity must be examined:

252.1 prior to packaging; or

252.2 after it is packaged; or

252.3 packed in shipping containers in accordance with AMS 910, Poultry Grader’s 

Handbook. Commodity found to be contaminated with metal will be handled 

in accordance with FSIS procedures. Other procedures for examination of 

the commodity must be approved by the Director, FSCS Division/LPS

Program, in writing.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 06/02/2014 7

260 Packaging and Packing

261 Materials. All packaging and packing materials must be clean and in new 

condition, must be tamper-evident, must not impart objectionable odors or 

flavors to the commodity, must be safe (cannot adulterate product or be 

injurious to health) for use in contact with food products, and must be tamperevident. Tamper-evident is defined as packaging and packing materials with 

one or more indicators or barriers to entry, which, if breached or missing, can 

reasonably be expected to provide visible evidence that tampering has 

occurred.

262 Plastic-film bags. Bags for packaging the commodity must be a polyethylene 

film bag with a wall thickness of not less than 2 mil (0.002-inch); and must 

protect the commodity from dehydration, freezer burn, or quality deterioration 

during the conditions of use.

263 Shipping containers. Shipping containers must:

263.1 be good commercial fiberboard containers which are acceptable by common 

or other carrier for safe transport to point of destination;

263.2 be of such size to pack the commodity without slack filling or bulging; 

263.3 withstand the stresses of handling, shipping, stacking, and storage; and

263.4 be closed by commercially accepted methods and materials. Steel or wire 

straps must not be used for final closure. Staples must not be used for final 

closure of shipping containers. Adhesives or staples cannot be used to 

fasten the top portion of telescope-style containers to the bottom portion. 

Staples may be used to manufacture and to assemble the fiberboard shipping 

containers, provided the staples are fastened into the container and tightly 

clenched to eliminate sharp edges prior to packing the commodity into the 

shipping containers.

262 Packaging. Approximately 5 or 10 pounds (2.27 or 4.54 kg) of commodity 

must be packaged in a plastic-film bag. The bag must be of a length that can 

be readily and securely closed. The bag must be sealed or closed with a 

non-metallic device that will protect the commodity from contamination, 

dehydration, and freezer burn.

263 Packing. Six 5-pound (2.27-kg) or three 10-pound (4.54-kg) bags with 30 

pounds (13.61 kg) net weight of commodity must be packed in a fiberboard 

shipping container.
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Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 06/02/2014 8

300 LABELING

301 Commercial labeling (Sections 310, 330) or USDA labeling (Section 320) 

must be used. When commercial or USDA labeling is selected, both the 

packages and shipping containers within a purchase unit must be labeled in 

that format. The contractor must use the same label format (either 

commercial or USDA) within a purchase unit.

310 Commercial Labeling Requirements

311 Commercially labeled packages and shipping containers must be labeled in 

accordance with FSIS requirements. Labeling must be approved by FSIS 

prior to acceptance for use under this Specification.

312 Commercial Labels. Commercial labels must be the processor’s own 

commercial label. Distributors’ labels are not allowed.

313 Traceable Product. The processor must establish a product identification and 

record system that clearly links product by place and time of manufacture to 

specific USDA contracts and destinations. When the company uses the 

same commercial label for the product certified as complying with this 

Specification and commercial product, the identification system must 

differentiate between USDA and non-USDA products. An alpha numeric code

may be used for information that is in addition to FSIS labeling requirements. 

The required product identification and record system, including codes, must 

be reviewed by USDA before production begins for the contract(s).

314 Nutrition Facts, Ingredients and Allergen Statements on Shipping Containers. 

Nutrition Facts must be provided. The ingredient statement, even for single 

ingredient foods, must be included as a statement separate from the name of 

the product, e.g. Ingredients: _____________. The allergen statement must 

be provided in the 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 ______. 

320 USDA Labeling Requirements

321 When USDA labeling is used, any deviations from the USDA labeling 

requirements in this Specification must be approved by the Contracting 

Officer, in writing, prior to start of production. Labeling and marking of the 

product must be in accordance with this Specification. 

322 Labeling and marking information must be water-fast, non-smearing, of a 

contrasting color, clear and readable.

323 USDA Labeled Shipping Containers.

323.1 Labeling and Marking Information.
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Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 06/02/2014 9

323.2 Requirements. Labeling and marking information must be preprinted, 

stamped, or stenciled on each shipping container; or printed on a selfadhesive label and applied to each shipping container. This information, in 

essentially the same layout, is provided in EXHIBITS 1 and 2.

324 Nutrition Facts, Ingredients and Allergen Statements on Shipping Containers. 

Nutrition Facts must be provided. The ingredient statement, even for single 

ingredient foods, must be included as a statement separate from the name of 

the product, e.g. Ingredients: _____________. The allergen statement must 

be provided in the 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 ______.

330 Universal Product Code bar (UPC).

331 The UPC, symbol and code, called Interleaved 2 of 5 (I 2/5), must appear on 

each shipping container. The complete code, including the check digit, must 

be printed in machine-readable and human-readable form. The start and stop 

indicators will be included in the bar codes. Printing, readability, and 

scanability of the bar code must be in accordance with UPC guidelines 

published by GS1 US, 1009 Lenox Drive, Suite 202, Lawrenceville, New 

Jersey 08648, (609)620-0200.

332 The contractor will use the code furnished by USDA. USDA has acquired a 

unique processor's identification number for the commodity purchase 

programs and will use this item code for the commodity purchased under this 

Specification. The contractors need not join GS1 US.

333 The 14-digit UPC code for shipping containers of chicken strips is:

1 07 15001 10462 5 

334 The UPC code must be placed in the lower right-hand corner of the principal 

display panel of each shipping container.

335 Recycle Symbol and Statement. The contractor shall place somewhere on 

the surface of each recyclable shipping container the recycle symbol shown in 

EXHIBIT 3. The statement “PLEASE RECYCLE” is to be placed under the 

symbol. The recycle symbol and statement must be legibly printed in 

permanent ink.

337 Inventory Control Information. The processor may include any additional 

information (including bar codes) for processor inventory control purposes. 

This information may be applied somewhere on the surface of the shipping 

container but must not cover or conflict with the labeling requirements of this 

Specification.
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Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 06/02/2014 10

338 Shipping containers or labels with incorrect contract number, plant number,

net weight, date packed, must be corrected before they are used. The 

incorrect information must be blocked out and the correct information legibly 

printed, stamped, or stenciled in permanent ink. Additionally, the name, 

address, and phone number of the processor must appear on each shipping 

container.

340 Additional Labeling Issues

341 The following are not acceptable for use under this Specification:

341.1 Commercial labels that do not have a processor traceability system and 

code.

341.2 Commercial labeling traceability coding and systems that have not been 

reviewed by a representative of USDA/AMS/LPS/QAD. 

341.3 Distributor commercial labels.

341.4 Two or more different commercial labels in the same purchase unit.

341.5 Commercial labels and USDA labels in the same purchase unit.

350 Free Along Side (FAS) Vessel Deliveries 

351 FAS vessel deliveries that are not source loaded in a seavan are required to 

show the final destination’s overseas address as provided in the Sales

Order/Item Number. The address must be clearly printed on at least two 

sides of each panel.

400 FINAL EXAMINATION OF PACKAGED AND PACKED COMMODITY

410 Material and Net Weight Compliance

411 Verification of Materials and Defects.

411.1 Verification of packaging and packing materials. The contractor must verify 

compliance with packaging, packing, and marking material requirements by 

furnishing the Grader the following certification on company stationery signed 

by a person authorized to do so by the contractor:

411.2 “(I)/(We) certify that the packaging, packing, and marking materials used for 

any commodity presented for acceptance under the terms of the Commodity 

Specification for Chicken Strips dated April 2014, comply or will comply with 

the terms of this Commodity Specification.

Name _______________________________

Title ______________________________”

411.3 One certification is adequate for all production under this Specification.
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Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 06/02/2014 11

411.4 Packaging defects. Packages in a delivery unit will be examined for defects 

that affect protection, expose product, permit dehydration or freezer burn, or 

quality deterioration during storage, such as tears, holes, or improperly sealed 

or closed packages.

411.5 Packing defects. Shipping containers in a delivery unit will be examined for 

condition, labeling, and marking defects according to the United States 

Standards for Condition of Food Containers.

411.6 Tolerance for defects. If samples of packaged commodity or the shipping 

containers in a delivery unit have more defects than the maximum tolerance 

for the applicable USDA/AMS/LPS Program’s sample plan, the delivery unit 

will be rejected.

412 Net Weight.

412.1 A purchase unit or delivery unit must total 39,000 pounds (17,690 kg) net, or 

multiples thereof. 

412.2 Each delivery unit, except as provided in Section 412.7, will be examined for 

compliance with the net weight requirements at time of checkloading.

412.3 The tare weight of all packing materials will be determined by weighing a 

representative sample of all packaging components such as plastic-film bags, 

clips, and fiberboard containers.

412.4 Fifteen (15) shipping containers will be selected at random from a delivery 

unit to determine net weight. The total net weight of the 15 shipping 

containers must be equal to or greater than 450 pounds (204.12 kg). If the 

total net weight is less than 450 pounds (204.12 kg), the delivery unit will be 

rejected.

412.5 A rejected delivery unit may be reworked and reoffered one time only. 

However, if an individual shipping container in the sample of the reworked 

delivery unit has a net weight less than 30 pounds (13.6 kg), the delivery unit 

will be rejected and cannot be reoffered.

412.6 As an alternative to test weighing at time of checkloading, the contractor may 

request on-line verification of net weights. Upon receiving the request, a 

Federal-State Supervisor (QAD)(or their designee) will determine that the 

facilities and procedures are in accordance with the applicable LPS Program’s 

instructions for this Specification.

420 Prerequisites for Loading and Shipping Frozen Commodity

421 Visual Inspection. Frozen cooked commodity showing any evidence of 

defrosting, refreezing, or freezer deterioration will be rejected for use under 

this Specification.
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Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 06/02/2014 12

422 Internal Product Temperature.

422.1 Requirements. The internal product temperature of the frozen cooked 

commodity must be 2 °F (-16.7 °C) or lower at the time of loading. Delivery 

units with internal product temperatures exceeding 2 °F (-16.7 °C) and up to 

5 °F (-15 °C) will be tentatively rejected. Tentatively rejected delivery units 

may be returned to the freezer and the temperature reduced to 2 °F (-16.7°C) 

or lower and reoffered one time only. Delivery units exceeding 5 °F (-15 °C) 

or delivery units that have been tentatively rejected and exceed 2 °F (-16.7

°C) when reoffered will be rejected for use under this Specification.

422.2 Optional temperature verification. As an option to verifying internal product 

temperature at time of loading, the contractor may request an alternate 

method utilizing product temperature-sensing devices. If this option is 

selected, a Federal-State Supervisor will determine that the facilities, 

equipment, procedures, and the contractors’ current level of freezing 

compliance are in accordance with the established guidelines outlined in the 

applicable USDA, AMS, LPS Program’s instructions for this Specification.

430 Inspection and Checkloading

431 Requirements. Inspection for contract compliance will be made by a USDA 

representative, in accordance with 7 CFR § 70, FSIS regulations, and this 

Specification, at the site of processing, both during and after processing and 

packaging. A USDA representative may select samples for laboratory 

analyses or inspect the commodity at any point in transit and after delivery to 

point of destination. Inspection records must be complete and made 

available to USDA, as requested, to assure contract compliance.

432 Procedures. Inspection and checkloading must be performed by a Grader. 

Procedures to be followed and a schedule of fees for these services may be 

obtained by contacting the nearest USDA/AMS, LPS Program’s QA Division 

field office or the Director of the QA Division, LPS Program, AMS, USDA, 

Room 3932-S, STOP 0258, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, 

DC 20250-0258, telephone (202) 720-3271. The quality, quantity, weight, 

packaging, packing, and checkloading of the commodity must be evidenced 

by USDA certificates issued by the Grader. The contractor must not ship the 

commodity unless informed by the Grader that the designated commodity to 

be shipped meets contract specifications.

500 UNITIZATION

501 Each delivery unit must be unitized (palletized and stretch wrapped) and 

comply with the following:

510 Pallets
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Date Revised: 06/02/2014 13

511 Pallets must be good quality, measuring 48 inches x 40 inches, nonreversible, 

flush stringer, and partial four-way entry. Each pallet of shipping containers 

must be stretch-wrapped with plastic film in a manner that will secure each 

container and layer of containers on the pallet. Palletized product must be 

loaded in a way that will prevent shifting and damage to the containers of 

product. Pallet loads shall be stacked in a manner that minimizes the 

overhang of the shipping containers over the edges of the pallets and 

exposes the principal display panels to facilitate certification examinations.

521 Pallet Exchange

521.1 Contractors may arrange for pallet exchange with consignees; however, 

USDA is not responsible for such arrangements.

600 SHIPMENT AND DELIVERY

601 Shipment and delivery must be made in accordance with the AMS Master 

Solicitation, the Solicitation, and this Specification. In addition, the contractor 

must adhere to the following provisions:

610 Contract Compliance Stamp

611 Each shipping container must be identified with a USDA Contract Compliance 

stamp with the applicable certificate number. A Grader, or other authorized 

personnel under the supervision of the Grader, will stamp one end of each 

shipping container prior to shipment. If there is inadequate space available 

on either end of the shipping container, the stamp may be applied to a side of 

the container.

620 Grading Certificate

621 A copy of the original USDA Poultry Grading Certificate issued at time of 

checkloading must accompany each shipment.

622 Railcar or Piggyback. If shipment is by rail or piggyback, the certificate must 

be placed in the railcar or trailer for easy access to the Grader, 

warehouseman, or consignee, as applicable.

623 Trucks. If shipment is by truck, the driver must, upon delivery, give the 

certificate to the Grader, warehouseman, or consignee, as applicable.

630 Loading and Sealing of Vehicles

631 Loading must be in accordance with good commercial practices and the 

sealing must be done at origin under the supervision of a Grader. Thereafter, 

all delivery units--truck lot and less-than-truck lot (LTL) quantities--must be 

secured at all times prior to unloading with tamper proof, tamper resistant, 

serially numbered, high security seals. Suppliers of commodities, products 

and/or services shall be responsible for placing a seal(s) on all doors of each 
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 06/02/2014 14

transportation conveyance upon completion of loading or servicing. Seals 

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

Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard F-1157-04 and/or the International 

Organization for Standards (ISO) 17712-2010. Seals shall be 1⁄8-inch 

diameter cable, high security bolt, or equivalent. The contractor must 

maintain a record of each seal number used for truck lot and LTL delivery 

units. Additionally, the contractor must ensure that the applicable seal 

identification number is on each bill of lading, shipment manifest, or other 

delivery documents for each delivery destination.

632 When LTL delivery units are transported on the same trailer or railcar and 

destined for multiple recipients, the trailer or railcar must be sealed after each 

delivery. The seal number must be recorded on the appropriate delivery 

documents and correspond with the applied seal at the time of arrival at the 

next destination. It will be the responsibility of the contractor to provide a 

sufficient number of seals and ensure that the carrier service (truck or rail) 

secures the trailer or railcar after each delivery destination. Failure to seal the 

trailer or railcar after each stop will result in rejection of the shipment by the 

recipient agency at the next scheduled stop and rejection of any subsequent 

deliveries on the trailer or railcar.

633 Railcar. Each railcar must be sealed. The contractors are responsible for 

arranging for railcar deliveries of more than one delivery unit so that each 

delivery unit contained in the same railcar can be completely separated and 

sealed.

634 Truck or Piggyback. Truck or piggyback shipments must be sealed at origin. 

A delivery unit shipped by truck or piggyback which includes split deliveries to 

multiple destinations will require sealing after each drop in accordance with 

Section 630 of this Specification.

640 Delivery Notification

641 The contractor must comply with the AMS Master Solicitation regarding 

Advance Shipping Notices (ASN’s) and unloading appointments.

642 In-Plant Deliveries. When in-plant delivery is made, the contractor must notify 

the appropriate resident Grader and furnish applicable information.

643 Delivery In Storage. Delivery may be made in store provided the destination 

in the Sales Order/Item Number and the place the contractor has the 

commodity in store are the same. 

644 Inspection and certification by a Grader are also required for transfers in 

store.

650 Split Deliveries
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 06/02/2014 15

651 The contractor is responsible to deliver the quantity stated on Sales

Order/Item Number to each destination. Contractors must provide to the 

Grader, at time of shipment, the number of boxes and pounds for each 

destination.

6.5.2 At the option of the contractor, a purchase unit for multiple destinations (split 

deliveries) may be delivered on separate trucks provided each truck ships the 

total quantity stated on the Sales Order/Item Number. Any additional costs 

will accrue to the contractor’s account.

700 DESTINATION EXAMINATION

701 The cost of a destination examination, before or after delivery, by a Grader on 

accepted product will be for the account of USDA. Costs for destination 

examinations of rejected delivery units will be for the account of the 

contractor. The USDA origin grader will make arrangements for destination 

examination prior to delivery.

710 Commodity Requirements

711 Before acceptance by consignee, the commodity may be examined by a 

Grader on a spot-check basis for temperature, condition, identity, and when 

applicable, count. The commodity may be examined for conformance to 

contract provisions at any time required by the Contracting Officer. 

720 Temperature 

721 The commodity must arrive at destination at an average internal product 

temperature not to exceed 10 °F (-12.2 °C) with no individual temperature 

exceeding 15 °F (-9.4 °C). Commodity not meeting these requirements will 

be rejected for use under this FPPS. 
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 06/02/2014 16

TABLE 1

Organoleptic Requirements and Defects for Meat

Organoleptic 

Requirements:

Criteria: The meat must:

(1) Be free of rancidity; free of fruity, sulfide-like, 

cardboardy, tallowy, oily, metallic, chlorine-like, 

other foreign or off-odors.

(2) Be free of foreign materials (e.g., glass, paper, 

rubber, metal, plastic, wood).

(3) Show no evidence of mishandling or deterioration.

(4) Have a bright color and show no evidence of 

dehydration or freezing and thawing.

Meat Defects: 

Bone:

Other:

Presence of bone or hard bone-like material

including cartilage.

A boneless, skinless: thigh, drumstick, or leg with 

more than one-half of the meat missing.

Moderate discolorations or blood clots.

Lightly shaded discolorations exceeding an 

aggregate area equivalent to a circle with a diameter 

of 0.50 inch (1.27 cm). Slight discolorations are 

permitted, provided the discoloration does not detract 

from the overall appearance of the meat.

Visible fat not integrated in the muscle tissue that 

exceeds an aggregate area of a circle with a diameter 

of 1.50 inch (3.81 cm).

Fat deposits not integrated in the muscle tissue that 

extend more than 0.50 inch (1.27 cm) beyond the 

meat tissue.

Defects for Boneless, 

Skinless Thighs:

Tendon or tendinous material.

Defects for Boneless, 

Skinless Drumsticks and 

Legs:

Tendon or tendinous material that is soft-like in 

texture and extends or is greater than 0.50 inch (1.27 

cm) beyond the meat tissue.

Skin Defects: A defect for skin is the presence of skin.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 06/02/2014 17

TABLE 2

Organoleptic Requirements for Cooked Commodity

Organoleptic

Requirements:

Examined after 

cooking prior to 

freezing.

Criteria: 

(a) The commodity must be free of: (i) rancidity; (ii) metallic, 

overcooked, burnt, scorched, bitter, oxidized, stale, fruity, 

beany, oily, soapy, or other odors or flavors foreign to properly 

prepared and cooked chicken fajita strips; and (iii) foreign 

materials (e.g., glass, paper, rubber, plastic, metal, wood).

(b) The commodity must not be dry; that is, it must not lack 

 moistness or be devoid of moisture. It must have the 

 appearance of fully cooked product. Meat must not be 

 undercooked. Meat that appears un-cooked or undercooked 

 is not acceptable under this Specification.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 06/02/2014 18

EXHIBIT 1

USDA Labeled Shipping Containers

Marking Information: Shipping containers shall be marked substantially as 

shown below. Detailed labeling information is provided in EXHIBIT 2. Markings 

must be legibly preprinted, stamped, stenciled on containers, or printed on a 

separate self-adhesive label applied onto containers. The USDA symbol (EXHIBIT 

4), copy on back of Specification, is to be a minimum of 2.25 inches (5.72 cm) in 

height and may be printed on the “TOP PANEL” or principal display panel. The 

processor’s name, address, and phone number must be printed on the “TOP 

PANEL” or principal display panel. The processor’s name and address must

indicate the individual processing plant, the company headquarters, or the 

company address and phone number that handles product complaints.

(THE OTHER END Panel)

(THE OTHER 

SIDE Panel)

(TOP PANEL)

PERISHABLE--KEEP FROZEN

KEEP AT 0 oF (-17.8 °C)

OR LOWER TEMPERATURE

(TOP PANEL) (ONE SIDE 

Panel)

USDA

Labeling

Information 

(shown in 

Exhibit 2).

(ONE END - Principal Display Panel)
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 06/02/2014 19

EXHIBIT 2

USDA Labeling Information for Chicken Strips

Marking Information: USDA labeling information must be printed on the principal 

display panel of each shipping container as provided in Exhibit 1. Markings must 

be legibly preprinted, stamped, stenciled on containers, or printed on a separate 

self-adhesive label applied to containers. The type of meat used must be printed 

on each shipping container. The UPC 14-digit I 2/5 symbol and code, must be 

shown in the lower right-hand corner of the principal display panel. The USDA 

symbol, copy on back of Specification, must be a minimum of 2.25 inches (5.72 

cm) in height and may be printed on the “TOP PANEL” or principal display panel. 

The processor’s name, address, and phone number must be printed on the “TOP 

PANEL” or principal display panel. The processor’s name and address must

indicate the individual processing plant, the company headquarters, or the 

company address and phone number that handles product complaints. 

Frozen Fully-Cooked Boneless, Skinless

Chicken Meat

CHICKEN STRIPS

Ingredients:

(Food Allergen Statement, 

Must Be Placed Here)

Processor’s Nutrition Facts Label

 Name, Address, and Phone Must Be placed Here

KEEP FROZEN

__ Bags Net Weight DATE PACKED Month, Day, and 

 Year

30 LBS. (13.61 KG) UPC Symbol and Code 
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 06/02/2014 20

EXHIBIT 3

“Please Recycle” Symbol and Statement

PLEASE

RECYCLE
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 06/02/2014 21

EXHIBIT 4

USDA Symbol