Updated 11/14/2012

CATCH WEIGHT RANGES

Meat Items:

0 - 7 lb = +/-1

8 - 19 lb = +/-2

20 - 34 lb = +/-3

35 - 49 lb = +/-4

50+ lb = +/-5

[eg. For a 24 lb avg item: item description range must state 21-27 lb ea, or a lesser range. If a specific 

vendor, usually a NAPA vendor, provides a range, then use their range.

Produce Items:

0 - 5 lb = +/- 1 lb

6 - 59 lb = +/- 2 lbs

60 - 99 lb = +/- 5 lbs

100+ lbs = +/- 10 lbs

BULK = BUY IN 1 LB INCREMENTS; LB TO LB 1 TO 1; CATCH WEIGHT 1 TO 999

CHICKEN BREAST FILLETS

Assume they are boneless (BNLS) & skinless (SKLS), unless specified

EGGS – SIZES AND WEIGHTS

Taken from the United States Standards, Grades, and Weight Classes for Shell Eggs:

JUMBO = 30 oz/dz 

XLG = 27 oz dz

LG = 24 oz/dz

MED = 21 oz/dz 

SML = 18 oz/dz 

PEEWEE = 15 oz/dz

GRADE DESIGNATIONS

The U.S. grade designation shall represent either the U.S. Grade designation, or the U.S. grade 

designation equivalent, as applicable, without mention of the term “equivalent” or “equiv”.
HAM

According to 9 CFR 319.104, Definitions and Standards of Identity or Composition, the following are the 

4 different standards of identity and labeling requirements for cooked ham, loin:

Minimum Meat Protein 

Fat Free (PFF) Percentage DLA TS Notes

Ham........................... >20.5 No added water

Ham with Natural 

Juices......................... 18.5 - 20.5

Ham, Water Added... 17 - 18.4 May contain up to 10% water

Ham and Water 

Product....................... < 17

May contain any amount of 

water, but % must be declared 

on label

These Items will be cataloged to reflect the actual Standard of Identity. Abbreviations to be utilized 

are:

Ham = HAM (no abbreviation necessary)

Ham With Natural Juices = HAM W/NAT JUICES

Ham, Water Added = HAM, WTR ADD

Ham and Water Product = HAM & WTR PROD

JUICE/NECTAR vs. BEVERAGE/DRINK

According to 21 CFR Part 101.30:

JUICES – FSC 8915:

Concentrate vs. Not From Concentrate - Unless “not from concentrate” is specifically identified in 

the item description, any juice may be procured as “from concentrate” OR “not from 

concentrate”. Procured either way, the item name will state ‘JUICE’ and there will be no reference 

to this subject in the description.

Juices, Juice Blends, and Nectars 

- Juices must be 100% juice or blend to have 8915 FSC

- “100% juice” will NOT appear in Item Descriptions

- Juices may be fortified with vitamins and/or minerals without mention

- Cranberry Juice Cocktail or cranberry blend juice cocktails with a minimum of 20% juice; 

and Nectars; are permitted in this category
BEVERAGES – FSC 8960:

Beverages, Drinks, Mixes, and Bases

- All fruit flavored beverages containing none or some fruit juice

- Percentage of juice, when provided, will be included in the description

- Includes cranberry juice cocktail with less than 20% juice

- Includes all other beverages, bases, sodas, energy drinks, etc.

MARINATED vs. SOLUTION ADDED

Below is an excerpt from USDA-FSIS’ publication, “Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book”, August 

2005 edition, regarding labeling requirements for marinated.

Marinated - To be labeled “marinated,“ a product must use a marinade that is a mixture in which food 

is either soaked, massaged, tumbled, or injected in order to improve taste, tenderness, or other 

sensory attributes, e.g., color or juiciness. Time allotted in a marinade depends on many factors, e.g., 

thickness and size of the meat and strength of the marinade. Marinade should be that amount 

necessary to affect the finished product, and limited to 10 percent pickup in red meat, 8 percent 

pickup in boneless poultry and 3 percent in bone-in poultry.

Solution added =

Red Meat over 10% 

Boneless Poultry over 8% 

Bone-in Poultry over 3% 

If marinated, no percentage is needed to be added to the item description. If solution added, we must 

identify the actual % identified on product label.

NET WEIGHT vs. DRAINED WEIGHT

LABEL DESIGNATIONS OF NET WEIGHT - If only one weight, being net weight, is identified on the label 

then net weight will be identified in the item description.

LABEL DESIGNATIONS OF DRAINED WEIGHT - If only one weight, being drained weight, is identified on 

the label then drained weight will be identified in the item description.

LABEL DESIGNATIONS OF BOTH NET WEIGHT & DRAINED WEIGHT - If both the net weight and drained 

weight are identified on the label then both the net weight and the drained weight will be identified in 

the item description.

#10 CANS - CAN NET WEIGHT:

FOR ZAP-IT & SAP DATABASES - For Generic items use “min XX oz cn, 6/#10cn” For NAPA items 

use “XX oz cn, 6/#10cn”
FOR CFMS PACKAGING FIELDS - use “6 XX OZ CN”

NUGGETS vs. NUGGET SHAPED PATTIES

Below is an excerpt from USDA-FSIS’ publication, “Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book”, August 2005

edition, regarding labeling requirements for nuggets, with three distinct categories identified. DLA Troop 

Support will be cataloging all requests for chicken nuggets in accordance with these guidelines. 

Nuggets are irregularly shaped, usually bite-sized meat and/or poultry products which are usually breaded and 

deep fat fried and intended to be used as finger foods. There are a number of different types of nuggets, the 

labeling for which is:

 (1) Products made from a solid piece of meat or poultry may use the term “Nugget” as part of the product 

name without further qualification (e.g., “Chicken Nugget,” “Beef Nugget”).

 (2) Products made from chopped and formed meat or poultry may use the term “Nugget” as part of the 

product name, provided a qualifying statement describing such process is shown contiguous to the product 

name (e.g., “Chicken Nugget, Chopped and Formed” or “Beef Nugget, Chopped and Formed”).

 (3) Products made from chopped meat or poultry and containing binders, extenders and/or water may use 

the term “Nugget” as a fanciful name, provided a descriptive name immediately follows “Species” or “Kind” 

nugget (e.g., “Breaded Nugget-Shaped Chicken Patties”).

 (4) Products described in (1), (2), and (3) above which are breaded shall be labeled as “breaded” and shall be 

limited to 30 percent breading.

All future Troop Support item descriptions will read:

CKN NUGGET

CKN NUGGET, CHOP&FRM

CKN NUGGET SHAPED PATTIES

PRECOOKED (P/C) vs. FULLY COOKED (F/C)

In an effort to ensure the accuracy of all item descriptions, we will catalog items that have received 

some degree of heat treatment in accordance with their label declaration in terms of either fully 

cooked (to include cooked or RTE) or precooked (to include partially cooked). As all food item labels 

must be approved by the appropriate federal regulatory authority (USDA FSIS for meat and poultry 

items, FDA for non meat items), we will defer to the wording declared on the approved label.

From 9 CFR Part 430:

Ready-to-eat (RTE) product. A meat or poultry product that is in a form that is edible without 

additional preparation to achieve food safety and may receive additional preparation for palatability or 

aesthetic, epicurean, gastronomic, or culinary purposes. RTE product is not required to bear a safehandling instruction (as required for non-RTE products by 9 CFR 317.2(l) and 381.125(b)) or other 

labeling that directs that the product must be cooked or otherwise treated for safety, and can include 

frozen meat and poultry products.
For meat and poultry items, we also reference the definitions supplied in the North American Meat 

Processors Association (NAMP) publication, “The Meat Buyer’s Guide”.

Precooked - Products that have been cooked but may require reheating or additional cooking prior to 

eating.

Fully Cooked - To be considered fully cooked the product generally must have reached a minimum 

internal temperature of 148oF and show product characteristics typical of a cooked product: partial 

bone separation, color, texture, flavor, etc.

The wording declared on the label is approved by FSIS or FDA based upon a manufacturer’s Hazard 

Analysis and Critical Control Plan (HACCP) category designation for each meat item produced, or the 

approved process schedule for non-meat items. DLA Troop Support requests that for each new LSN 

and NAPA LSN stock number request, an image of an actual (approved) product label be supplied with 

each request. An anticipated product label (an image of what is anticipated to be put on a label but 

the label has not yet been officially FSIS/FDA approved) will not be accepted. As required wording (i.e. 

marinated, % solution added, with rib meat, etc) is strictly regulated, an image of an actual product 

label is essential to ensure that all pertinent item characteristics are identified.

SHELLED vs. UNSHELLED

Shelled – No shell; extracted from the shell

Unshelled – In the shell; not extracted from its shell

For examples of graded nut items please refer to Fresh Nuts and Specialty Crops Grade Standards.

SOY

Textured/Texturized Vegetable Protein (TVP), Vegetable Protein Products (VPP), Isolated Soy Protein 

(ISP) will be added to item descriptions when they when they might be considered a major 

component/ingredient in the end item. A specific example would be the use of these products as a 

binder/extender in meat and poultry items, supplementing and/or replacing the protein sources in an 

end item. Soy will NOT be identified in an item description when it is considered an extremely minor 

component/ingredient (ex. one of several ingredients in breading or seasoning), nor will it be added 

strictly on the basis of being an allergen.

SWEET POTATO vs. YAMS

Taken from the U.S. Department of Agriculture website- Yams in the U.S. are actually sweet potatoes. 

USDA requires that the label "yam" always be accompanied by "sweet potato" for this reason. True 

yams are Dioscorea species and are not usually produced in the U.S.
All future Troop Support descriptions for yams will read:

POTATOES, SWT/YAMS