Agricultural Marketing Service

Commodity Procurement Program

P.O. Box 419205, Mailstop 8718

Kansas City, MO 64141-6205

USDA COMMODITY REQUIREMENTS

PACKAGED BUTTER

FOR USE IN DOMESTIC PROGRAMS

Effective Date: March 2020

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
USDA COMMODITY REQUIREMENTS

PACKAGED BUTTER

FOR USE IN DOMESTIC PROGRAMS

Table of Contents

Part 1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS ...............................................................................................1

Section 1.1 COMMODITIES.....................................................................................................................1

Section 1.2 QUALITY ASSURANCE ......................................................................................................2

Part 2 CONTAINER AND PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS ...............................................................2

Section 1.2 COMMERCIALSTANDARDS .............................................................................................2

Section 2.2 MONTH/YEAR OF PACK.....................................................................................................3

Section 2.3 LOT CODE/CERTIFICATE NUMBER.................................................................................3

Section 2.4 STATE AND PLANTNUMBER ...........................................................................................3
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Part 1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS

Section 1.1 COMMODITIES

Product Specifications

A. Salted Butter. The productshall:

(1) be U.S. Grade AA and conform to the United States Standards for Grades of Butter 

which is available at https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/butter-grades-andstandards.

(2) not contain starter distillate ordiacetyle.

(3) be processed from fresh cream. The cream shall not have been neutralized and shall 

have an acid degree value (ADV) of 1.5or less. 

(4) be one solid piece in each container and the surface shall be smoothly finished. The 

product will be subject to a keeping quality test ofseven days incubation at 72 

degrees F to be performed by Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) at time of

grading.

B. Light Butter shall comply with the USDA Specifications for Light Butter which is available 

at: https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/lightbutter.pdf

Production Requirements

A. The product delivered to the Government shall have been manufactured and packaged 

in the United States from milk that was produced in the United States and not 

previously owned by the Government, and in plants that have been inspected and 

approved by the Dairy Grading Branch, Dairy Programs, AMS.

B. The product may be frozen in bulk, provided it is packaged and graded not more than 60

days prior to the date of delivery to the Government. 

C. At the time of delivery to the Government, the product shall have a temperature not less

than 35 degrees F and not greater than 40 degrees F.

Liability

The contractor shall be liable for losses for latent defects including, but not limited to failing to meet 

U.S. Grade AA, which are discovered within 180 days of the date of delivery to the Government.

Net Weight Requirements

A. The product shall be packaged with 1/4-pound solid prints (4 prints per 1-pound

carton) or 25 kilograms, whichever is stated in the solicitation.
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B. Shipping containers shall be packed with 36 1-pound cartons (4 1/4- pound prints 

per 1-pound carton) 

(1) Individual shipping containers packed with:36 1/4-pound cartons shall 

weigh not less than 35.75 net pounds;

(2) 25 kilograms shall weigh not less than 55.115 net pounds.

C. The total net weight of all shipping containers test weighed by AMS within a lot 

shall not vary more than one-tenth (0.1) of one percent under the aggregate marked

net weight of all shipping containers within the lot.

Section 1.2 QUALITY ASSURANCE

A. AMS shall perform the product testing and quality analysis to ensure that the product 

meets the commodity specifications. The quality, date(s) of manufacture, and weight will 

be evidenced by grading certificates issued by AMS.

B. If the product fails to meet contract specification on one or more factors on the first 

inspection, the contractor may arrange with AMS for subsequent inspections. The 

inspections may be conducted at origin or a subsequent point of delivery if the provisions 

of 7 CFR 58.22 through 58.32 issued under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as 

amended, with respect to retest, appeal, and new inspections can be met. At the option of 

the contractor, rejected lots may be reworked including correcting packaging deficiencies 

and removing unsatisfactory containers, and such reworked lots may be resubmitted for 

AMS inspection. When subsequent inspections are made, the results of the last inspection 

shall be used as the basis of payment under the contract.

C. Examination and certification by AMS does not relieve the contractor of its responsibility 

to deliver the product which complies with all contractual and specification requirements.

D. Contractors shall notify the Government immediately of lots that fail to meet contract 

requirements.

E. The butter delivered to the Government shall have been manufactured in the United States 

in plants that were inspected and approved by the Dairy Grading Branch, Dairy Programs 

Division, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). The USDA AMS plant approval code 

must match the appropriate product or operation code for the commodity being 

manufactured.

Part 2 CONTAINER AND PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS

Section 1.2 COMMERCIALSTANDARDS

A. Contractors shall supply commercial brand products only and shall certify at the time of 

submission of an offer that the commercial product being delivered has a history of 

successful distribution and use in domestic commercial channels and is sold on the 

commercial market with an established level of consumer acceptance. 
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B. Container and packaging requirements are those used in the current commercial shipping 

practices and shall comply with: 

(1) At contractor’s option, a statement such as “Not for Retail Sale” may be printed on 

the principal display panel of the food label. 

(2) The manufacturer’s lot code/lot identification number shall be shown on the 

commercial bill of lading. 

(3) Shipping containers shall be marked to show the maximum safe stacking height. It is 

the responsibility of the contractor in cooperation with the shipping container 

manufacturers to determine the safe stacking height. 

(4) For identification upon receipt at delivery warehouses, all commercial- labeled 

product shipping documents shall specify “FOR USDA FOOD DISTRIBUTION 

PROGRAMS.” 

B. Container, packaging and unitization requirements shall comply with Section 4A52.211-3, 

4A52.211-4, and 4A52.211-6 in the Master Solicitation for Commodity ProcurementDomestic Programs which is available at 

https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/MSCP.pdf.

Section 2.2 MONTH/YEAR OF PACK

A. The month/year of pack shall be shown on all primary packaging (immediate containers)

and shipping containers.

B. A date fill code may be applied in addition to, but not in lieu of, the month/year of pack.

Section 2.3 LOT CODE/CERTIFICATE NUMBER

A lot code or official inspection certificate number shall be legibly marked on all primary 

shipping materials. Contractors may use any type of lot coding system, provided a unique code 

is used to identify each lot under a contract. When requested contractors shall provide to the 

Government an explanation of the lot coding system utilized.

Section 2.4 STATE AND PLANTNUMBER

The State and plant number shall be printed on each shipping container. The State and plant 

number is assigned by the State and reported by AMS in “Dairy Plants Surveyed and Approved 

for USDA Grading Service.”