A06_-_Specs_V2_2.docx

SPECIFICATIONS – National Fish Food Blanket Purchase Agreement General Specifications:

The contractor will include the feed lot numbers on the invoice and/or the shipping receipts and the feed bag tag.

General Specifications apply to all feeds listed in this document The Contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, material, equipment, services and facilities (except as otherwise specified), to perform the Statement of Work/Specifications in accordance with the following Technical Specifications.

The contractor, when contacted about a feed problem, will take no longer than two days to respond to and address the complaint from Hatchery personnel, the COR or Fish Health personnel (same day response preferred). If the resolution is not to the satisfaction of the complainant, the Contracting Officer will be contacted.

Manufacturing Schedule:

USFWS desires as recently manufactured feed as possible. That said, at a minimum, feed shall have been manufactured no more than 60 days prior to time of delivery (when ordered during a feed production window) with a minimum remaining shelf life of no less than 90 days. Shipment of feed that fails to meet these specifications may not be accepted. The contractor shall request written permission (e.g., email) from the appropriate hatchery manager prior to any shipment of feed manufactured more than 60 days at the time of delivery, and/or with a shelf life of less than 90 days. Medicated feed may be required on an emergency basis and will be requested with as much lead time as possible.

The contractor will follow the Best Management Practices for Manufacturing, Packaging and Distributing Animal Feeds and Feed Ingredients. A copy is attached and was found on the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) website.

In addition to the Best Management Practices, the feed bag will be labeled with the numeric date of manufacture and lot number. Each delivered feed container shall have a label attached that meets industry standards for labeling. This includes, but is not limited to brand of feed, milling/manufacturing date of the feed, expiration date, feed size, lot number, storage requirements and conditions, guaranteed analysis, and a listing of all major raw materials used. Unopened containers of feed, properly stored, will have a guaranteed shelf life of not less than 90 days from date of manufacture.

The USFWS has the right to conduct analyses of manufactured feeds as delivered to determine if they meet the required labeled specifications for protein, lipid, moisture and ash. These analyses shall be conducted according to Association of Official Analytical Communities procedures. Additional analyses may be conducted as needed. Feed found to be noncompliant will be rejected, returned, and replaced at no cost to the Government.

Analysis methods will be as follows:

Analysis Method:

Crude Protein 984.13 or 968.06 Crude fat 920.39 or 954.02 Ash 942.05 Moisture 930.15 Peroxide* Cd 8-53 Free Fatty Acids Ca 5a-40 TBA Cd 19-90

* Lipid quality methods are American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS) standard methods.

American Oil Chemists' Society, 2710 S. Boulder, Urbana, IL 61802-6996 All methods except for the lipid quality parameters are taken from the Official Methods of Analysis of AOAC International, 21st Ed. 2019 Association of Analytical Communities, 481 N. Frederick Ave, Suite 500, Gaithersburg, MD 20877- 2417.

Packaging:

Finished bagged feed must be packaged in plastic or sewn polylined paper bags. Net weight of the contents within the bags shall not exceed 20 kg (44 lbs.) or 50 lbs.

Shipping and Storage:

Bag Feed Unopened bags of feed that have been properly stored shall have a shelf life of not less than 90 days. Feed shall be shipped on pallets not to exceed a metric ton in weight and shrink wrapped to protect the feed and those unloading the delivery. That said, site specific delivery parameters and restrictions may be determined at the time of each call. These parameters could include the need for a lift or to have the carrier unload the product as well as the adjusting the maximum weight of any given palletized shipment.

Bulk Feed Unless otherwise specified in the Schedule, Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs, bulk deliveries MUST be made in bulk feed trucks, which have been weighed before and after loading the bulk feed orders. The weight ticket MUST be furnished to the hatchery staff at the time of delivery. The driver must be capable of delivering the feed from the bulk truck to the hatchery's bulk bin elevator hopper or directly into the storage bins, as with pneumatic or belly dump delivery, with no assistance from Government personnel. Bag deliveries cannot be made to fill an order for bulk feed. The government may weigh bulk orders, selected on a random basis, on a certified scale to verify accuracy of weight.

The interior of all bulk feed trucks MUST be thoroughly cleaned prior to loading to prevent contamination of fish food. They must be cleaned in a manner that removes any particulate material or potential residual contaminants left in the interior of bulk feed trucks previously used to haul other bulk products. Contractor shall ensure all drivers who deliver fish food under this contract are aware of these specifications. If delivery is subcontracted, the subcontractor will provide every driver used to deliver fish food under this contract with these specifications. The prime contractor is responsible for ensuring that these specifications are used throughout any delivery chain they select.

Deliveries are to be made Monday through Friday, except federal holidays, between the hours of 7:00 AM and 2:00 PM (local time) unless approval is granted by the hatchery manager prior to delivery. No later than three calendar days prior to delivery, please contact the hatchery manager to arrange a specific time for delivery. All deliveries shall be shipped FOB Destination.

Additional Specifications:

There will be no more than 10% remilled feed in the finished product.

The protein/energy ratio and palatability of the feed will be such to provide healthy growth (e.g., acceptable feed conversion ratio) and acceptability in all fish species for which the feed was manufactured, under diverse environmental conditions.

Antioxidants in the finished feed and oils must be stabilized with industry standard practice antioxidants such as ethoxyquin not to exceed 150 ppm in finished feed or BHA-BHT not to exceed 200 ppm. Fish oils must be stabilized with the maximum allowable levels of antioxidants.

The vitamin and mineral levels in the finished feed shall meet or exceed the growth and health requirements of the fish for which the feed was manufactured, under diverse environmental conditions.

All feeds must be screened and sized to contain not less than 95% correct size particles. Dust content (dust defined as particles that pass through a #30 U.S. Standard Sieve) is not to exceed 3% at point of delivery.

Diameter and length of pellet shall be approximately equal; length can be 1.5 x the diameter.

Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) Feed - a proven diet, i.e., food that has been fed and shown to produce no ill effects, containing the necessary nutritional requirements to maintain the fish in a healthy condition without supplemental feeding of any kind. The feed will be formulated such that it is highly digestible to minimize nitrogen and fecal solids loss to the rearing water. In addition, the fecal particles will be highly stable and will remain a size large enough for optimum removal by the RAS.

Delivery:

Prices quoted must be FOB Destination “F.O.B. destination” means Free of expense to the Government delivered on board the carrier’s conveyance, at a specified delivery point where the consignee’s facility (plant, warehouse, store, lot, or other location to which shipment can be made) is located; and Supplies shall be delivered to the destination consignee’s wharf (if destination is a port city and supplies are for export), warehouse unloading platform, receiving dock, or bulk storage bins, at the expense of the contractor. The Government shall not be liable for any delivery, storage, demurrage, accessorial, or other charges involved before the actual delivery (or “constructive placement” as defined in carrier tariffs) of the supplies to the destination, unless such charges are caused by an act or order of the Government acting in its contractual capacity. If rail carrier is used, supplies shall be delivered to the specified unloading platform of the consignee. If motor carrier (including “piggyback”) is used, supplies shall be delivered to truck tailgate at the unloading platform of the consignee, except when the supplies delivered meet the requirements of Item 568 of the National Motor Freight Classification for “heavy or bulky freight.” When supplies meeting the requirements of the referenced Item 568 are delivered, unloading (including movement to the tailgate) shall be performed by the consignee, with assistance from the truck driver, if requested. If the contractor uses rail carrier or freight forwarder for less than carload shipments, the contractor shall ensure that the carrier will furnish tailgate delivery when required, if transfer to truck is required to complete delivery to consignee. On bulk deliveries, the truck driver is required to connect hoses, operate pneumatic system, open gates, etc. required to get the feed from the delivery truck to the FWS bulk storage facility.

Contractor Responsibilities:

The contractor shall:

1a. Pack and mark the shipment to comply with contract specifications; or 1b. In the absence of specifications, prepare the shipment in conformance with carrier requirements.

2. Prepare and distribute commercial bills of lading.

3. Deliver the shipment in good order and condition to the point of delivery as specified in the BPA or by the individual hatchery making the order.

4. Be responsible for any loss of and/or damage to the goods occurring before receipt of the shipment by the consignee at the delivery point specified in the BPA.

5. Furnish a delivery schedule and designate the mode of delivering carrier; and

6. Pay and bear all charges to the specified point of delivery.

Delivery Location:

The product shall be delivered to the location(s) defined on each delivery order.

GUIDANCE/FRAMEWORK FOR BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR MANUFACTURING, PACKAGING AND DISTRIBUTING ANIMAL FEEDS AND FEED INGREDIENTS I. Preamble This document provides guidance and a framework to respective segments of the industry for developing and implementing “best management practices” for the manufacturing, packaging and distribution of animal feeds and feed ingredients. Such practices can help ensure the continued safety of feed for animals and food products of animal origin, thereby preserving human/animal health and retaining consumer confidence.

This guidance/framework document is designed to be an educational tool and information resource that can be used and distributed by:

· Feed regulatory officials, as part of ongoing inspection and education programs.

· Industry trade associations, as part of their model quality-assurance programs and education/training programs for their respective sectors of the animal feed and feed ingredient industry; and

· Individual companies engaged in the manufacturing, packaging and/or distribution of animal feed and feed ingredients, as a starting point for developing their own company-specific “best management practices.”

This guidance document is intentionally generic and performance-oriented, in recognition of the diverse nature of the animal feed and feed ingredient industries. The industries include a variety of ingredient suppliers and feed manufacturers, (including, but not limited, to oil seed meal producers and distributors; grain handlers and processors; animal protein renderers and suppliers; fat and oil suppliers; molasses processors and suppliers; vitamin and mineral suppliers; animal drug suppliers; commercial licensed mills; commercial non-licensed mills; on-farm mixer/feeders; large integrated operations; premixes; non- medicated laboratory diets; pet food manufacturers, etc.).

This guidance document provides a framework upon which industry-specific voluntary programs as discussed above can be developed. AAFCO encourages that it be used by all interested parties to focus on food safety issues important for respective segments of the industry.

II. Purpose To provide a framework/guidance for the manufacturing, packaging or distribution of animal feeds and feed ingredients. It is intended that this document may be used as a framework for the development of feed ingredient and/or animal feed-specific pro- grams, where such additional guidance is needed. This guidance is designed to reflect the conditions of manufacturing currently accepted and generally practiced by the industry and provides flexibility to manufacturers to develop specific procedures that work best for their individual operation(s).

III. Terms and Definitions The following terms and their corresponding definitions are used in this guidance document:

1. Adulterated means as defined within the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and Section 7 of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Model Feed Bill.

2. Feed(s) means edible material(s) which are consumed by animals and contribute energy and/or nutrients to the animal’s diet.

3. Feed ingredient(s) means each of the constituent materials making up a commercial feed.

4. Lot means the feed or feed ingredient produced during a specified period of time.

5. Misbranding means as defined in Section 6 of the Association of American Feed Control Officials Model Feed Bill.

6. Pest refers to any objectionable animals including, but not limited to bats, birds, cats, rodents, insects and insect larvae.

7. Plant means the building, facility, or parts thereof, used for or in connection with the manufacturing, packaging, labeling or storage of feeds or feed ingredients.

8. Quality assurance program means written procedures specifying necessary precautions, inspections, and/or testing to minimize feed from becoming adulterated and/or misbranded.

9. Rework means feed or feed ingredients that have been reconditioned by reprocessing into products suitable for use in feed.

10. Supervision means a performance by a qualified individual to oversee the work of others.

IV. Personnel Plant management should take all reasonable measures and precautions to ensure the following:

1. Cleanliness. All persons working in direct contact with feed and feed ingredients should conform to good hygienic practices. Personnel in contact with drugs and/or toxic materials should wash their hands prior to handling feed or feed ingredients.

2. Education and training. Employees should receive appropriate training in the quality-assurance issues applicable to their assigned responsibilities.

3. Supervision. Adequate supervision should be required to ensure compliance with the quality assurance program.

V. Buildings, Facilities and Equipment A. Plant and grounds.

1. Grounds. The grounds of a feed or feed ingredient facility should be kept in a condition that will minimize the contamination of feed.

2. Plant construction and design. Plant buildings and structures should be suitable in size, construction and design to facilitate maintenance and cleaning operations for feed and feed ingredient- manufacturing purposes. Such design should include plans to minimize feed contamination.

B. Housekeeping operations

1. General maintenance. Buildings, fixtures, and other physical facilities of the plant should be kept in repair, sufficient to minimize feed from becoming adulterated.

2. Substances used in cleaning; storage of toxic materials. Cleaning compounds, toxic materials (e.g., lubricants, etc.) and pesticides should be appropriate for use, used only in accordance with labeled instructions and stored to minimize potential contamination of feed or feed ingredients.

3. Pest control. Effective measures should be taken to exclude pests from feed processing and storage areas, and to protect against contamination of feed or feed ingredients C. Equipment All equipment should be of suitable size, design, construction, precision and accuracy for its intended purpose and be capable of producing a product of uniform quality and safety. The equipment should be properly maintained, cleaned, inspected and operated in such a manner to minimize adulteration of feed or feed ingredients.

D. Scales.

All scales and metering devices should be tested for accuracy upon installation and at least once a year thereafter, or as may be necessary to insure their in- tended purpose.

Mixers. All mixers used in the manufacture of feed or feed ingredients should be tested periodically to assure proper mixing and proper mixing times.

VI. Production and Process Controls The receipt, storage and inventory of feed ingredients used in manufacturing and processing of animal feeds and the production of such animal feeds should conform to the following:

A. Feed Ingredients Feed ingredients should be produced using procedures that minimize potential contaminants and promote appropriate product safety, quality and integrity, and meet all applicable standards for feed use. To help ensure product integrity, feed ingredients should be obtained from suppliers that have suitable quality assurance pro- grams and procedures that minimize potential contaminants. This may be accomplished through any effective means, for example, supplier visits, supplier certification, purchase contracts, monitoring of the ingredient supplier or a combination thereof.

1. Bulk feed ingredients should be inspected as follows:

a. A representative sample should be taken and retained for an appropriate period from the truck (except as provided in subsection A. 1. c.) or rail car upon its arrival at the plant using appropriate sampling techniques consistent with the methods published by the AOAC International, or in accordance with other generally recognized methods, to make a determination of compliance with the establishment’s receiving standards prior to unloading or acceptance.

b. Prior to unloading, the initial discharge from each compartment of each truck (except as provided in section c.) or rail car should be examined for contamination. If product safety or quality concerns are noted, appropriate action should be taken.

c. For ingredients delivered by conveyances in which sampling of the product at the destination is impractical (such as deliveries conveyed in pneumatic trucks), the supplier should provide assurances to the receiver that the conveyance was visibly free of contamination prior to shipment. In addition, the supplier should take and retain a representative sample of the ingredient loaded into the truck. The representative sample should be retained for an appropriate period.

2. Bagged ingredients should be examined as follows:

a. Packaging should be visually examined upon receipt and use for identity and damage that could cause unsafe contamination; and

b. The contents should be visually examined before use.

3. Feed ingredients should be of merchantable quality; comply with appropriate state and federal regulatory definitions; meet appropriate state and federal action levels and regulatory limits established for contaminants; and comply with all other applicable local, state and federal laws.

4. If a feed ingredient contains or may contain prohibited mammalian protein, federal regulation [21 CFR 589.2000] requires that it be properly labeled with the warning statement, “Do not feed to cattle or other ruminants.” To prevent cross- contamination, appropriate equipment clean-out procedures are required to be implemented at facilities which receive prohibited mammalian protein and manufacture feeds for ruminant animals.

a. Pet food sold or intended for sale at retail and feeds for non-ruminant laboratory animals are exempt from this labeling requirement.

b. If pet food products or feeds for non-ruminant laboratory animals are sold or intended for sale as distressed or salvage, then they must be labeled “Do not feed to cattle or other ruminants”.

5. Any feed ingredient suspected of possible contamination should not be used in the production of animal feed unless, through proper sampling and testing, is found to be appropriate for the species and class of animal for which it is tended.

6. All feed ingredients should be stored in suitable and clean bulk bins or containers that are properly and clearly identified.

B. Feed and Feed Ingredient Processing Written procedures should be implemented that adequately identifies the potential for miss-manufacture or other hazards associated with the products being manufactured at the facility, and which establish practices to minimize the potential for compromising animal and human health. Such practices may range from visual re- view to verification of compliance with the established procedures.

1. All feed and feed ingredient manufacturing, including packaging, storage and delivery, should be performed under such conditions and controls as are necessary to minimize the potential for contamination.

2. Feed-in-process should be handled in a manner that minimizes the potential for contamination. Suggested procedures may include the following, as appropriate:

a. A means of identifying the formulation used in the manufacture of the product.

b. Batch records that provide the history for each batch or lot of product manufactured, including equipment used in production, storage, packaging and load out.

c. A means of linking the appropriate label to the proper production batch or lot of product.

d. Effective measures to protect against the inclusion of metal or other extraneous material in feed and feed ingredients. This may be accomplished by using sieves, traps, magnets, electronic metal detectors or other effective means.

e. Written procedures that specify appropriate sequencing, flushing or clean out between batches or lots of products where carryover from one lot to an- other could be unsafe to animals or humans. Appropriate documentation should be maintained concerning adherence with these written procedures. In the case of prohibited mammalian protein being used at facilities that manufacture feed for ruminant animals, this is a federal regulatory requirement [21 CFR 589.2000].

f. An appropriate permitted yield variation for products. Written procedures should be developed and implemented for calculating and comparing the actual versus the theoretical yield for each production run prior to shipment, unless bin-stocking procedures are used (in which case, it is advisable to use weekly cutoffs). If a significant discrepancy is discovered when comparing actual versus theoretical yield that exceeds the firm’s established variation, a process should be established to identify the reason for the discrepancy before the feed is shipped to avoid compromising animal or human safety.

g. A means for identifying and storing rework materials.

C. Laboratory Controls Adequate specifications, testing procedures and methods should be implemented.

Analytical results, which do not meet product specifications, should be investigated to verify that the manufacturing process is in control, the product formulation is correct and/or nutrient values used in the products formulation are accurate. Investigations of these results include the following:

1. Review of production records to verify if anything in the manufacturing history could be the cause of the result.

2. Review of the product formulation.

3. Review of the ingredient values used for formulation; and

4. Documentation of the review process and any corrective action taken.

D. Warehousing and Distribution Feed or feed ingredients should be stored and transported under conditions that will protect such products from physical and chemical contamination.

1. Feed and feed ingredient storage practices should minimize the potential for contamination and provide for appropriate inventory rotation practices to minimize outdated inventory.

2. Trucks should be inspected at bulk load-out prior to loading to insure they are free of contamination.

3. Feed, feed ingredients or other articles that may cause contamination which may present a safety concern to animals or humans should not be loaded on the same vehicle unless precautions are taken to preclude the potential for cross contamination.

4. All feed and feed ingredients are to be appropriately labeled or otherwise identified at all times.

E. Labeling

1. Labels and labeling, including placards, should be received and stored in a manner that prevents labeling mix- ups and assures that correct labeling is used for feed and feed ingredients.

2. All feed and feed ingredients, including working inventories, are to be properly always identified.

F. Records It is recommended that records of receiving, production and distribution be maintained for at least one year.

G. Lot Numbers All feed and feed ingredients should contain a code that links the individual production lot to production records to provide a history of such product. The code should be contained either on the product packaging, labeling, or other distribution records that would accompany the shipment to enable recall of the product if necessary. If such code numbers are not lot-specific, then all products bearing that code number should be recalled in the event of a problem requiring such recall action.

H. Recalls All recalls should be conducted in accordance with procedures outlined by the Food and Drug Administration, 21 CFR part 7, subpart C