AMENDMENT 1 TO 

SUPPLEMENT 511 CATFISH 

PRODUCTS, APRIL 2014

 APPROVED

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)

Livestock, Poultry and Seed (LPS) Program

Food Safety and Commodity Specification (FSCS) Division

Room 2624 S-Bldg, Phone: (202) 692-0342

 Effective: April 2015

Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 04/01/2015

AMENDMENT 1 TO SUPPLEMENT 511 TO THE AMS MASTER SOLICITATION FOR 

THE PURCHASE OF CATFISH PRODUCTS FOR DISTRIBUTION TO CHILD 

NUTRITION AND OTHER FEDERAL FOOD AND NUTRITION ASSISTANCE

PROGRAMS

This amendment is issued to make the following changes to Supplement 511:

1) All references to the Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) are to 

be replaced with “Food Safety and Commodity Specification (FSCS) Division.”

2) Replace Attachments I, II, III, with the attached Federal Purchase Program 

Specifications (FPPS).

All other terms and conditions remain unchanged.
APPROVED

FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM SPECIFICATION 

(FPPS) FOR CATFISH 

STRIPS, BREADED, OVEN 

READY, FROZEN

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 Catfish Strips, Breaded, Oven 

Ready March 2014 – Changes from previous requirements 

in blue

Effective: March 2015

Approved by CMS 

Date Issued: 08/22/12

Date Revised: 03/30/15

100 ITEM DESCRIPTION

110 Breaded, Oven Ready, Freshwater Catfish Strips, Frozen

120 Portion Weight – The portion weight for breaded, oven ready, catfish strips

shall be 2.0 ounces.

130 Formulation – The frozen, breaded, oven ready, catfish strips shall consist of 

not less than 75% catfish flesh in the raw formula.

140 Packing – The catfish strips will be packaged in twenty (20) 2-pound, eight (8) 

5-pound or four (4) 10-pound immediate container bags and placed into 

shipping containers weighing 40 pounds. 

150 Delivery Unit – Each delivery unit will consist of 1,000 shipping containers 

with a net weight of 40,000 pounds.

200 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS

201 Product will be produced under the Food and Drug Administration regulations 

and all applicable Federal Acts and regulatory references cited therein which 

are in effect on the date of production.

210 MATERIALS

210.1 Contractors’ technical proposal must describe in detail the necessary 

processing steps, supported with digital images, to comply with the 

requirements below.

ATTACHMENT I
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 08/22/12

Date Revised: 03/30/15 2

211 FISH FLESH

211.1 Domestic Origin of Fish Flesh – The catfish will be harvested from 

commercial, U.S. farm-raised freshwater catfish of the Ictaluridae family: 

channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus), and 

white catfish (Ictalurus catus)) and its hybrids.

211.2 Fresh Only – Only fresh (not previously frozen) catfish will be allowed.

211.3 Flesh Characteristics – The catfish flesh will have characteristics of good 

quality, including, but not limited to, flavor, texture, and odor and will be 

evaluated during the prototype review.

211.4 Fillets – The catfish strips will be prepared from trimmed catfish shank fillets 

(without belly-flap section).

211.5 Objectionable Materials – The Contractor must identify and develop a 

strategy and have a written quality plan that will effectively remove all bones, 

skin, organs, tails, fins, and foreign materials.

211.6 Fish Flesh Content – The breaded, oven ready, catfish strips, frozen shall 

consist of not less than 75% catfish flesh in the raw formula. 

211.7 Catfish injected with added ingredients is prohibited.

212 INGREDIENTS

212.1 Domestic Origin of Ingredients – Significant ingredients (more than 1%) shall 

be derived from U.S. produced products when U. S. produced products are 

available from ingredient suppliers.

212.2 Batter/Breading – The catfish strips shall be breaded in a cornmeal based 

breading similar to those normally used for commercial marketed breaded 

catfish strips. Additional ingredients that include spices, seasonings, salt, etc. 

may be used as needed to produce the desired flavor, color, texture, and 

crispness.

212.2.1 The batter/breading shall be made with whole grain meal/flour or whole grain 

rich meal/flour using one of the following options:

212.2.1.1 Option 1: 100% whole grain, or 

 

212.2.1.2 Option 2: whole grain-rich - must contain at least 50% whole grains and the 

remaining grains in the product must be enriched.

212.3 Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) – Use of MSG is not allowed.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 08/22/12

Date Revised: 03/30/15 3

213 FINISHED PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS

213.1 Sodium – Maximum sodium content must be 360 mg or less per 100 grams.

213.2 Fat – Maximum fat content must be 9 grams or less per 100 grams.

213.3 Trans fat – 0 grams per 100 grams.

213.4 Portion Weight –The portion weight for catfish strips shall be 2.0 ounces and 

shall have a uniform shape and size to meet the portion weight requirement. 

Quality assurance plans will apply upper and lower specification limits of 2.5

and 1.5 ounces, respectively.

214 INDIVIDUALLY QUICK FROZEN (IQF)

214.1 The breaded, oven ready, catfish strips shall be IQF so the individual strips do 

not stick together after they are packaged and packed. The product 

temperature at the time of shipment and delivery shall not exceed 0°F.

215 PREPARATION/COOKING METHODS

215.1 The breaded catfish strips shall be prepared (par-fried) so that the end-user 

may bake them in a conventional or convection type oven. Baking instructions 

must be declared and appear on the individual bags (immediate container).

216 METAL DETECTION

216.1 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 will be identified and described.

217 FINISHED PRODUCT EVALUATION

217.1 The finished products shall be evaluated for cooked flavor, odor, color, and 

texture in accordance with established sampling and cooking procedures 

developed by the contractor.

220 PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY

221 PACKAGING AND PACKING

221.1 Packaging1/ – The catfish strips will be packaged in twenty (20) 2-pound, 

eight (8) 5-pound or four (4) 10-pound immediate container bags. The 

immediate container bags shall be closed by heat seal or metal clips.

1/The contracting officer will designate the packaging orientation permitted for each solicitation.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 08/22/12

Date Revised: 03/30/15 4

221.2 Shipping Container - The shipping containers (cases) shall be in compliance 

with the National Motor Freight Classification or Uniform Freight 

Classification.

221.3 Net Weight – Immediate containers shall be packed into new 40-pound net 

weight shipping containers of a size to accommodate the product without 

slack filling or overfilling.

221.4 Style and Size of Container – Only one size and style of immediate and 

shipping container may be offered in an individual shipping unit.

222 LABELING

222.1 Both immediate and shipping containers will be labeled to include all 

information required by United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 

regulations, be illustrated in the contractor’s technical proposal and contain 

the required information listed below. 

222.2 Immediate Container – The following information must be on each bag:

222.2.1 A traceability code that includes information regarding production 

establishment, production date and production lot.

222.2.2 Nutrition facts based on actual nutritional analysis of the product.

222.2.3 Baking Instructions.

222.3 Shipping Container –The following information must be on each case:

222.3.1 USDA Shield – The shield will be at least 2 inches high and will appear on top 

or on the principal display panel of each case.

 222.3.2 The applicable purchase order number.

222.3.3 A traceability code that includes information regarding production 

establishment, production date and production lot.

222.3.4 Nutrition facts based on actual nutritional analysis of the product.

222.3.5 Baking Instructions (optional).

222.3.6 USDC Inspection Mark – The Processed Under Federal Inspection “PUFI” 

mark.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 08/22/12

Date Revised: 03/30/15 5

222.3.7 Material Number – 100200 for the 2-pound bags, and 100201 for the 5-pound 

and 10-pound bags.

222.3.8 Product name – Catfish Strips, Breaded, Oven Ready, Frozen.

222.3.9 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 ______.

222.3.10 Ingredient declaration.

223 PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS

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

with shrink wrap plastic, unless otherwise specified in the invitation. 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.

230 PRODUCT ASSURANCE

231 QUALITY ASSURANCE

231.1 Facilities used in fulfilling USDA contracts must be operating in accordance 

with all applicable FDA regulations. All breaded oven ready, catfish strips, 

frozen will be produced under continuous USDC, National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS) inspection, which may include Type Integrated Quality 

Assurance (IQA) or Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) 

Quality Management Program (HACCP-QMP). The contractors must declare 

the type of NMFS inspection program they are operating under.

232 DELIVERED PRODUCT

232.1 Delivery Unit - Each delivery unit will consist of 1,000 shipping containers with 

a net weight of 40,000 pounds.

232.2 Sealing – All products must be delivered to AMS assigned destinations under 

seal with tamper proof, tamper resistant, serially numbered, high security 

seals that meet the American Society for Testing and Materials Standard 

(ASTM) F 1157-04 and/or the International Organization for Standards (ISO) 

17712-2010 as required under this Supplement. Seals shall be >1⁄8th inch 

diameter cable, high-security bolt, or equivalent.

233 WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION

233.1 Warranty – The contractor will guarantee that the product complies with all 

contractual requirements.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 08/22/12

Date Revised: 03/30/15 6

233.2 Complaint Resolution – The contractor’s technical proposal must provide the 

steps taken to resolve complaints received on the product, i.e., point of 

contact, cause and effect analysis, product replacement, monetary 

compensation and corrective and preventative actions taken.

240 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT

241.1 The contractor must include a plan to assure that non-conforming product is 

not delivered under USDA contracts. The plan must address 1) control and 

segregation of non-conforming product, 2) removal of any USDA markings, 

and 3) disposition of non-conforming product, including vendor notification in 

writing to the FSCS Division of final disposition (e.g., diverted to commercial 

production, cooked or destroyed).

250 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING

251 Contractor will 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:

251.1 Purchase Order Number/Purchase Order Line Item Number;

251.2 Sales Order Number/Sales Order Line Item Number;

251.3 Destination of shipment;

251.4 Name of Product and applicable Material Number;

251.5 Shipping Date;

251.6 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;

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

lot;

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

applicable;

251.9 Contractor certification that product conforms with the applicable specification

(FPPS-COR-2015);

251.10 Count and projected net weight verified and;

251.11 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading.
APPROVED

FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM SPECIFICATION 

(FPPS) FOR CATFISH 

STRIPS, BREADED, FROZEN

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 Catfish Strips, Breaded, Frozen 

March 2014 – Changes from previous requirements in blue

Effective: March 2015

Approved by CMS 

Date Issued: 01/01/09

Date Revised: 03/30/15

100 ITEM DESCRIPTION

110 Breaded, Freshwater Catfish Strips, Frozen

120 Portion Weight – The target portion weight for breaded, catfish strips shall be 

2.0 ounces.

130 Formulation – The frozen, breaded, catfish strips shall consist of not less than 

75% catfish flesh in the raw formula.

140 Packing – The catfish strips will be packaged in twenty (20) 2-pound

immediate container bags and placed into shipping containers weighing 40 

pounds.

150 Delivery Unit – Each delivery unit will consist of 1,000 shipping containers 

with a net weight of 40,000 pounds.

200 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS

201 Product will be produced under the Food and Drug Administration regulations 

and all applicable Federal Acts and regulatory references cited therein which 

are in effect on the date of production.

210 MATERIALS

210.1 Contractors’ technical proposal must describe in detail the necessary 

processing steps, supported with digital images, to comply with the 

requirements below.

ATTACHMENT II
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 01/01/09

Date Revised: 03/30/15 2

211 FISH FLESH

211.1 Domestic Origin of Fish Flesh – The catfish will be harvested from 

commercial, U.S. farm-raised freshwater catfish of the Ictaluridae family: 

channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus), and 

white catfish (Ictalurus catus)) and its hybrids.

211.2 Fresh Only – Only fresh (not previously frozen) catfish will be allowed.

211.3 Flesh Characteristics – The catfish flesh will have characteristics of good 

quality, including, but not limited to, flavor, texture, and odor and will be 

evaluated during the prototype review.

211.4 Fillets – The catfish strips will be prepared from trimmed catfish shank fillets 

(without belly-flap section).

211.5 Objectionable Materials – The Contractor must identify and develop a 

strategy and have a written quality plan that will effectively remove all bones, 

skin, organs, tails, fins, and foreign materials.

211.6 Fish Flesh Content – The breaded, catfish strips, frozen shall consist of not 

less than 75% catfish flesh in the raw formula. 

211.7 Catfish injected with added ingredients is prohibited.

212 INGREDIENTS

212.1 Domestic Origin of Ingredients – Significant ingredients (more than 1%) shall 

be derived from U.S. produced products when U. S. produced products are 

available from ingredient suppliers.

212.2 Batter/Breading – The catfish strips shall be breaded in a cornmeal based 

breading similar to those normally used for commercial marketed breaded 

catfish strips. Batter/Breading shall be applied in a manner so that resulting 

breaded catfish strips will be completely covered by breading without parfrying or heating in any way. Additional ingredients that include spices, 

seasonings, salt, etc. may be used as needed to produce the desired flavor, 

color, texture, and crispness.

212.3 Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) – Use of MSG is not allowed.

213 FINISHED PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS

213.1 Sodium – Maximum sodium content must be 360 mg or less per 100 gram 

basis.

213.2 Fat – Maximum fat content must be 8 grams or less per 100 gram basis.

213.3 Trans fat – 0 grams per 100 gram basis.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 01/01/09

Date Revised: 03/30/15 3

213.4 Portion Weight –The portion weight for catfish strips shall be 2.0 ounces and 

shall have a uniform shape and size to meet the portion weight requirement. 

Quality assurance plans will apply upper and lower specification limits of 2.5

and 1.5 ounces, respectively.

214 INDIVIDUALLY QUICK FROZEN (IQF)

214.1 The breaded, catfish strips shall be IQF so the individual strips do not stick 

together and are completely covered with batter/breading after they are 

packaged and packed. The product temperature at the time of shipment and 

delivery shall not exceed 0°F.

215 PREPARATION/COOKING METHODS

215.1 Handling, preparation and cooking instructions for the end user must be 

declared and appear on the individual bags (immediate container).

216 METAL DETECTION

216.1 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 will be identified and described.

217 FINISHED PRODUCT EVALUATION

217.1 The finished products shall be evaluated for cooked flavor, aroma, color, and 

texture in accordance with established sampling and cooking procedures 

developed by the contractor.

220 PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY

221 PACKAGING AND PACKING

221.1 Packaging – The catfish strips will be packaged in twenty (20) 2-pound

immediate container bags. The immediate container bags shall be closed by 

heat seal.

221.2 Shipping Container - The shipping containers (cases) shall be in compliance 

with the National Motor Freight Classification or Uniform Freight 

Classification.

221.3 Net Weight – Immediate containers shall be packed into new 40-pound net 

weight shipping containers of a size to accommodate the product without 

slack filling or overfilling.

221.4 Style and Size of Container – Only one size and style of immediate and 

shipping container may be offered in an individual shipping unit.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 01/01/09

Date Revised: 03/30/15 4

222 LABELING

222.1 Both immediate and shipping containers will be labeled to include all 

information required by United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 

regulations, be illustrated in the contractor’s technical proposal and contain 

the required information listed below. 

222.2 Immediate Container – The following information must be on each bag:

222.2.1 A traceability code that includes information regarding production 

establishment, production date and production lot.

222.2.2 Nutrition facts based on actual nutritional analysis of the product.

222.2.3 Cooking Instructions.

222.3 Shipping Container –The following information must be on each case:

222.3.1 USDA Shield – The shield will be at least 2 inches high and will appear on top 

or on the principle display panel of each case.

 222.3.2 The applicable purchase order number.

222.3.3 A traceability code that includes information regarding production 

establishment, production date and production lot.

222.3.4 Nutrition facts based on actual nutritional analysis of the product.

222.3.5 Cooking Instructions (optional).

222.3.6 USDC Inspection Mark – The Processed Under Federal Inspection “PUFI” 

mark.

222.3.7 Material Number – 110155.

222.3.8 Product name – Catfish Strips, Breaded, Frozen.

222.3.9 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 ______.

222.3.10 Ingredient declaration.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 01/01/09

Date Revised: 03/30/15 5

223 PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS

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

with shrink wrap plastic, unless otherwise specified in the invitation. 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 principle display panel to facilitate certification examinations.

230 PRODUCT ASSURANCE

231 QUALITY ASSURANCE

231.1 Facilities used in fulfilling USDA contracts must be operating in accordance 

with all applicable FDA regulations. All breaded, catfish strips, frozen will be 

produced under continuous USDC, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)

inspection, which may include Type I, Integrated Quality Assurance (IQA) or 

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points Quality Management Program 

(HACCP-QMP). The contractors must declare the type of NMFS inspection 

program they are operating under.

232 DELIVERED PRODUCT

232.1 Delivery Unit - Each delivery unit will consist of 1,000 shipping containers with 

a net weight of 40,000 pounds.

232.2 Sealing – All products must be delivered to AMS assigned destinations under 

seal with tamper proof, tamper resistant, serially numbered, high security 

seals that meet the American Society for Testing and Materials Standard 

(ASTM) F 1157-04 and/or the International Organization for Standards (ISO) 

17712-2010 as required under this Supplement. Seals shall be >1⁄8th inch 

diameter cable, high-security bolt, or equivalent

233 WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION

233.1 Warranty – The contractor will guarantee that the product complies with all 

contractual requirements.

233.2 Complaint Resolution – The contractor’s technical proposal must provide the 

steps taken to resolve complaints received on the product, i.e., point of 

contact, cause and effect analysis, product replacement, monetary 

compensation and corrective and preventative actions taken.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 01/01/09

Date Revised: 03/30/15 6

240 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT

241.1 The contractor must include a plan to assure that non-conforming product is 

not delivered under USDA contracts. The plan must address 1) control and 

segregation of non-conforming product, 2) removal of any USDA markings, 

and 3) disposition of non-conforming product, including vendor notification in 

writing to the FSCS Division of final disposition (e.g., diverted to commercial 

production, cooked or destroyed).

250 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING

251 Contractor will 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:

251.1 Purchase Order Number/Purchase Order Line Item Number;

251.2 Sales Order Number/Sales Order Line Item Number;

251.3 Destination of shipment;

251.4 Name of Product and applicable Material Number;

251.5 Shipping Date;

251.6 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;

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

lot;

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

applicable;

251.9 Contractor certification that product conforms with the applicable specification

(FPPS-CSB-2015);

251.10 Count and projected net weight verified and;

251.11 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading.
APPROVED

FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM SPECIFICATION 

(FPPS) FOR CATFISH 

FILLETS, UNBREADED, 

RAW, FROZEN

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 Catfish Fillets, Unbreaded, Raw, 

Frozen March 2014 – Changes from previous 

requirements in blue

Effective: March 2015

Approved by CMS 

Date Issued: 08/22/12

Date Revised: 03/30/15

100 ITEM DESCRIPTION

110 Freshwater Catfish Fillets, Unbreaded, Raw, Frozen

120 Portion Weight – The target portion weight for catfish fillets shall be 4.0 

ounces.

130 Packing – The catfish fillets will be packaged in Four (4) 10-pound, five (5) 8-

pound, eight (8) 5-pound or twenty (20) 2-pound immediate containers 

(packages) and placed into shipping containers weighing 40 pounds.

140 Delivery Unit – Each delivery unit will consist of 950 shipping containers with 

a net weight of 38,000 pounds.

200 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS

201 Product will be produced under the Food and Drug Administration regulations 

and all applicable Federal Acts and regulatory references cited therein which 

are in effect on the date of production.

210 MATERIALS

210.1 Contractors’ technical proposal must describe in detail the necessary 

processing steps, supported with digital images, to comply with the 

requirements below.

211 FISH FLESH

211.1 Domestic Origin of Fish Flesh – The catfish will be harvested from 

commercial, U.S. farm-raised freshwater catfish of the Ictaluridae family: 

channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus), and 

white catfish (Ictalurus catus)) and its hybrids.

ATTACHMENT III
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 08/22/12

Date Revised: 03/30/15 2

211.2 Fresh Only – Only fresh (not previously frozen) catfish will be allowed.

211.3 Flesh Characteristics – The catfish flesh will have characteristics of good 

quality, including, but not limited to, flavor, texture, and odor and will be 

evaluated during the prototype review.

211.4 Fillets – The end item will consist of trimmed catfish shank fillets (without 

belly-flap section).

211.5 Objectionable Materials – The contractor must identify and develop a strategy 

and have a written quality plan that will effectively remove all bones, skin, 

organs, tails, fins, and foreign materials.

211.6 Catfish injected with added ingredients is prohibited.

212 FINISHED PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS

212.1 Portion Weight – During production, target portion weight for catfish fillets 

shall be 4.0 ounces. Quality assurance plans will apply upper and lower 

specification limits of 5.0 and 3.0 ounces, respectively.

212.2 Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) – The catfish fillets shall be IQF so the 

individual fillets do not stick together. Glazing, in accordance with USDC 

requirements, is permitted. The product temperature at the time of shipment 

and delivery shall not exceed 0°F.

213 PREPARATION/COOKING METHODS

213.1 Handling, preparation and cooking instructions for the end user must be 

declared and appear on individual bags (immediate container).

214 METAL DETECTION

214.1 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 will be identified and described.

220 PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY

221 PACKAGING AND PACKING

221.1 Packaging – The immediate containers (packages) shall be closed by heat 

seal.

221.2 Packing1/ – Four (4) 10-pound, five (5) 8-pound, eight (8) 5-pound or twenty 

(20) 2-pound packages will be packed in a 40-pound (net weight) shipping 

container.

1/The contracting officer will designate the packaging orientation permitted for each solicitation.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 08/22/12

Date Revised: 03/30/15 3

221.3 Shipping Container - The shipping containers (cases) shall be in compliance 

with the National Motor Freight Classification or Uniform Freight 

Classification.

221.4 Style and Size of Container – Only one size and style of immediate and 

shipping container may be offered in an individual shipping unit.

222 LABELING

222.1 Both immediate and shipping containers will be labeled to include all 

information required by United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 

regulations, be illustrated in the contractor’s technical proposal and contain

the required information listed below.

222.2 Immediate Container – The following information must be on each bag:

222.2.1 A traceability code that includes information regarding production 

establishment, production date and production lot.

222.2.2 Nutrition facts based on actual nutritional analysis of the product.

222.2.3 Cooking Instructions.

222.3 Shipping Container –The following information must be on each case:

222.3.1 USDA Shield – The shield will be at least 2 inches high and will appear on top 

or on the principal display panel of each case.

222.3.2 The applicable purchase order number.

222.3.3 A traceability code that includes information regarding production 

establishment, production date and production lot.

222.3.4 Nutrition facts based on actual nutritional analysis of the product.

222.3.5 Cooking Instructions (optional).

222.3.6 USDC Inspection Mark – The Processed Under Federal Inspection “PUFI” 

mark.

222.3.7 Material Number – 110390.

222.3.8 Product name – Catfish Fillets, Unbreaded, Raw, Frozen.
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 08/22/12

Date Revised: 03/30/15 4

222.3.9 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 ______.

223 PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS

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

with shrink wrap plastic, unless otherwise specified in the invitation. 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.

230 PRODUCT ASSURANCE

231 QUALITY ASSURANCE

231.1 Facilities used in fulfilling USDA contracts must be operating in accordance 

with all applicable FDA regulations. All catfish fillets (frozen) will be produced 

under continuous USDC, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) 

inspection, which may include Type I, Integrated Quality Assurance (IQA) or 

HACCP Quality Management Program (HACCP-QMP). The contractors must 

declare the type of NMFS inspection program they are operating under.

232 DELIVERED PRODUCT

232.1 Delivery Unit - Each delivery unit will consist of 950 shipping containers with a 

net weight of 38,000 pounds.

232.2 Sealing –All products must be delivered to AMS assigned destinations under 

seal with tamper proof, tamper resistant, serially numbered, high security 

seals that meet the American Society for Testing and Materials Standard 

(ASTM) F 1157-04 and/or the International Organization for Standards (ISO) 

17712-2010 as required under this Supplement. Seals shall be >1⁄8th inch 

diameter cable, high-security bolt, or equivalent.

233 WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION

233.1 Warranty – The contractor will guarantee that the product complies with all 

contractual requirements.

233.2 Complaint Resolution – The contractor’s technical proposal must provide the 

steps taken to resolve complaints received on the product, i.e., point of 

contact, cause and effect analysis, product replacement, monetary 

compensation and corrective and preventative actions taken.

240 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT
Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 08/22/12

Date Revised: 03/30/15 5

241.1 The contractor must include a plan to assure that non-conforming product is 

not delivered under USDA contracts. The plan must address 1) control and 

segregation of non-conforming product, 2) removal of any USDA markings, 

and 3) disposition of non-conforming product, including vendor notification in 

writing to the FSCS Division of final disposition (e.g., diverted to commercial 

production, cooked or destroyed).

250 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING

251 Contractor will 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:

251.1 Purchase Order Number/Purchase Order Line Item Number;

251.2 Sales Order Number/Sales Order Line Item Number;

251.3 Destination of shipment;

251.4 Name of Product and applicable Material Number;

251.5 Shipping Date;

251.6 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;

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

lot;

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

applicable;

251.9 Contractor certification that product conforms with the applicable specification

(FPPS-CF-2015);

251.10 Count and projected net weight verified and;

251.11 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading.