Agricultural Marketing Service, Commodity Procurement Staff

1400 Independence Ave., SW, Room 3522-S, STOP 0239

Washington, DC 20250-0239

Voice 202.720.4517 Fax 202.720.5871

An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer

December 10, 2014

AMENDMENT NO. 2

SUPPLEMENT 801 TO THE AMS MASTER SOLICITATION

PURCHASE OF INDIVIDUALLY FROZEN COOKED CHICKEN STRIPS FOR 

DISTRIBUTION TO FEDERAL FOOD AND NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

This Amendment is issued to make the following changes to Supplement 801 to the AMS 

Master Solicitation, dated May 2014. Supplement 801, and Amendment 1, dated June 

2014, can be found on the AMS website: www.ams.usda.gov/commoditypurchasing under 

the link to “USDA Commodity Specifications/AMS Master Solicitation Supplements”

1) Insert the following in Section I.D of Supplement 801:

D.Child Nutrition (CN) Labeling or Product Formulation Statement (PFS)

1. The Product requires either an approved CN Label or a Manufacturer’s 

Product Formulation Statement (PFS). The CN label information (and 

evidence of approval for use) or the PFS shall be submitted as part of 

the supplier’s technical proposal.

2. The CN Labeling Program is run by FNS directly with commercial food 

processing firms and in cooperation with AMS and FSIS and other 

Federal agencies. The Program requires an evaluation of a product's 

formulation by FNS to determine its contribution toward Meal Pattern 

Requirements (MPR) for meals served under USDA’s Child Nutrition 

Programs.

To carry a CN label, the eligible product’s formulation must be 

evaluated by USDA to verify its contribution toward meal pattern 

requirements using yields in the USDA Food Buying Guide for Child 

Nutrition Programs.

For information on the CN Labeling Program, see the section for Food 

Manufacturers/Industry on the FNS website 

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnlabeling/child-nutrition-cn-labeling-program 

and contact the following: 
Agricultural Marketing Service, Commodity Procurement Staff

1400 Independence Ave., SW, Room 3522-S, STOP 0239

Washington, DC 20250-0239

Voice 202.720.4517 Fax 202.720.5871

An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer

Child Nutrition Labeling Program Operations Office 

USDA, AMS, FV, PPB Stop 0247, Room 0710-S 

1400 Independence Ave., SW Washington, DC 20250 

Email: CNLabeling@ams.usda.gov

Phone Number: 202-720-9939 

Fax Number: 202-690-3824

3. As an alternative to participation in the CN Labeling Program, the 

supplier may submit a completed and signed Manufacturer’s Product 

Formulation Statement (PFS) which demonstrates how the product 

contributes to the meal pattern requirements for the National School 

Lunch Program. Guidance for preparing the PFS, as well as a template 

for Meat/Meat Alternate Product, (note “meat alternate” is not 

applicable to this USDA product) is available at the website provided 

above.

The PFS for Chicken Strips described Attachment I (FPPS) shall be 

based on a 2.0 oz. serving size. Reference Section 1, Meat/Meat 

Alternates, Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (page 1-

56).

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

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

November 2014. The FPPS has a new format, and while most product/production 

requirements remain the same, some important changes include: 

- Section 414 reads, in part, “The marinating solution shall be comprised of

the following (flavorings, soy, and gluten are not allowed):”

- The reference to a minimum/maximum cooked meat equivalent per strip

has been removed from the requirements (see Section 415).

All other terms and conditions remain unchanged. Questions regarding this Amendment 

and the revised FPPS may be addressed to the following:

Terry Lutz

Agricultural Marketing Specialist

USDA, AMS, LPS, FSCS Division

Terry.Lutz@ams.usda.gov

Dr. Chandramohan Chawan

Agricultural Marketing Specialist

USDA, AMS, LPS, FSCS Division

Chandramohan.Chawan@ams.usda.gov
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Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 12/05/2014

FEDERAL PURCHASE 

PROGRAM SPECIFICATION 

(FPPS) FOR CHICKEN 

STRIPS, FULLY COOKED, 

FROZEN

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: December 2014

100 SCOPE

110 This FPPS – Chicken Strips – 2014 is for use by the United States 

Department of Agriculture (USDA), AMS, Commodity Procurement Staff

(CPS) to procure fully cooked, frozen chicken strips.

200 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

210 The following documents are incorporated as part of this FPPS-Chicken 

Strips-2014:

210.1 Quality Assessment Division (QAD) Procedures Manual.

210.2 Poultry Products Inspection Regulations (9 CFR § 381).

210.3 Regulations Governing the Voluntary Grading of Poultry Products and Rabbit

Products (7 CFR § 70) and the U.S. Classes, Standards, and Grades for 

Poultry (AMS 70.200 et seq., 9 CFR § 381.170 to 172).

210.4 AMS Master Solicitation and Applicable Supplement.

300 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS

310 Material

311 The contractor’s technical proposal must describe a process plan with a 

documented quality control program that includes procedures, records, forms, 

etc., that demonstrate conformance with the following Checklist of 

Requirements. The FSCS Division may request changes to the technical 

proposal at any time.
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Date Revised: 12/05/2014

312 Boneless chicken shall be derived from poultry harvested at facilities that 

comply with the following origin and harvest requirements:

312.1 Domestic Origin – All poultry will originate from U.S. produced livestock as 

defined in the AMS Master Solicitation, as amended.

312.2 Humane Handling – All poultry shall be humanely handled in accordance with 

all applicable FSIS regulations and AMS requirements.

312.3 Residue Prevention – Harvest and production establishments must have a 

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system to control veterinary 

drug, pesticide, and environmental contaminant residues per FSIS 

regulations. Helpful information is available in the FSIS Compliance Guide for 

Residue Prevention 2013.

312.4 Pathogen Intervention Steps – The harvest process must include at least two 

pathogen intervention steps. One of the intervention steps must be a critical 

control point (CCP) in the supplier’s FSIS recognized harvest process 

HACCP plan and the CCP intervention(s) must be scientifically validated to 

achieve a three-log reduction of enteric pathogens.

313 The commodity must be prepared from freshly harvested broiler/fryer 

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

314 Traceability – Boneless chicken shall be traceable to sources that comply with 

the above domestic origin and harvest requirements. Contractors are also 

responsible for providing sufficient product traceability and must have records 

to verify the source of raw materials used in each lot of product.

315 Meat Recovery Systems

315.1 Mechanical Separation – Boneless chicken that is mechanically separated 

from bone with automatic deboning systems, advanced lean (meat) recovery 

(AMR) systems or powered knives, will not be allowed.

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

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

origin plant and when received at the destination plant.

317 Bone, Skin, and Excess Fat – Bones, skin, and excess fat must be removed

from the meat before use. Excess fat includes:
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Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 12/05/2014

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

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

317.2 fat deposits not integrated in the muscle that extend more than 1⁄2 inch

beyond the meat tissue.

318 Boneless, skinless chicken meat in natural proportion white and dark meat (9 

CFR § 381.117(c)) from whole carcasses (AMS 70.201(c)) or parts (AMS

70.210) may be used provided it is frozen within 7 calendar days from the 

date of harvest and processed into the final product within 180 days from date 

of pack.

400 PROCESSING

410 The commodity must not be processed or packaged more than 30 days prior 

to the first day of the delivery period.

411 The temperature of the carcasses, boneless parts, or meat must not exceed

55°F (12.8°C) at any time during preparation and processing.

412 The chilled ready-to-cook chicken and bone-in, skin-on chicken parts must be

fabricated into cooked commodity within 7 calendar days from the date of

harvest.

412.1 Handling – The contractor’s technical proposal shall include detailed 

production scheduling that addresses time and temperature controls 

necessary to maintain excellent condition of the boneless chicken.

413 Cooling Requirements – Meat not used on a continuous basis after deboning

must be cooled by cooling media and ensure that the internal product

temperature is maintained between 26°F (-3.3°C) and 40°F (4.4°C).

413.1 Cooling Medium – Cooling methods and media (e.g., use of liquid carbon

dioxide (CO2), dry ice (CO2), or liquid nitrogen (N2)) may be used to maintain

temperature.

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

the temperature is not acceptable. 

414 Marination – The marinating solution percentage incorporated within tumbled 

or massaged marinated boneless, skinless meat must not exceed 10 percent 

(i.e., marinade increases the weight of the meat by a maximum of 10 percent 

over the original ready-to-cook weight). The marinating solution shall be
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Approved by CMS

Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 12/05/2014

comprised of the following (flavorings (9 CFR § 381.118(c)), soy, and gluten 

are not allowed);

Water (minimum) 88.75 percent 

Added processing aids 8.00 percent 

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

414.1 The marinating and pressing, cooking, cutting into strips, and individual 

freezing of the commodity will be a continuous and sequential process.

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

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

analysis.

415 Cooking, Grill Markings, Slicing, and Freezing

415.1 All products will be fully cooked in accordance with FSIS regulations.

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

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

strips.

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

415.4 Slicing may be made by mechanical means and will provide strips of whole

muscle chicken meat with reasonably smooth outer surfaces with no tears 

along the cut edges.

415.5 Strips must be a minimum 3/8-inch in width and at least 1.0-inch in length.

415.5.1 Screen Size – 1.0-inch screen will be utilized during production to ensure the 

minimal 1.0-inch length requirement.

416 After cooking, the internal product temperature must be lowered continuously 

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

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

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

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

hours from the time the commodity enters the freezer.
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Date Revised: 12/05/2014

417 Metal Detection – All product 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 must identify and 

describe the equipment, location, detection procedure, sensitivity levels, 

frequency of equipment validation, and corrective action procedures.

418 Equipment – All equipment used to produce chicken products for USDA shall 

be maintained and routinely checked for optimal performance.

500 PACKAGING AND PACKING

510 The contractor will assure that all packaging, packing, labeling, closure, 

marking, and palletization comply with the National Motor Freight Regulations 

and FSIS regulations and the requirements listed below.

510.1 Packaging – Polyethylene film bag with wall thickness not less than 2 mil 

(0.002 inch) shall function as a tamper evidence indicator to provide added 

assurance of product integrity through the method of sealing or closure.

510.2 Packing – Six (6) 5-pound or three (3) 10-pound immediate containers 

(packages) will be packed in a 30-pound (net weight) shipping container.

510.3 Closure – Shipping containers shall be strapped or taped.

600 LABELING

610 CN Labeling information or a Product Formulation Statement demonstrating 

product contribution to the National School Lunch Program meal pattern 

requirements must be provided as part of the Technical Proposal.

620 Shipping containers will be labeled to include all information required by FSIS 

regulations as well as the following information:

620.1 A traceability code that is traceable back to establishment number, production 

lot, and date.

620.2 A “Best-If-Used-By” date that is 180 calendar days from the date of

production.

620.3 Nutrition facts panel based on nutritional analysis of the product.
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Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 12/05/2014

620.4 USDA shield at least 2-inches high and appearing on the top of the container 

or on the principle display panel.

620.5 Applicable contract and purchase order number.

620.6 Material number: 110462

620.7 Product Name “Chicken Strips, Fully Cooked, Frozen”.

620.8 Ingredient declaration (including single ingredient products).

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

620.10 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 ______.”

700 PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY

710 All products shall be stacked on new or well-maintained pallets and palletized 

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

720 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 (ASTM)

Standard F1157-04 and/or the International Organization for Standardization

(ISO) 17712-2010 as required under this Supplement. Seals shall be 1⁄8th -

inch diameter cable, high-security bolt, or equivalent. 

730 Delivery Unit – Each delivery unit will consist of 1,300 cases with a net weight 

of 39,000 pounds.
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Date Issued: 10/31/2013

Date Revised: 12/05/2014

740 Size and Style of Containers – Only one size and style of shipping container 

may be used in any one delivery unit.

750 Temperature

751 The internal product temperature of the frozen cooked commodity must be 2

°F (-16.7 °C) or lower at the time of loading. Delivery units with internal 

product temperatures exceeding 2 °F (-16.7 °C) and up to 5 °F (-15 °C) will 

be tentatively rejected. Tentatively rejected delivery units may be returned to

the freezer and the temperature reduced to 2 °F (-16.7°C) or lower and

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

units that have been tentatively rejected and exceed 2 °F (-16.7 °C) when

reoffered will be rejected for use under this FPPS.

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

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

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

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

equipment, procedures, and the contractor’s current level of freezing 

compliance are in accordance with the established guidelines outlined in the 

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

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

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

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

be rejected for use under this FPPS.

800 USDA QUALITY ASSURANCE

810 Warranty and Complaint Resolution

810.1 Warranty - The contractor will guarantee that the product complies with all 

specification requirements, technical proposal declarations, and provisions 

set forth in the program supplement.

810.2 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.
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Date Revised: 12/05/2014

820 AMS Monitoring and Inspection – 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) 690-3147. 

821 All steps in the manufacturing process will be under the direct supervision of 

QA Division personnel and as outlined in QA Division policies and 

procedures. Quality and compliance with product requirements will be 

determined in accordance with those policies and procedures. The QA

Division agent may also select samples for laboratory analyses or inspect the

commodity at any point in transit and after delivery to point of destination.

830 The contractor must provide to the QA Division agent, a Certificate of 

Conformance (COC) on company stationery for packaging, packing, and

marking material requirements and signed by a person authorized to do so by

the contractor: One COC is adequate for all production under this FPPS.

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

any commodity presented for acceptance under the terms of the FPPS for 

Chicken Strips dated December, 2014 comply or will comply with the terms 

of this FPPS.

Name __________________________

Title __________________________

840 QA Division Testing – All testing will be in accordance with QA Division

policies and procedures for product testing to ensure product complies with all 

FPPS requirements. Tests included to be conducted but are not limited to:

841 Certification of compliance with FPPS requirements for chicken carcasses 

and parts; preparation, formulation, and fabrication; cooking and cooling; 

packaging and packing; freezing; labeling and marking; sampling; net weight; 

and checkloading.

842 Organoleptic requirements conducted in both the boneless and cooked state.

843 Tare weight, metal detection, product length and width, excellent condition, 

and temperature.

844 Final Examination – Material and net weight compliance, verification of

materials and defects, verification of packaging and packing materials, visual 

inspection in the frozen cooked state, and checkloading.
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Date Revised: 12/05/2014

845 A copy of the original USDA, AMS, LPS, QA Division Certificate must

accompany each shipment.

846 Destination Examination – Cost of examination, before or after delivery on

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

rejected product will be for the account of the contractor. The USDA origin

grader will make arrangements for destination examination prior to delivery.

900 SHIPMENT AND DELIVERY

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

Solicitation, the Solicitation, and this FPPS.

1000 NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT

1010 The contractor must have documented procedures that assure 

nonconforming product identification, segregation, and disposition in order to 

prevent misuse and that nonconforming product is not delivered to USDA. 

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 product or 

destroyed).