AMSC N/A FSC 8920 

METRIC

 A-A-20126F 

 December 29, 2008

 SUPERSEDING 

 A-A-20126E 

 February 26, 2004

COMMERCIAL ITEM DESCRIPTION

FLOUR 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has authorized 

 the use of this Commercial Item Description (CID).

1. SCOPE. This CID covers flour, packed in commercially acceptable containers, suitable for 

use by Federal, State, local governments, and other interested parties; and as a component of 

operational rations. 

2. PURCHASER NOTES. 

2.1 Purchasers shall specify the following: 

 - Type(s) and style(s) of flour required (Sec. 3). 

 - When analytical requirements are different than specified (Sec. 6.1). 

 - When analytical requirements need to be verified (Sec. 6.2). 

 - Manufacturer’s/distributor’s certification (Sec. 9.2) or USDA certification (Sec. 9.3). 

2.2 Purchasers may specify the following: 

 - Manufacturer’s quality assurance (Sec. 9.1 with 9.1.1) or (Sec. 9.1 with 9.1.2). 

 - Packaging requirements other than commercial (Sec. 10). 

3. CLASSIFICATION. The flour shall conform to the following list which shall be specified 

in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order. 

Types and styles. 

Type I - Bread flour (Hard wheat flour) 

Type II - Bread flour (Bakers hard wheat Hearth-style) (Hearth-style bread flour may 

 contain potassium bromate added in a quantity not exceeding 25 parts to each 

million parts of finished flour to achieve maximum quality acceptance Hearth-style 

bread products.) 
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Type III - General or All Purpose flour 

Type IV - Cake flour (Soft wheat flour) 

Type V - Pastry flour 

Type VI - Whole wheat flour 

Type VII - Rye Flour 

Type VIII - Oat Flour 

Type IX - Other 

Style A - Unbleached (Wheat flour which has not been treated with a maturing ingredient, a 

color modifying ingredient, or any combination of maturing and color modifying 

ingredients.) 

Style B - Bleached (Wheat flour which has been treated with a maturing ingredient, a color 

modifying ingredient, or any combination of maturing and color modifying 

ingredients in accordance with 21 CFR § 137.105.) 

4. MANUFACTURER’S/DISTRIBUTOR’S NOTES. Manufacturer’s/distributor’s 

products shall meet the requirements of the: 

 - Salient characteristics (Sec. 5). 

 - Analytical requirements: as specified by the purchaser (Sec. 6). 

 - Manufacturer’s/distributor’s product assurance (Sec. 7). 

 - Regulatory requirements (Sec. 8). 

 - Quality assurance provisions: as specified by the purchaser (Sec. 9). 

 - Packaging requirements other than commercial: as specified by the purchaser (Sec. 10). 

5. SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS. 

5.1 Raw ingredients. The flour shall be prepared from clean, sound grains and processed in 

accordance with current good manufacturing practices (21 CFR Part 110). 

5.1.1 Wheat flour. Unless otherwise specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order 

the wheat shall be U.S. No. 2 grade or better. Unless otherwise specified in the solicitation, 

contract, or purchase order unclassed wheat and mixed wheat are excluded. Wheat flour shall 

comply with the U.S. Standards of Identity in 21 CFR § 137.105 and whole wheat flour shall 

comply with the U.S. Standards of Identity in 21 CFR § 137.200. 

5.1.1.1 Enrichment. The wheat flour, except for whole wheat flour, shall be enriched to 

conform to the U.S. Standards of Identity for Enriched Flour (21 CFR § 137.165). 
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5.1.1.2 Types of wheat flour. The six types of wheat flour shall be milled from wheat of the 

following classes: 

Types of wheat flour Classes of wheat

Bread flour, bread flour (Hearth-style), and 

whole wheat flour 

Hard red spring 

Hard red winter 

Hard white wheat 

General or All Purpose flour Hard red spring 

Hard red winter 

Soft red winter 

Hard white wheat 

Soft white wheat 

Cake flour and pastry flour Soft red winter 

Soft white wheat 

5.1.2 Rye flour. The rye shall be U.S. No. 2 grade or better. 

5.1.3 Oat flour. The oat flour shall be food grade, milled from sound, cleaned oats. The oats 

shall be U.S. No. 2 grade or better. 

5.2 Processing. The flour shall be processed in accordance with current good manufacturing 

practices (21 CFR Part 110). 

5.2.1 Wheat flour. The wheat flour shall be processed through a centrifugal impactor operated 

at the equipment manufacture’s recommended speed and flow rate designed to insure the 

destruction of insect eggs and shall be bolted through a 9XX or finer sieve sifter. Impaction and 

bolting processes may be repeated at various points in the milling operation. One of these 

treatments shall occur immediately before entrance of the flour into the packing machinery. 

5.2.2 Rye flour. The rye flour shall be processed through a centrifugal impactor to destroy 

insect eggs as necessary, during the processing, but at least immediately prior to entering the 

packing machinery. 

5.2.3 Oat flour. The oat flour shall be dehulled oats that have been steamed and ground to 

produce a stable flour in which enzyme activity is functionally negative. 

5.3 Finished product. The flour shall be suitable for use in baking processes presently in 

common industrial use for the product(s) as specified by the type of flour and application. The 

rye and oat flours shall be suitable for use in combination with other food ingredients for 

preparation of varietal bakery products. 
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5.3.1 Appearance and color. The wheat flour shall have a characteristic white or cream color 

of either bleached or unbleached wheat flour. The rye flour shall be a moderately refined 

product consisting of rye endosperm and small amounts of other parts of the rye kernel and shall 

have a good, characteristic, very light, grayish-brown color. The oat flour shall have a 

characteristic beige or tan color of oats. 

5.3.2 Odor and flavor. The wheat flour shall possess a natural wheat-flour flavor and odor. 

The rye flour shall possess a natural rye-flour flavor and odor. The oat flour shall possess a 

natural oat nut-like flavor and odor. The flour(s) shall be free from rancid, bitter, musty, sour, 

and other undesirable flavors and odors. 

5.3.3 Texture. The flours shall be free flowing and free from lumps that do not fall apart with 

light finger pressure. 

5.4 Age requirement. Unless otherwise specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase 

order, the flour shall be processed and packaged not more than 60 days prior to delivery to the 

purchaser. Age requirements for Department of Defense (DoD) procurements shall be specified 

in the solicitation, contract or purchase order. 

6. ANALYTICAL AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS. 

6.1 Analytical and physical requirements. Unless otherwise specified in the solicitation, 

contract, or purchase order, the flour shall conform to the following requirements listed in Table 

I, Table II, or Table III. 

Table I. Analytical and physical requirements for wheat flour

 Protein level 1/ Ash level 1/ Moisture 

Type (Percent) (Percent) (Percent) FN Units or GAA 2/ 

 Min. Max. Max. Max. Min. Max. Min. Max.

Bread flour 3/ 12.0 - ---- 0.50 14.0 225 - 300 300 - 600

Bread flour 13.3 - ---- 0.56 14.0 200 - 300 350 - 600

 (Hearth-style) 

General or All 9.0 - ---- 0.50 15.0 225 - 300 300 - 600

 Purpose flour 4/

Cake flour 5/ ----- - 9.3 0.42 13.5 350 - ---- ----- - ---- 

Pastry flour ----- - 10.5 0.48 14.0 350 - ---- ----- - ---- 

Whole wheat 13.0 - ---- 1.90 15.0 250 - ---- ----- - ---- 

 flour
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1/ Requirements are based on maximum percent moisture for each type and are calculated on a 

moisture free basis as not more than the sum of 1/20 of the percent protein (moisture free) 

plus 0.35. 

2/ Falling Number (FN) applies to all flours containing diastatic barley malt. Grain Amylase 

Analyzer (GAA) applies to flours containing fungal alpha-amylase. (1 to 2.5 g fungal alphaamylase/45.36 kg [100 lb.] enriched flour.) 

3/ Bread flour shall produce bread with a specific volume of not less than 4.8 when tested for 

specific volume by the rapeseed method. 

4/ General or All Purpose flour shall produce a cake with a specific volume of not less than 2.2 

without gas pockets when tested for specific volume.

5/ pH level shall be not less than 4.3 nor more than 4.7. 

Table II. Analytical and particle size requirements for rye flour

 Maximum amount permitted on U.S. 

 Ash level 6/ Moisture Standard woven-wire cloth sieve 

 (Percent) (Percent) (Percent) 

 Maximum Maximum No. 50 No. 100

 1.5 13.5 1.0 20.0 

6/ Requirements are based on 13.5 percent moisture. 

Table III. Analytical requirements for oat flour 7/ 

 Maximum amount permitted on 

Protein level Fat Ash Moisture U.S. Standard woven-wire cloth 

sieve 

(Percent) (Percent) (Percent) (Percent) (Percent) 

Minimum Maximum Maximum Maximum No. 35 No. 100

 13.5 8.0 2.2 10.0 2.0 75.0 

7/ Requirements are based on 10.0 percent moisture. 

6.2 Product verification: When USDA verification of analytical requirements is specified in 

the solicitation, contract, or purchase order, analytical testing shall be performed on a composite 

sample. The composite sample shall be 113.40 g (4 oz) and prepared from subsamples drawn 

from randomly selected containers. Subsamples shall be a minimum of one bag/package and 

shall contain the appropriate number of bags/packages to yield 113.40 g (4 oz) sample when 

composited.
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6.3 Analytical testing. Analysis shall be made in accordance with the following methods 

described in the Approved Methods of the AACC International, the Official Methods of Analysis 

of the AOAC International, and as specified below. 

 Test Method

 Protein 46-30 8/

 Ash 08-01 

 Moisture 44-15A or 925.09 (AOAC) 

 FN units 56-81B 

 pH 02-52 

 Specific volume 9/

 Fungal alpha amylase 22-12 

Fat 30-10 

8/ Use percent crude protein = % nitrogen x 5.70. 

9/ See section 6.6.2, Rapeseed displacement method. 

6.4 Test results. The test results for protein level, moisture, fat, and sieve analysis shall be 

reported to the nearest 0.1 percent. The test results for ash level in rye and oat flour shall be 

reported to the nearest 0.1 percent, while wheat flour shall be reported to the nearest 0.01 

percent. FN test results shall be reported to the nearest unit. The test results for specific volume 

and pH shall be reported to the nearest 0.1 value. Any result not conforming to the finished 

product requirements shall be cause for rejection of the lot. 

6.5 Filth test. All tests required to determine compliance with the provisions of the Federal 

Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act in regard to insects, insect fragments, rodent hairs, rodent excreta, 

and other filth shall be made in accordance with the Official Methods of Analysis of the AOAC 

International or the Approved Methods of the AACC International. 

6.6 Specific volume test. 

6.6.1 Mixing procedure. 

6.6.1.1 General purpose flour (cake formula). Cream Step 1 ingredients together. Add and 

mix in Step 2 ingredients. After dry ingredients have been thoroughly blended, add 591.47 mL 

(20 fl oz) of water to 2.27 kg (80 oz) of blended cake mix and mix for 2 minutes in a mechanical 

blender on second speed. Add an additional 591.47 mL (20 fl oz) of water and mix until a 

smooth batter is obtained. Before batter is poured into a cake pan, lightly grease the sides of the 

pan and add a release-type parchment paper to the bottom of the pan. Bake 450 gm of batter at 
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176.67oC (350oF) for 30 minutes in a round layer cake pan having inside dimensions of 20.32 by 

3.157 cm (8 by 1-1⁄4 in). 

Step 1 Parts by weight

Sugar 43.4 

Shortening (Nonemulsified plastic vegetable shortening) 9.5 

Salt 0.75 

Mono- and diglycerides 0.40 

Sodium aluminum phosphate 0.50 

Coated monocalcium phosphate 0.05 

Step 2

General purpose flour 41.4 

Egg albumen 1.5 

Nonfat dried milk 2.0 

Bicarbonate of soda 0.5 

6.6.1.2 Bread flour (bread formula). Procedures shall be performed in accordance with 

AACC Approved Method 10-11, Sponge-Dough, Pound-Loaf. 

6.6.2 Rapeseed displacement method. Determination of specific volume for cake and bread 

shall be accomplished by the rapeseed displacement method. The volume shall be measured 

after cake or bread cools at least 2 hours in a room or chamber not exceeding 23.33oC (74oF), 55 

percent relative humidity. 

Remove cooled cake or loaf from pan, place in a container which is higher and greater in 

perimeter than the cake. 

Fill the void space in the container containing the product with rapeseed so that the rapeseed is 

level with the top edge of the container. Measure this amount of rapeseed in whole milliliters 

using a graduated cylinder or equivalent measuring device. 

Remove product from the container and weigh the product. The weight shall be calculated in 

terms of whole grams. 

Fill the empty container with rapeseed so that the rapeseed is level with the top edge of the 

container. Measure this amount of rapeseed as specified above. 

Calculate specific volume as follows: 
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Volume of rapeseed Volume of rapeseed 

in the empty container - in the void space in the 

 container containing the 

 _ product = Specific volume 

 Weight of product 

(Cake volume shall be ascertained by subtracting volume of unoccupied space in container 

from container volume.) 

7. MANUFACTURER’S/DISTRIBUTOR’S PRODUCT ASSURANCE. The manufacturer/ 

distributor shall certify that the flour provided shall meet the salient characteristics of this CID, 

conform to their own specifications, standards, and quality assurance practices, and be the same 

flour for sale in the commercial market. The purchaser reserves the right to require proof of 

conformance. 

8. REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS. The delivered flour shall comply with all applicable 

Federal, State, and local mandatory requirements and regulations relating to the preparation, 

packaging, labeling, storage, distribution, and sale of flour within the commercial marketplace. 

Delivered flour shall comply with all applicable provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and 

Cosmetic Act, the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, and regulations promulgated thereunder. 

The flour shall comply with the allergen labeling requirements of the Federal Food, Drug and 

Cosmetic Act. 

9. QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS. Purchaser shall specify 9.2 or 9.3; purchaser 

may specify 9.1 with 9.1.1 or 9.1 with 9.1.2.

9.1 Manufacturer’s quality assurance. When required in the solicitation, contract, or 

purchase order, the product manufacturer shall be required to provide evidence, by certificate, 

that the manufacturing plant has undertaken one of the following quality assurance measures 

within 12 months prior to providing a bid, or no later than 10 business days from the date of 

awarding of the contract. Failure to provide this documentation within the proper time frame 

may result in the contract being terminated for cause.

9.1.1 Plant systems audit. A plant systems audit (PSA) conducted by USDA/Federal Grain 

Inspection Service (FGIS), USDA/Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), or another audit 

performed by a third party auditing service and is required within 12 months prior to the date of 

the awarding of the contract. (A FGIS or AMS PSA verifies the manufacturer’s capability to 

produce products in a clean, sanitary environment in accordance with Title 21 Code of Federal 

Regulations Part 110 - Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packing, or 

Holding Human Food, and verifies that the manufacturer has in place an internal quality 

assurance program. The FGIS or AMS PSA determines the manufacturer’s ability to produce 

under this CID, if the products of interest are identified at the time of the PSA.)
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9.1.2 Plant survey. A plant survey conducted by USDA/FGIS, USDA/AMS, or another survey 

performed by a third party auditing service and is required within 12 months prior to the date of 

the awarding of the contract. (A FGIS or AMS plant survey audit verifies that, at the time of the 

survey, the manufacturer produces products in a clean, sanitary environment in accordance with 

Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations Part 110 - Current Good Manufacturing Practice in 

Manufacturing, Packing, or Holding Human Food.) 

9.2 Manufacturer’s/distributor’s certification. When required in the solicitation, contract, or 

purchase order, the manufacturer/distributor will certify that the finished flour distributed meets 

or exceeds the requirements of this CID. 

9.3 USDA certification. When required in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order that 

product quality and acceptability or both be determined, USDA/FGIS or USDA/AMS, 

(depending on how it is packaged) shall be the certifying agency. The agency inspectors shall 

certify the quality and acceptability of the flour in accordance with agency procedures which 

include selecting random samples of the packaged flour, evaluating the samples for conformance 

with the salient characteristics of this CID and other contractual requirements, and documenting 

the findings on official score sheets and/or certificates. In addition, when required in the 

solicitation, contract, or purchase order, agency inspectors will examine the flour for 

conformance to the United States Standards for Condition of Food Containers in effect on the 

date of the solicitation. 

10. PACKAGING. Preservation, packaging, packing, labeling, and case marking shall be 

commercial unless otherwise specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order. 

11. USDA INSPECTION NOTES. When Section 9.3 is specified in the solicitation 

contract, or purchase order, USDA certification shall include evaluation of the quality and 

condition of the samples of flour, and compliance with requirements in the following areas: 

 - Salient characteristics (Sec. 5) 

 - Analytical requirements when specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase order 

(Sec. 6.2). When USDA analytical testing is specified, FGIS or AMS inspection 

personnel shall select samples and submit them to the USDA, FGIS or AMS laboratory for 

analysis. 

 - Packaging requirements (Sec. 10 or as specified in the solicitation, contract, or purchase 

order). 

12. REFERENCE NOTES. 

12.1 USDA certification contacts.
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12.1.1 Federal Grain Inspection Service. For USDA, FGIS certification, contact the Policy 

and Procedures Branch, Field Management Division, Grain Inspection, Packers and 

Stockyards Administration (GIPSA), STOP 3632, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, 

Washington, DC 20250-3632, telephone (202) 720-0252, Fax (202) 720-1015, or via E-mail: 

HenryC.Greenwood@usda.gov. 

12.1.2 Agricultural Marketing Service. For USDA, AMS certification, contact the Branch 

Chief, Processed Products Branch (PPB), Fruit and Vegetable Programs (FVP), AMS, 

USDA, STOP 0247, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0247, 

telephone (202) 720-4693, Fax (202) 690-1527, or via E-mail: terry.bane@ams.usda.gov.

12.2 Analytical testing and technical information contacts. 

12.2.1 Federal Grain Inspection Service. For USDA, FGIS technical information on 

analytical testing, contact the GIPSA, FGIS, Technical Service Division, Analytical, 

Reference, and Testing Branch, FGIS Technical Center, 10383 North Ambassador Drive, 

Kansas City, MO 64153-1394, telephone (816) 891-0452, or via E-mail: 

Luke.A.Shoker@usda.gov. For USDA, FGIS technical information contact: Policy and 

Procedures Branch, FGIS, GIPSA, USDA, STOP 3632, Washington, DC 20250-3632, 

telephone (202) 720-1732, Fax (202) 720-1015. 

12.2.2 Agricultural Marketing Service. For USDA, AMS technical information on analytical 

testing, contact: Branch Chief, Technical Service Branch, Science and Technology Programs 

(S&TP), AMS, USDA, STOP 0272, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 

20250-0272, telephone (202) 690-0621 or via E-mail: shirleyj.wright@ams.usda.gov. 

12.3 Sources of documents. 

 

12.3.1 Sources of information for nongovernmental documents are as follows: 

 

Copies of the Approved Methods of the AACC International may be obtained from: AACC 

International, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121-2097; telephone 651-454-7250, 

via E-mail aacc@scisoc.org or on the Internet at: www.aaccnet.org.

Copies of the Official Methods of Analysis of the AOAC International may be obtained from: 

AOAC International, 481 North Fredrick Avenue, Suite 500, Gaithersburg, MD 20877, 

telephone (301) 924-7077. Internet address: http://www.aoac.org. 
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12.3.2 Sources of information for governmental documents are as follows:

 

Applicable provisions of: the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act are contained in 16 CFR Parts 

500 to 503, and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act are contained in 21 CFR Parts 1 to 

199. These documents may be purchased from: Superintendent of Documents, New Orders, 

P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954. Credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover/ 

NOVUS, and American Express) purchases may be made by calling the Superintendent of 

Documents on (866) 512-1800, (202) 512-1800, or on the Internet at: 

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html. 

Copies of this CID and the United States Standards for Condition of Food Containers are 

available from: Branch Chief, PPB, FVP, AMS, USDA, STOP 0247, 1400 Independence 

Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-0247, telephone (202) 720-9939, Fax (202) 690-1527 via 

E-mail: FQAStaff@usda.gov or on the Internet at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/FQAS.

Beneficial comments, recommendations, additions, deletions, clarifications, etc., and any data 

which may improve this document should be sent to: Commander, Defense Supply Center 

Philadelphia, ATTN: DSCP-FTSA, 700 Robbins Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-5092 or 

Fax (215) 737-2963, or via E-mail: Sally.A.Gallagher@dla.mil. 

Military activities should submit requests for copies of this CID to: Standardization 

Documents Order Desk, Document Automation and Production Service, 700 Robbins 

Avenue, Building 4D, Philadelphia, PA 19111-5094 or on the Internet at: 

http://assist.daps.dla.mil/quicksearch/. 

MILITARY INTERESTS: CIVIL AGENCY COORDINATING ACTIVITIES: 

Custodians DOJ - BOP 

 HHS - NIH, IHS, FDA 

 Army - GL USDA - FV 

 Navy - SA VA - OSS 

 Air Force - 35 

Review Activities PREPARING ACTIVITY: 

 Army - MD, QM DLA - SS 

 Navy - MC (Project No. 8920-2008-004) 

NOTE: The activities listed above were interested in this document as of the date of this 

document. Since organizations and responsibilities can change, you should verify the currency 

of the information above using the ASSIST Online database at http://assist.daps.dla.mil. 
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis 

of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental 

status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an 

individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) 

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large 

print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a 

complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., 

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal 

opportunity provider and employer.