Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 03/03/16

SUPPLEMENT 704 TO 

THE AMS MASTER 

SOLICITATION PURCHASE 

OF CANNED MEAT FOR 

DISTRIBUTION TO FEDERAL 

FOOD AND NUTRITION 

ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS 

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: March 2016

100 OVERVIEW 

110 This document provides additional program requirements for the purchase of 

Canned Meat by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), including the applicable 

Federal Purchase Program Specification (FPPS) (Exhibit A). 

200 INSTRUCTIONS TO POTENTIAL SUPPLIERS

210 The canned meat shall be purchased on a competitive bid basis from qualified 

suppliers who have met the requirements described in Section I.B. Interested 

suppliers may submit sample(s) and a technical proposal at any time during the 

purchase program. Suppliers should allow 10 working days, from USDA’s receipt of 

the sample(s) and the technical proposal for notification of evaluation results. A 

supplier is deemed eligible upon notification of approval of the sample(s) and 

technical proposal by the Food Safety and Commodity Specification (FSCS) Division. 

220 Submission of sample(s) and a technical proposal is not binding on USDA. 

Additional procurement requirements shall be described in the AMS Master 

Solicitation and Solicitations. 

230 Documentation Requirements

231 Technical Proposal Requirement 

231.1 Include a detailed description of the item and each of the production steps that are 

taken to meet or exceed the minimum product requirements set forth in the 

applicable FPPS. (Plan/Do) 

231.2 Describe all the quality assurance methods used to verify conformance to all 

requirements. This shall include the monitoring and measurements taken during the 

process to verify conformance with each requirement. All measurement results shall 

be recorded and made available to AMS. (Check) 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 03/03/16    

231.3 Identify all corrective actions to be taken if deviations from contractual and 

specification requirements occur during production, and all preventative actions to be 

taken to preclude a reoccurrence. (Act) 

231.4 The technical proposal shall follow the format as describe in Exhibit B. Offeror’s 

proposal should be brief and concise. 

231.5 The technical proposal shall be preceded by the following, as required by the 

Template: 

231.5.1 Table of Contents listing the major areas as they appear in the technical proposal; 

and 

231.5.2 List of attachments, forms provided with the technical proposal, if appropriate with 

the applicable document name and reference number. 

232 The FSCS Division shall review each technical proposal to determine if the proposal 

is adequate and shall notify the supplier of the status of their technical proposal and 

their eligibility to bid. 

233. Animal Welfare Requirements 

233.1 All contractors and subcontractors shall meet the animal handling and welfare 

requirements set forth in the Federal Purchase Program Specification (FPPS) For 

Animal Handling and Welfare, effective January 2015 (Exhibit C). 

240 Product Sample 

241 Potential suppliers shall submit samples that are produced in accordance with their 

submitted technical proposal. 

242 Potential supplier shall submit one 5-pound sample (or two samples if a sample unit 

is less than 5-pounds) along with a legible product label which illustrates the 

ingredient statement, Nutrition Facts, and allergen declaration (if applicable). All 

samples shall arrive in the frozen state (0°F or lower). 

300 INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION OF TECHNICAL PROPOSAL 

310 The following procedures establish the acceptable minimum requirements for the 

format and content of the technical proposal:

310.1 The Government has provided a technical proposal format which is to be used in 

preparing the technical proposal (see Exhibit B). The supplier shall submit the 

technical proposal as an email file attachment to AMS 

(Darin.Doerscher@ams.usda.gov and Steve.Whisenant@ams.usda.gov). The 

technical proposal shall be saved in a non-portable document file format (not PDF; 

e.g., Microsoft Word). The technical proposal shall be submitted in its entirety. If the file 

size of the technical proposal is too large to send in a single email, it may be divided 

and sent in multiple emails (i.e., Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, etc.). The collection of 

attachments and appendices may be submitted as a separate document as well.
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 03/03/16    

310.2 The technical proposal shall be submitted by an authorized agent of the company.

310.3 While it is not the desire of the Government to penalize an offeror for noncompliance with formatting instructions, technical evaluators may have difficulty 

evaluating the technical proposal to the fullest extent possible if the proposal is not 

presented in the proper format. Technical evaluators shall not be required to search 

other subsections or sections of the offeror’s technical proposal for information 

requested in the evaluation.

320 Technical Proposal Revisions

321 Changes to a supplier’s technical proposal may be submitted at any time or at the 

request of the FSCS Division. All technical proposal revisions shall meet the following 

criteria: 

321.1 Any changes to a technical proposal made by the supplier after its initial submittal 

shall be accomplished by submitting an entire technical proposal. A cover letter shall 

be submitted with the changes identified and an explanation of the need for the 

change. The supplier shall include the revision date and the appropriate page 

number(s). 

321.2 Changes from the original technical proposal shall be highlighted and deletions in 

strikeouts. 

400 QUALITY ASSESSMENT (QA) DIVISION 

410 Once a supplier is notified by the FSCS Division that the technical proposal meets 

the applicable criteria, the QA Division shall contact the supplier to set up a preaward onsite capability assessment audit of the facility’s processes, food defense 

plan, and quality control program used to produce the product(s) to determine the 

supplier’s ability to meet contractual requirements. 

420 Pre-Award Onsite Capability Assessment Audit 

421 Food Defense Assessment 

421.1 The QA Division shall conduct a food defense audit that shall include, but is not 

limited to, a thorough evaluation of the potential contractors’ and subcontractors’ 

food defense plan. Documentation shall support the contractor’s or subcontractor’s 

food defense plan. If the report demonstrates that the food defense plan is 

inadequate, the applicant shall be notified by the FSCS Division that they are 

ineligible to bid. The applicant shall have an opportunity to correct identified 

deficiencies, modify their food defense plan and resubmit a brief description for 

further consideration. Eligibility shall depend on whether the modifications 

demonstrate compliance with their food defense plan. 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 03/03/16    

422 Documentation shall support: 

422.1 the production of the canned meat products that complies with the applicable 

specification and the potential contractor’s approved technical proposal, and 

422.2 the contractor’s or subcontractor’s food defense plan. In addition, the audit shall 

consist of the review of records related to purchasing, receiving, production, quality 

control, inventory and shipping records, and interviews with management and 

production personnel. 

423 Upon completion of the onsite capability assessment, the auditor shall provide either 

a verbal or email notification of the audit findings to the FSCS Division to determine 

(based on the audit findings), supplier eligibility to bid. Supplier shall be notified by 

the FSCS Division and the official final report shall be sent once released from the 

QA Division. 

423.1 If the audit findings demonstrate that the process or food defense plan is inadequate, 

the applicant shall be notified by the FSCS Division that it is ineligible to bid. The 

supplier shall have an opportunity to correct identified deficiencies, modify its 

process, food defense plan, and/or technical proposal, and resubmit for further 

consideration. 

423.2 Eligibility shall depend on whether the modifications demonstrate that: 

423.2.1 the process is capable of delivering canned meat products in compliance with the 

FPPS, 

423.2.2 the supplier is in compliance with its food defense plan, 

423.2.3 includes the applicable assessment by USDA, and 

423.2.4 the supplier complies with other applicable contractual requirements. 

430 Post-Award Assessment Audit 

431 Eligible suppliers who receive contracts shall have their documented food defense 

plan, technical proposal, and supporting documentation readily available for review 

by the FSCS Division or other AMS agents. Records may be maintained on hard 

copy or electronic media. However, records maintained as electronic media shall be 

made available in printed form immediately upon request by the FSCS Division or 

other AMS agents. 

432 The QA Division shall conduct an onsite audit of the contractor’s and subcontractor’s 

facility(s) and processes when production commences for the first contract awarded. 

Additional audits shall be conducted as determined by the FSCS Division, but not 

less than once per month for contractors or subcontractors with continuous or 

multiple contracts, or once per contract for intermittent contractors. At the discretion 

of the FSCS Division, more frequent audits may be conducted when audit 

deficiencies are detected. 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 03/03/16    

440 Post-Award Actions 

441 Any deviation from contractual requirements shall be immediately reported by the 

contractor to the Contracting Officer and FSCS Division. The Contracting Officer or 

FSCS Division shall notify the contractor regarding eligibility to continue to participate 

as a contractor. 

442 Contractor shall assure that the delivered product complies with the provisions of the 

FPPS, the applicable assessment by USDA, and the contractor’s technical proposal 

approved by the FSCS Division. 

450 The cost of all audit, product monitoring, and certification services performed by the 

AMS agents shall be borne by the contractor. This includes, but is not limited to, 

audits, examinations, supervision, official documentation, and related services. 

460 AMS Monitoring and Production Assessment 

461 The contractor has the option for using an AMS monitoring and production 

assessment system. 

462 If the contractor uses the AMS monitoring and production assessment system, a QA 

Division agent shall be present during the production of the finished product for all 

USDA contracts. The QA Division agent shall monitor and verify the processing 

steps, quality assurance activities, and any corrective actions to assure that all 

requirements outlined in the approved technical proposal and FPPS are complied 

with. The QA Division agent shall conduct the monitoring and production assessment 

in accordance with applicable QA Division procedures. Any deviations to contractual 

requirements shall be reported to the contractor and AMS (FSCS Division and QA 

Division). The Contracting Officer shall make all determinations as to the 

acceptability of the product relative to findings documented by the QA Division agent. 

463 Should a contractor choose to use the AMS monitoring and production assessment 

system, a concurrent, performance-based audit system shall apply in lieu of the audit 

frequency discussed in Section 432 of this Supplement. 

463.1 Performance-based Audit System 

463.2 MONTHLY – Until two (2) consecutive successfully passed audits are attained, an 

audit shall be conducted on a MONTHLY basis. 

463.3 QUARTERLY – Once two (2) consecutive successfully passed MONTHLY audits are 

attained, audit frequency shall move to a QUARTERLY basis. If at any time an audit 

identifies a major (or higher) nonconformance while in the QUARTERLY phase, 

auditing shall be required to be conducted on a MONTHLY basis once corrective and 

preventative actions have been approved by the FSCS Division, implemented and 

proven effective. 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 03/03/16    

463.4 SEMI-ANNUAL – Once two (2) consecutive successfully passed QUARTERLY 

audits are attained, audit frequency shall move to a SEMI-ANNUAL basis. If at any 

time an audit identifies a major (or higher) nonconformance while in the SEMIANNUAL phase, auditing shall be required to be conducted on a MONTHLY basis 

once corrective and preventative actions have been approved by the FSCS Division, 

implemented and proven effective. 

463.5 FOR-CAUSE – Any non-conformances cited by QA Division graders during 

monitoring and production assessment or if finished product complaints are identified 

by recipients a FOR-CAUSE audit shall be initiated. Subsequent audit frequency 

shall be determined by results of the AMS audit, as described above. AMS 

monitoring and production assessment shall continue as prescribed. 

464 Under the AMS monitoring and production assessment system, the contractor shall 

remain responsible for conducting its own checkloading activities as referenced in 

Section 700 of this Supplement. 

470 Questions concerning charges and the availability of AMS agents can be directed to 

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

Division, LPS Program, AMS, USDA, Room 3953-S, STOP 0258, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0258, telephone (202) 720-

3271. 

500 DOMESTIC ORIGIN CERTIFICATION CLAUSE 

510 The contractor shall include this domestic origin certification clause in its entirety in 

all subcontracts for meat or meat products used in fulfilling any contracts awarded 

under this Supplement and Master Solicitation. The burden of proof of compliance is 

on the Contractor. All raw materials shall be shipped in containers labeled as 

“Domestic Only Product” on the principle display panel and the bill of lading 

accompanying the shipment shall contain the statement “Domestic Only Product.”

600 CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMANCE (COC) 

610 In addition to the referenced payment documents required in the Master 

Solicitation, a copy of the Contractor’s Certificate of Conformance shall be included 

(Exhibit D).
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 03/03/16    

700 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING 

710 Contractor shall perform checkloading examinations as described in the FPPS at the 

time of shipment and issue contractor’s certificate to accompany each shipment that 

includes all of the following information: 

710.1 Purchase Order Number, 

710.2 Sales Order and Sales Order Item Number,

710.3 Name of product, 

710.4 Shipping Date, 

710.5 Production lot number(s) and date each lot was produced, 

710.6 Count of shipping containers and total projected net weight in each production lot, 

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

applicable 

710.8 Contractor certification that product conforms with the FPPS, 

710.9 Count and projected net weight verified, and 

710.10 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading.

800 EXHIBITS 
APPROVED

FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM SPECIFICATION 

(FPPS) FOR 

CANNED/POUCHED 

BEEF STEW

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 Canned/Pouched Beef Stew

March 2015 – changes from previous requirements in blue

Effective: March 2016

Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 04/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/21/16

100 ITEM DESCRIPTION 

110 Beef stew shall contain discernible chunks of beef, carrots and potatoes in 

gravy. One additional vegetable is permitted. 

120 Fat/Sodium - Fat shall not exceed 5 g per 100 g basis. Sodium level will not 

exceed 415 mg per 100 g basis. 

130 Packaging/Packing - Individual cans/pouches of beef stew shall have a net 

weight of 24 ounces. Twenty-four cans/pouches shall be unitized to a net 

weight of 36 pounds. 

200 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS 

210 Beef stew shall be produced in accordance with Food Safety Inspection Service 

(FSIS) regulations. The contractor’s technical proposal, submitted to the FSCS 

Division, shall adhere to the following AMS Checklist of Requirements. 

300 MATERIALS 

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

conformance with the following material requirements: 

320 MEAT COMPONENT 

321 Beef shall be the only meat component allowed and shall be processed so that 

there are discernible aggregates, measuring at least one-half inch (1⁄2-in), in the 

finished product. 

322 Domestic Origin of Meat Component – Beef shall originate from U.S. produced 

livestock as described in the Master Solicitation and Supplement. 

323 Harvesting – Cattle shall be harvested in facilities that comply with the following 

requirements: 

SUPPLEMENT TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 04/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/21/16 2 

323.1 Humane Handling – All cattle destined to provide meat for this FPPS shall be 

humanely handled in accordance with all applicable FSIS regulations and AMS 

requirements. 

323.2 Spinal Cord Removal – All spinal cord material shall be removed during the 

harvesting process. 

324 Boneless Beef – Boneless beef shall 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 production lot. 

324.2 Handling – All boneless beef shall be maintained in excellent condition. The 

contractor’s technical proposal shall include detailed time and temperature 

controls necessary to maintain excellent condition of the boneless beef. Frozen 

boneless beef may be used provided it is processed into the final product within 

90 days from the date of pack. 

324.3 Pathogen Testing - Production lots of boneless beef associated with positive 

pathogen test results shall not be allowed. 

324.5 Objectionable Materials - The following objectionable materials shall be 

excluded: 

324.5.1 Major lymph glands (prefemoral, popliteal, and prescapular), thymus gland, 

sciatic (ischiatic) nerve, internal fat (kidney, pelvic, and heart fat). All bone, 

cartilage, shoulder tendon, elbow tendon, silver skin, sacrociatic ligament, 

opaque periosteum, serous membrane (peritoneum), tendinous ends of 

shanks, gracilis membrane, patellar ligament (associated with the stifle joint), 

achilles tendon, back strap and abdominal tunic. 

325 Mechanically Separated – Boneless beef shall comply with the following: 

325.1 Meat that is mechanically separated from bone with automatic deboning 

systems or advanced meat (lean) recovery (AMR) systems is not allowed. 

325.2 Finely Textured Meat – Low temperature rendered meat that is processed from 

fat boneless meat trimmings and is finely textured is not allowed. 

SUPPLEMENT TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 04/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/21/16 3 

330 VEGETABLE COMPONENT 

331 Carrots and potatoes shall be the primary vegetables as listed on the ingredient 

statement. One additional vegetable is permitted. All vegetable pieces shall be 

at least one-half inch (1⁄2-in) so that they are discernible in the finished product. 

332 All vegetables and other significant ingredients (more than one percent) shall 

be derived from U.S. produced products. 

340 OTHER INGREDIENT COMPONENTS 

341 Seasonings and ingredients used for flavoring and gravy shall be similar to 

those normally used for commercially marketed beef stew. 

342 Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) – MSG is not allowed. 

350 METAL DETECTION 

351 All products shall be free of metal contaminants. Detection of stainless steel, 

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

The contractor's technical proposal shall identify and describe the equipment, 

location, detection procedure, sensitivity levels, frequency of equipment 

validation, and corrective action procedures. 

400 FINISHED PRODUCT LIMITATIONS 

410 The declared fat and sodium content and the serving size (“referenced amounts 

customarily consumed” (racc)) shall be stated on the nutrition facts panel on 

each can/pouch label according to FSIS regulations. 

420 FAT CONTENT 

421 The fat content shall not exceed 5 percent (no more than 5 g per 100 g basis). 

Declared fat content shall be stated on the nutrition facts panel on each 

can/pouch label according to FSIS nutritional labeling regulations. 

421.1 Percent fat = (Total fat ÷ Serving Size) x 100 

430 SODIUM CONTENT 

431 Sodium level shall not exceed 415 mg per 100 g basis. 

SUPPLEMENT TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 04/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/21/16 4 

500 PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY 

510 PACKAGING AND PACKING 

511 Packaging1/ – Individual cans/pouches shall have a net weight of 24 ounces. 

512 Packing – Twenty-four cans/pouches shall be unitized to a net weight of 36 

pounds. All cans/pouches shall be unitized by packing into new fiberboard 

shipping containers, placing on fiberboard trays with plastic shrink wrap or 

plastic shrink wrap only. Only one size and style of unitized containers may be 

offered in an individual shipping unit. 

520 LABELING2/ 

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

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

immediate and shipping containers shall be labeled to include all information 

required by FSIS regulations, be illustrated in the contractor’s technical 

proposal, and contain the following information: 

522 Immediate Container Label – Immediate containers shall include the following 

information: 

522.1 A traceability code that is traceable to the establishment number, production lot 

and date. 

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

523 Shipping Containers – Shipping containers shall include the following 

information: 

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

on the principle display panel. 

 

523.2 Applicable purchase order number. 

523.3 A traceability code that is traceable to the establishment number, production lot 

and date. 

 1/The contracting officer shall designate the packaging format (cans or pouches) permitted for 

each solicitation. 

2/Commercial labeling (Brand “X”) of immediate and shipping containers is permissible. 

SUPPLEMENT TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 04/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/21/16 5 

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

523.5 The product name – Canned Beef Stew or Pouched Beef Stew. 

523.6 Material number – 100526. 

523.7 Ingredient declaration. 

523.8 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 ______. 

530 PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS 

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

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

532 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 product identification and 

certification examinations. 

600 DELIVERY UNIT 

610 Each delivery unit shall consist of 1,000 shipping containers of 24 ounce 

cans/pouches with a net weight of 36,000 pounds. 

700 DELIVERED PRODUCT 

710 SIZE AND STYLE OF CONTAINERS 

711 Only one size and style of unitized containers shall be offered in an individual 

shipping unit. 

720 SEALING 

721 Sealing - All products shall 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 the Master Solicitation. Seals shall be >1⁄8th-inch 

diameter cable, high-security bolt, or equivalent. 

SUPPLEMENT TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 04/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/21/16 6 

800 PRODUCT ASSURANCE 

810 WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION 

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

specification requirements, technical proposal declarations, and provisions 

required under the Master Solicitation and Supplement. 

812 Complaint Resolution – Customer complaint resolution procedures shall be 

included in the technical proposal. These procedures shall include: a point of 

contact, investigation steps, intent to cooperate with AMS, and product 

replacement or monetary compensation. The procedures shall be used to 

resolve product complaints from recipient agencies or AMS. 

820 NON CONFORMING PRODUCT 

821 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).

900 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING 

910 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: 

910.1 Purchase Order Number/Purchase Order Line Item Number; 

910.2 Sales Order Number/Sales Order Line Item Number; 

910.3 Destination of shipment; 

910.4 Name of Product and applicable Material Number; 

910.5 Shipping Date; 

910.6 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; 

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

 lot; 

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

 applicable; 

SUPPLEMENT TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 04/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/21/16 7 

910.9 Contractor certification that product conforms with the applicable specification 

 (FPPS-BS-2016); 

910.10 Count and projected net weight verified and; 

910.11 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading 

920 AMS MONITORING AND PRODUCTION ASSESSMENT 

921 The contractor has the option for using an AMS audit-based system or an AMS 

monitoring and production assessment system.

922 If the contractor uses the AMS monitoring and production assessment system, 

it shall be implemented in accordance with Sections 460 and 470 of 

Supplement 704. 

923 The contractor’s technical proposal shall identify the AMS oversight option 

employed.

SUPPLEMENT TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
APPROVED

FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM SPECIFICATION 

(FPPS) FOR 

CANNED/POUCHED 

CHILI WITHOUT BEANS

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 Canned/Pouched Chili without Beans

March 2015 – changes from previous requirements in blue

Effective: March 2016

Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 04/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/21/16

100 ITEM DESCRIPTION 

110 Chili (Chili Con Carne), without Beans – This chili item consists of 40 percent 

beef with a mild chili flavored sauce without beans. 

120 Fat/Sodium - Fat shall not exceed 8 g / 100 g basis. A labeling claim of “less 

sodium” is required on both the immediate and shipping containers. 

130 Cans/Pouches/Cases - Individual cans/pouches of chili shall have a net weight 

of 24 ounces. Twenty-four cans/pouches shall be unitized to a net weight of 36 

pounds. 

200 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS 

210 Canned/Pouched Chili without Beans shall be produced in accordance with 

Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) regulations. The contractor’s technical 

proposal, submitted to the FSCS Division, shall adhere to the following AMS 

Checklist of Requirements. 

300 MATERIALS 

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

conformance with the following material requirements: 

320 MEAT COMPONENT 

321 Beef shall be the only meat component allowed. 

322 Domestic Origin of Meat Component – Beef shall originate from U.S. produced 

livestock as described in the Master Solicitation and Supplement. 

323 Harvesting – Cattle shall be harvested in facilities that comply with the following 

requirements: 

SUPPLEMENT 704 to AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 04/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/21/16 2 

323.1 Humane Handling – All cattle destined to provide meat for this FPPS shall be 

humanely handled in accordance with all applicable FSIS regulations and AMS 

requirements. 

323.2 Spinal Cord Removal – All spinal cord material shall be removed during the 

harvesting process. 

324 Boneless Beef – Boneless beef shall 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 production lot. 

324.2 Handling – All boneless beef shall be maintained in excellent condition. The 

contractor’s technical proposal shall include detailed time and temperature 

controls necessary to maintain excellent condition of the boneless beef. Frozen 

boneless beef may be used provided it is processed into the final product within 

90 days from the date of pack. 

324.3 Pathogen Testing - Production lots of boneless beef associated with positive 

pathogen test results shall not be allowed. 

324.4 Objectionable Materials - The following objectionable materials shall be 

excluded: 

324.4.1 Major lymph glands (prefemoral, popliteal, and prescapular), thymus gland, 

sciatic (ischiatic) nerve, internal fat (kidney, pelvic, and heart fat). All bone, 

cartilage, shoulder tendon, elbow tendon, silver skin, sacrociatic ligament, 

opaque periosteum, serous membrane (peritoneum), tendinous ends of 

shanks, gracilis membrane, patellar ligament (associated with the stifle joint), 

achilles tendon, back strap and abdominal tunic. 

324.5 Mechanically Separated – Boneless beef shall comply with the following: 

324.5.1 Beef that is mechanically separated from bone with automatic deboning 

systems or advanced meat (lean) recovery (AMR) systems is not allowed. 

324.5.2 Finely Textured Beef – Low temperature rendered beef that is processed from 

fat boneless meat trimmings and is finely textured is not allowed. 

330 NON-MEAT COMPONENT 

331 Domestic Origin – Significant ingredients (more than 1 percent) shall be derived 

from U.S. produced products. 

332 Flavoring and Sauce – Seasonings and ingredients used for flavoring and 

sauce shall be similar to those normally used for commercially marketed mildflavored chili products. 

333 Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) – MSG is not allowed. 

SUPPLEMENT 704 to AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 04/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/21/16 3 

400 PROCESSING 

410 GRINDING

411 Fresh chilled or fresh frozen boneless beef shall be finely ground to no larger 

than 3/16-inch grind prior to the cooking/canning process. 

420 BONE COLLLECTOR / EXTRUDER SYSTEM

421 A bone collector/extruder system shall be in operation to remove bone, 

cartilage, and heavy connective tissue during the final grind. 

430 METAL DETECTION

431 All products shall be free of metal contaminants. Detection of stainless steel, 

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

The contractor's technical proposal shall identify and describe the equipment, 

location, detection procedure, sensitivity levels, frequency of equipment 

validation, and corrective action procedures. 

500 FINISHED PRODUCT LIMITATIONS

510 The declared fat and sodium content and the serving size (“referenced amounts 

customarily consumed” (racc)) shall be stated on the nutrition facts panel on 

each can label according to FSIS regulations. 

520 FAT CONTENT 

521 The fat content, as packaged, shall not exceed 8 grams / 100 grams of finished 

product. The calculation shall be as follows: 

521.1 (Total Fat ÷ Serving Size (racc)) x 100). 

521.2 Example: 4 g of Fat ÷ 56 g = 0.71 X 100 = 7.1 g of fat / 100 g. 

530 SODIUM CONTENT 

531 A labeling claim of “Less sodium” is required on both immediate and shipping 

containers. 

SUPPLEMENT 704 to AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 04/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/21/16 4 

600 PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY 

610 PACKAGING AND PACKING 

611 Packaging1/ – Individual cans/pouches shall have a net weight of 24 ounces. 

612 Packing – Twenty-four cans/pouches shall be unitized to a net weight of 36 

pounds. All cans/pouches shall be unitized by packing into new fiberboard 

shipping containers, placing on fiberboard trays with plastic shrink wrap or 

plastic shrink wrap only. Only one size and style of unitized containers may be 

offered in an individual shipping unit. 

620 LABELING2/

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

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

immediate and shipping containers shall be labeled to include all information 

required by FSIS regulations, be illustrated in the contractor’s technical 

proposal, and contain the following information: 

622 Immediate Containers – Commercially marked can/pouch labels shall contain 

the following information: 

622.1 A traceability code that is traceable to the establishment number, production lot 

and date. 

622.2 A claim of “Less sodium”. 

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

623 Shipping Containers – Commercially marked shipping containers shall include 

the following information: 

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

on the principal display panel. 

 

623.2 Applicable purchase order number. 

1/The contracting officer shall designate the packaging format (cans or pouches) permitted for 

each solicitation. 

2/Commercial labeling (Brand “X”) of immediate and shipping containers is permissible.

SUPPLEMENT 704 to AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 04/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/21/16 5 

623.3 A traceability code that is traceable to the establishment number, production lot 

and date. 

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

623.5 A labeling claim of “Less sodium”. 

623.6 The product name – Canned Chili without Beans or Pouched Chili without 

Beans. 

623.7 Material number – 100138. 

623.8 Ingredient declaration. 

623.9 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 ______. 

630 PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS 

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

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

632 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 product identification and 

certification examinations. 

700 DELIVERY UNIT 

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

36,000 pounds. 

800 DELIVERED PRODUCT 

810 SIZE AND STYLE OF CONTAINERS 

811 Only one size and style of unitized containers shall be offered in an individual 

shipping unit. 

820 SEALING 

821 Sealing - All products shall 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 the Master Solicitation. Seals shall be >1⁄8th-inch 

diameter cable, high-security bolt, or equivalent. 

SUPPLEMENT 704 to AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 04/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/21/16 6 

900 PRODUCT ASSURANCE 

910 WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION 

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

specification requirements, technical proposal declarations, and provisions 

required under the Master Solicitation and Supplement. 

912 Complaint Resolution – Customer complaint resolution procedures shall be 

included in the technical proposal. These procedures shall include: a point of 

contact, investigation steps, intent to cooperate with AMS, and product 

replacement or monetary compensation. The procedures shall be used to 

resolve product complaints from recipient agencies or AMS. 

920 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT 

921 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). 

930 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING 

931.1 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: 

931.1.1 Purchase Order Number/Purchase Order Line Item Number; 

931.1.2 Sales Order Number/Sales Order Line Item Number; 

931.1.3 Destination of shipment; 

931.1.4 Name of Product and applicable Material Number; 

931.1.5 Shipping Date; 

931.1.6 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; 

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

 lot; 

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

 applicable; 

SUPPLEMENT 704 to AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 04/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/21/16 7 

931.1.9 Contractor certification that product conforms with the applicable specification 

 (FPPS-CWB-2016); 

931.1.10 Count and projected net weight verified and; 

931.1.11 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading. 

940 AMS MONITORING AND PRODUCTION ASSESSMENT 

941 The contractor has the option for using an AMS audit-based system or an AMS 

monitoring and production assessment system.

942 If the contractor uses the AMS monitoring and production assessment system, 

it shall be implemented in accordance with Sections 460 and 470 of 

Supplement 704. 

943 The contractor’s technical proposal shall identify the AMS oversight option 

employed.

SUPPLEMENT 704 to AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
APPROVED

FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM SPECIFICATION 

(FPPS) FOR 

CANNED/POUCHED BEEF 

WITH JUICES AND 

CANNED/POUCHED PORK 

WITH JUICES 

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 Canned/Pouched Beef with Juices and 

Canned/Pouched Pork with Juices March 2015 – changes from 

previous requirements in blue

Effective: March 2016

Approved By________CMS 

Date Issued: 04/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/21/16

100 ITEM DESCRIPTION 

110 Canned/Pouched Beef with Juices – This item consists of coarse ground beef 

cooked in its own juices for use in a variety of applications, including barbecue 

beef, pizza, soups, stews, spaghetti sauce, vegetable stir-fry, casseroles, and 

similar items. 

120 Canned/Pouched Pork with Juices – This item consists of coarse ground pork 

cooked in its own juices for use in a variety of applications, including barbecue 

pork, pizza, soups, stews, spaghetti sauce, vegetable stir-fry, casseroles, and 

similar items. 

130 Formula - Beef or pork with juices contains all meat with a small amount of salt 

for flavoring. 

140 Fat/Sodium – Fat shall not exceed 15 g / 100 g basis. Sodium shall not exceed 

275 mg / 100 g basis. 

150 Packaging/Packing - Individual cans/pouches of beef stew shall have a net 

weight of 24 ounces. Twenty-four cans/pouches shall be unitized to a net 

weight of 36 pounds. 

200 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS 

210 Canned/Pouched meat items shall be produced in accordance with Food 

Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) regulations. The contractor’s technical 

proposal, submitted to the FSCS Division, shall adhere to the following AMS 

Checklist of Requirements. 

300 MATERIALS

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

conformance with the following material requirements: 

SUPPLEMENT 704 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 04/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/21/16 2 

320 MEAT COMPONENT 

321 Beef or pork shall be the only meat component allowed. 

322 Domestic Origin – All beef and pork shall originate from U.S. produced livestock 

as described in the Master Solicitation and Supplement. 

323 Harvesting – Boneless meat shall be derived from livestock harvested at 

facilities that comply with the following harvest requirements. 

323.1 Humane Handling – Livestock shall be humanely handled in accordance with 

all applicable FSIS regulations and AMS requirements. 

323.2 Non-Ambulatory – Meat from carcasses of non-ambulatory disabled livestock 

shall not be included in USDA Purchase Programs. 

323.3 Spinal Cord Removal – All spinal cord tissue shall be removed. For cattle, all 

spinal cord tissue shall be removed during the harvesting process. 

324 Boneless Meat – Boneless meat shall 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 production lot. 

324.2 Handling – All boneless meat shall be maintained in excellent condition. The 

contractor’s technical proposal shall include detailed time and temperature 

controls necessary to maintain excellent condition of the boneless meat. Frozen 

boneless meat may be used provided it is processed into the final product 

within 90 days from the date of pack. 

324.3 Pathogen Testing - Production lots of boneless meat associated with positive 

pathogen test results shall not be allowed. 

324.4 Objectionable Materials – The following objectionable materials shall be 

excluded: 

324.4.1 Beef - Major lymph glands (prefemoral, popliteal, and prescapular), thymus 

gland, sciatic (ischiatic) nerve, internal fat (kidney, pelvic, and heart fat). All 

bone, cartilage, shoulder tendon, elbow tendon, silver skin, sacrociatic 

ligament, opaque periosteum, serous membrane (peritoneum), tendinous ends 

of shanks, gracilis membrane, patellar ligament (associated with the stifle joint), 

achilles tendon, back strap and abdominal tunic. 

324.4.2 Pork - Skin, bones, cartilages, organ tissue, heavy connective tissue, significant 

glandular tissue, spinal cord, and foreign materials. 

SUPPLEMENT 704 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 04/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/21/16 3 

324.5 Mechanically Separated – Boneless meat shall comply with the following: 

324.5.1 Meat that is mechanically separated from bone with automatic deboning 

systems or advanced meat (lean) recovery (AMR) systems is not allowed. 

324.5.2 Finely Textured Meat – Low temperature rendered meat that is processed from 

fat boneless meat trimmings and is finely textured is not allowed. 

324.6 Composition – These items shall contain all meat with a small amount of salt for 

flavoring. 

330 NON MEAT COMPONENT 

331 A small amount of salt shall be added for flavoring at a rate not to exceed the 

sodium requirement in Section 531. 

400 PROCESSING 

410 PLATE AND BLADE SIZE 

411 Beef with Juices – Boneless beef shall be ground by use of a standard feedscrew type grinder which shall have a plate with holes 0.5-inch in diameter and 

a knife with no more than three (3) blades. Immediately after grinding, meat 

shall be mechanically mixed and placed into cans/pouches. 

412 Pork with Juices – Boneless pork shall be ground by use of a standard feedscrew type grinder which shall have a plate with holes 1.5-inch in diameter and 

a knife with no more than three (3) blades. Immediately after grinding, meat 

shall be mechanically mixed and placed into cans/pouches. 

420 METAL DETECTION 

421 All products shall be free of metal contaminants. Detection of stainless steel, 

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

The contractor's technical proposal shall identify and describe the equipment, 

location, detection procedure, sensitivity levels, frequency of equipment 

validation, and corrective action procedures. 

500 FINISHED PRODUCT LIMITATIONS 

510 The declared fat and sodium content and the serving size (“referenced amounts 

customarily consumed” (racc)) shall be stated on the nutrition facts panel on 

each can/pouch label according to FSIS regulations. 

520 FAT CONTENT 

521 The fat content shall not exceed 15 g / 100 g basis. The serving size shall not 

exceed the “racc” amount. Fat content shall be determined using the following 

formula: 

SUPPLEMENT 704 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 04/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/21/16 4 

521.1 (Total Fat ÷ Serving Size (racc)) x 100). 

521.2 Example: 4 g of Fat ÷ 56 g = 0.71 X 100 = 7.1 g of fat / 100 g. 

530 SODIUM CONTENT 

531 Sodium content shall not exceed 275 mg / 100 g basis 

531.1 (Declared Sodium Level (mg) X 100 ÷ Declared Serving Size (grams - racc) 

< 275). 

600 PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY 

610 PACKAGING AND PACKING 

611 Packaging1/ – Individual cans/pouches shall have a net weight of 24 ounces. 

612 Packing – Twenty-four cans/pouches shall be unitized to a net weight of 36 

pounds. All cans/pouches shall be unitized by packing into new fiberboard 

shipping containers, placing on fiberboard trays with plastic shrink wrap or 

plastic shrink wrap only. Only one size and style of unitized containers may be 

offered in an individual shipping unit. 

620 LABELING2/

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

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

immediate and shipping containers shall be labeled to include all information 

required by FSIS regulations, be illustrated in the contractor’s technical 

proposal, and contain the following information: 

622 Immediate Container Label – Immediate containers shall include the following 

information:

622.1 A traceability code that is traceable to the establishment number, production lot 

and date. 

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

1/The contracting officer shall designate the packaging format (cans or pouches) permitted for 

each solicitation. 

2/Commercial labeling (Brand “X”) of immediate and shipping containers is permissible. 

SUPPLEMENT 704 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 04/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/21/16 5 

623 Shipping Containers – Shipping containers shall include the following 

information: 

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

on the principle display panel. 

 

623.2 Applicable purchase order number. 

623.3 A traceability code that is traceable to the establishment number, production lot 

and date. 

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

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

each of the items. 

623.6 Ingredient declaration. 

623.7 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 ______. 

630 PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS 

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

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

632 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 product identification and 

certification examinations. 

Item Material Number 

Pork with Juices, Canned (24 oz) or 

Pork with Juices, Pouched (24 oz) 100139 

Beef with Juices, Canned (24 oz) or 

Beef with Juices, Pouched (24 oz) 100127 

SUPPLEMENT 704 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 04/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/21/16 6 

700 DELIVERY UNIT 

710 Each delivery unit shall consist of 1,000 shipping containers of 24 ounce 

cans/pouches with a net weight of 36,000 pounds. 

800 DELIVERED PRODUCT 

810 SIZE AND STYLE OF CONTAINERS 

811 Only one size and style of unitized containers shall be offered in an individual 

shipping unit. 

820 SEALING 

821 Sealing - All products shall 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 the Master Solicitation. Seals shall be >1⁄8th-inch 

diameter cable, high-security bolt, or equivalent. 

900 PRODUCT ASSURANCE

910 WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION 

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

specification requirements, technical proposal declarations, and provisions 

required under the Master Solicitation and Supplement. 

912 Complaint Resolution – Customer complaint resolution procedures shall be 

included in the technical proposal. These procedures shall include: a point of 

contact, investigation steps, intent to cooperate with AMS, and product 

replacement or monetary compensation. The procedures shall be used to 

resolve product complaints from recipient agencies or AMS. 

920 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT 

921 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). 

SUPPLEMENT 704 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 04/01/09 

Date Revised: 03/21/16 7 

930 CONTRACTOR CHECKLOADING 

930.1 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: 

930.1.1 Purchase Order Number/Purchase Order Line Item Number; 

930.1.2 Sales Order Number/Sales Order Line Item Number; 

930.1.3 Destination of shipment; 

930.1.4 Name of Product and applicable Material Number; 

930.1.5 Shipping Date; 

930.1.6 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; 

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

 lot; 

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

 applicable; 

930.1.9 Contractor certification that product conforms with the applicable specification 

 (FPPS-CBP-2016); 

930.1.10 Count and projected net weight verified and; 

930.1.11 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading. 

940 AMS MONITORING AND PRODUCTION ASSESSMENT 

941 The contractor has the option for using an AMS audit-based system or an AMS 

monitoring and production assessment system.

942 If the contractor uses the AMS monitoring and production assessment system, 

it shall be implemented in accordance with Sections 460 and 470 of 

Supplement 704. 

943 The contractor’s technical proposal shall identify the AMS oversight option 

employed.

SUPPLEMENT 704 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT A
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 03/03/16    

SUPPLEMENT 704 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT B 

Cover Page: 

Company Name 

Company Address 

Contact Person, including title, phone number, including emergency contact information, 

e-mail address (shall be authorized to represent the company). 

Technical Proposal for: [Supplement Number] and [FPPS] 

Table of Contents (all pages and attachments shall be number and identified – all attachments 

shall be identified and referenced in the Technical Proposal). 

The technical proposal should document a quality control program that includes procedures, 

records, forms, pictures, etc., which demonstrates conformance with the following checklist of 

requirements: 

100 ITEM DESCRIPTION 

200 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS 

300 MATERIALS 

320 MEAT COMPONENT 

321 Species allowed 

322 Domestic Origin 

323 Harvest (Slaughter) 

323.1 Humane Handling 

323.2 Non-Ambulatory Cattle 

323.3 Spinal Cord Removal 

324 Boneless Meat 

324.1 Traceability 

324.2 Handling 

324.3 Pathogen Testing 

324.4 Objectionable Materials 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 03/03/16    

SUPPLEMENT 704 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT B 

324.5 Mechanically Separated 

324.6 Composition 

330 NON-MEAT COMPONENT 

400 PROCESSING 

410 PLATE AND BLADE SIZE 

420 METAL DETECTION 

500 FINISHED PRODUCT LIMITATIONS 

520 FAT CONTENT 

530 SODIUM CONTENT 

600 PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY 

610 PACKAGING AND PACKING 

620 LABELING 

621 General 

622 Immediate Container 

623 Shipping Container 

630 PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS 

700 DELIVERY UNIT 

800 DELIVERED PRODUCT 

810 SIZE AND STYLE OF CONTAINER 

820 SEALING 
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 03/03/16    

SUPPLEMENT 704 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT B 

900 PRODUCT ASSURANCE 

910 WARRANTY AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION 

920 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT 

930 CONNTRACTOR CHECKLOADING 

940 AMS MONITORING AND PRODUCTION ASSESSMENT 

Attachments or Appendixes - Please attach all referenced documents with the applicable 

document name and reference number. 
APPROVED

FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM SPECIFICATION 

(FPPS) FOR ANIMAL 

HANDLING AND WELFARE

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-AHW-2014 June 2014 – Changes from 

previous requirements in blue

Effective: January 2015

Approved by CMS 

Date Issued: 08/11/08 

Date Revised: 01/13/15

100 GENERAL 

101 This document is for use by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), AMS, LPS 

Program to ensure that the animal handling and welfare requirements for 

Federal nutrition assistance programs reflect industry best practices. 

110 PROGRAM APPROACH 

111 All animal harvest facilities that supply raw materials from bovine, porcine and 

ovine species for the production of AMS destined finished products must 

develop and implement a written program that is consistent with a systematic 

approach to humane animal handling and welfare as outlined in 69 FR 54625. 

The program will ensure proper animal handling and welfare techniques are 

conducted from the time the transportation conveyance enters the facility’s 

premises through the stunning and exsanguination of the animal. 

120 PROGRAM SUBMISSION 

121 The program will be submitted as a supporting document to the organization’s 

approved technical proposal and must address the requirements outlined in 

Section 200 – PROGRAM COMPONENTS. 

200 PROGRAM COMPONENTS 

201 The contractor must ensure that any facility that harvests animals has a: 

210 MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT 

211 Steering Committee (internal) which is ultimately accountable for animal 

handling and welfare initiatives within the organization. 

212 Mission Statement on animal handling and welfare that is distributed to all 

employees and conspicuously displayed at the premises. 

SUPPLEMENT 704 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT C
Approved by CMS 

Date Issued: 08/11/08 

Date Revised: 01/13/15 2 

220 TRAINING PROGRAM 

221 Training program on Animal Handling and Welfare that:

221.1 is provided to all employees interacting with animals; 

221.2 covers the AMI Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines and Audit Guide 

2013 Edition;

221.3 is facilitated by an employee that has earned and maintained a certification of 

animal handling and welfare training, such as that offered through the 

Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO) or an 

equivalent. 

221.4 is conducted no less frequently than once a year for each designated 

employee; and, 

221.5 requires signed documentation from each employee and confirmation by 

signature of the designated, certified trainer upon successful completion of 

training. 

230 QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN 

231 Written quality management plan (internal) which addresses all provisions of 

Chapter 3: Transportation Audit Guidelines, 7 Core Criteria and Chapter 4: 

Auditing Animal Handling and Stunning, 7 Core Criteria, of the AMI 

Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines and Audit Guide 2013 Edition, 

found at the following web site address: 

231.1 http://animalhandling.org/ht/d/sp/i/26752/pid/26752

 

232 This internal quality management plan must also provide for routine 

assessment and monitoring of humane handling through the use of a numerical 

scoring system conducted by a trained employee. 

233 All animal harvest facilities that supply raw materials from bovine, porcine and 

ovine species for the production of AMS destined finished products must have 

a fully functioning back-up stunning device onsite wherever animal stunning is 

performed.

240 NON-AMBULATORY AND U.S. SUSPECTS 

241 CATTLE 

242 Written protocol in-place and enforced that precludes the receipt of or having 

non-ambulatory, disabled cattle on the harvest facility premise. In the event that 

animals become non-ambulatory or disabled at any time while present at the 

harvest facility, the animal will be humanely euthanized and the carcass 

SUPPLEMENT 704 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT C
Approved by CMS 

Date Issued: 08/11/08 

Date Revised: 01/13/15 3 

removed from the premise in a timely manner through contracted services or 

other means. 

243 HOGS AND SHEEP 

244 Written protocol in-place and enforced that ensures all animals designated by 

Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) as U.S. Suspects (9 CFR 301.2) that are 

slaughtered are appropriately segregated during the harvest and production 

processes and precluded from inclusion in any products purchased by AMS. 

300 PROGRAM EVALUATION AND ELIGIBILITY 

301 The program will be audited (external) by AMS or a firm accredited by AMS. 

The accreditation of the firm will be conducted by the Quality Assessment 

Division (QAD) through the USDA ISO Guide 65 Program. Alternatively, at 

the option of the organization, the audits can be performed by QAD auditors. 

302 Audit findings thought to be in conflict with Food Safety and Inspection Service 

(FSIS) regulations will be communicated to the establishment’s FSIS Inspector 

in Charge (IIC) or designee. 

310 AUDIT FORMAT 

311 AMS or the AMS accredited auditing firm will conduct audits utilizing the 

following format: 

312 TRANSPORTATION SEGMENT (CHAPTER 3: AMI RECOMMENDED 

ANIMAL HANDLING GUIDELINES AND AUDIT GUIDE 2013 EDITION) 

312.1 Audited organizations must pass Core Criteria 1 and 6 with a minimum scoring 

of excellent, Core Criteria 2 through 5 with a minimum scoring of acceptable 

and Core Criteria 7 must be adhered to with full compliance (zero tolerance) 

each time an audit is performed. 

313 ANIMAL HANDLING AND STUNNING SEGMENT (CHAPTER 4: AMI 

RECOMMENDED ANIMAL HANDLING GUIDELINES AND AUDIT GUIDE 

2013 EDITION) 

313.1 Audited organizations must adhere to Core Criteria 1, 2, 6 and 7 with full 

compliance (zero tolerance) and to Core Criteria 3, 4 and 5 with a minimum 

scoring of Acceptable each time an audit is performed.1/ 

313.2 The auditor shall inform FSIS and organization officials in writing of all audit 

findings, including any observations of missed stuns and/or animals regaining 

sensibility following stunning, upon completion of the audit during the exit 

interview. 

1/Religious harvest (Kosher and Halal) shall be exempt from the AMS auditing of Core Criteria 1: Effective Stunning.

SUPPLEMENT 704 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT C
Approved by CMS 

Date Issued: 08/11/08 

Date Revised: 01/13/15 4 

320 INITIAL AUDIT 

321 Initial audit must be performed prior to award of contracts. 

330 AUDIT FAILURE 

331 If an audit is failed for any of the Core Criteria, the organization is not eligible to 

provide product until such a time that corrective and preventative actions are 

approved by the Food Safety and Commodity Specification (FSCS) Division, 

implemented and proven effective. 

340 AUDIT FREQUENCY AND STATUS 

341 STANDARD - Until four (4) consecutive successfully passed audits are 

attained, an audit must be conducted within 3 months of the previous audit. 

342 MONTHLY - If at any time an audit identifies any of the Core Criteria not 

meeting the pass requirements while in the STANDARD phase, auditing will be 

required to be conducted on a monthly basis once corrective and preventative 

actions have been approved by the FSCS Division, implemented and proven 

effective. This schedule will be for a period of time until four (4) successive 

audits are found to meet the passing requirements noted in SECTION 310 – 

AUDIT FORMAT; at which time audits shall be conducted on the STANDARD 

basis. 

343 If four successfully conducted audits are sequentially completed within a one 

year period while in STANDARD auditing phase, the facility may move to a 

SEMI-ANNUAL audit basis. 

344 SEMI-ANNUAL - Semi-annual audits may continue until such time that a failed 

audit is reported or a period of greater than six months has elapsed without any 

audits being performed; at which time the audits must resume as described for 

STANDARD audits. 

345 FOR-CAUSE – Any official enforcement actions issued by FSIS for missed 

stuns or for an animal regaining sensibility following stunning shall result in an 

immediate for-cause animal handling and welfare audit by AMS. Subsequent 

audit frequency will be determined by results of the AMS audit, as described 

above. 

400 FSCS Division

401 The FSCS Division can declare an organization’s Animal Handing and Welfare 

Program out of compliance at any time. 

402 The organization shall immediately notify the FSCS Division when any animal 

handling and welfare official enforcement action is issued by FSIS. 

SUPPLEMENT 704 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT C
Approved by________CMS 

Date Issued: 06/10/12

Date Revised: 03/03/16    

SUPPLEMENT 704 TO AMS MASTER SOLICITATION EXHIBIT D 

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE 

LIVESTOCK, POULTRY AND SEED PROGRAM

CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMANCE FOR

THE PROCUREMENT OF CANNED MEAT PRODUCTS

CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMANCE

I certify the following: 

(1) On [delivery date(s)], [Contractor’s name] furnished the (insert the appropriate 

commodity description) called for by Purchase Order Number via [Carrier] under 

Sales Order Number/Item number(s): . 

(2) The (insert the appropriate material name) is of the quality specified and 

conforms in all respects with the purchase order requirements, including 

[Contractor’s name] Technical Proposal as approved by the AMS, LPS Program, 

FSCS Division. 

(3) Product identification, (i.e. production lot number(s)) is in the quantity shown 

on the attached acceptance document. 

(4) Contractor assures all meat or meat products used in fulfilling this contract was 

produced in the United States as defined in the AMS Master Solicitation Section I.E. 

Date: 

Signature: 

(Signed by an officer or representative authorized to sign offers) 

Title: