SSB5_CRD_04-28-2016.pdf

Agricultural Marketing Service

Commodity Procurement Staff P.O. Box 419205, MS

8718 Kansas City, MO

64141-6205

USDA COMMODITY REQUIREMENTS

SSB5

SUNFLOWER SEED BUTTER

PEANUT & TREE NUT FREE PRODUCTS

FOR USE IN DOMESTIC PROGRAMS

Effective Date: 04/28/2016

USDA COMMODITY REQUIREMENTS

SSB5

SUNFLOWER SEED BUTTER

PEANUT & TREE NUT FREE PRODUCTS

FOR USE IN DOMESTIC PROGRAMS

Table of Contents

Part 1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS 1

Section 1.1 COMMODITIES 1

Section 1.2 WARRANTY 2

Section 1.3 “KOSHER ONLY” PRODUCTS 3

Section 1.4 QUALITY ASSURANCE 3

Part 2 CONTAINER AND PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS 3

Section 2.1 GENERAL 3

Section 2.2 COMMERCIAL PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS 3

Section 2.3 CONTAINERS AND MATERIALS 4

Section 2.4 UNITIZATION REQUIREMENTS 4

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Part 1 COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS

Section 1.1 COMMODITIES

A. Quality of Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower seeds used in the manufacture of sunflower seed butter shall be:

(1) Tested for aflatoxin and certified to be negative.

(2)

(3) Human food quality confectionery kernels and within the requirements of

U.S. Grade No. 1 or U.S. Grade No. 2

(4) Free of mildew stains, filth, or other extraneous material, and free from bitter, musty, sour, rancid, sprouty, or other objectionable tastes and odors.

(5) From current crop year stocks or as specified in the solicitation.

(6) For oil roasted sunflower seeds, the roasting oil shall be thoroughly refined, deodorized, and free from rancidity and objectionable flavor after heating to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and shall have a free-fatty acid content of not more than .08 percent (as oleic acid) prior to its first use. The roasting oil shall be stabilized using additives of a kind and at levels permitted in edible oil products under the Federal Food, Drug, and

Cosmetic Act. Peanut oil is not allowable.

B. Quality of Sunflower Seed Butter

The finished product shall:

(1) Not exceed the microbiological requirements contained in the table below:

Microbiological Standards

Salmonella Negative

E. Coli <3 MPN/g

Coliform <10 MPN/g

Aerobic Plate Count <10,000/g

Yeast <50/gram

Mold <50/gram

(2) Meet the requirements contained in the table below:

Per 32g Serving Minimum Maximum

Protein 7g ---

Fats --- 16g

Moisture --- 4%

Peroxide (meq/kg) --- 1.5

Aflatoxin Negative Negative

C. Sunflower Seed Butter shall be processed and packaged using equipment that:

1. Has had no direct contact with a major allergen or

2. If the equipment used has had direct contact with a major allergen, it has been sanitized using an approved industry standard allergenic

SSB3 Page 4 sanitation/clean and restart, and is free of allergens prior to USDA sunflower seed butter production run.

3. This mandatory requirement does not include any packaging or labeling equipment used after the primary container has been sealed.

4. Product must be tested for allergens and certified allergen free by an independent lab.

5. Product labels may not include allergen advisory statements.

There is zero tolerance for peanut or tree nut residue of any type in the finished product.

6. Be of a stabilized type. Stabilizers shall be derived solely from vegetable sources so as to prevent oil separation. Vegetable oils shall be produced from non-tropical sources; i.e., coconut, palm, and palm kernel.

Peanut oil is not allowable. U.S. origin certification is not required for sweeteners and stabilizers used in the manufacture of the finished product.

7. Be finely ground and have a smooth texture. The consistency of the finished product shall be such that it spreads uniformly without tearing or breaking fresh white bread, and shall be free of any gelatin-like condition.

Be crisp, palatable, and free from bitter, musty, sour, rancid, sprouty, or other objectionable tastes and odors.

a. Be brown in the color hue as USDA Color 1, USDA Color 2, USDA Color 3, and USDA Color 4 defined in the "United

States Standards for Grades of Peanut Butter". The standards are available at http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDEV

3011890. The color intensity, or degree of lightness or darkness, may vary; however, the Government reserves the right to reject products lighter than USDA Color 1, and those darker than USDA Color 4.

8. Instructions for color determination

a. The USDA Color Standards shall be viewed under standard lighting conditions. Compare the color of the USDA color standard with a representative sample of the finished product having an area and depth approximately equal to the color standard (2 inch x 3 inch x 1/8 inch). A suitable light source of approximately 250 foot candle intensity and having a spectral quality approximating that of daylight under a moderately overcast sky and a color temperature of 7500 degrees Kelvin ±

200 degrees is preferable. With a light source directly over the color standard and the product, observation is made at an angle of 45 degrees and at a distance of about 24 inches from the product.

b. Though the appearance of the finished product should be similar to that of peanut butter, the product should never be directly compared with peanut butter given the risk of peanut http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDEV3011890 http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDEV3011890

SSB3 Page 5 contamination.

c. To purchase plastic plates of the USDA Peanut Butter Colors

1, 2, 3 and 4, contact:

USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service

Fruit and Vegetable Programs, Processed Products Branch

Room 0709-S, Stop Code 0247

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20250-0247

Phone: 202-720-4693

Fax: 202-690-1527

9. There is zero tolerance for peanut or tree nut residue of any type in the finished product.

Section 1.2 WARRANTY

The product shall have a shelf life of at least one year from date of manufacturer.

Product shall not be manufactured more than 60 days prior to shipping.

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Section 1.3 “KOSHER ONLY” PRODUCTS

“Kosher Only” products will be identified in the solicitation. Kosher only products shall comply with applicable dietary (kosher) laws as established by the “613 Council of Kashruth.” Manufacturing plants shall be certified for compliance with the aforementioned requirement by contacting the Board of

Jewish Education of Greater New York (BJENY) at 646-472-5365. A rabbinic supervisor will be sent to certify compliance of the manufacturing plant with the dietary (kosher) laws.

Offeror shall certify that their manufacturing plant is capable of meeting applicable dietary (kosher) laws as established by the “613 Council of

Kashruth” and certification by BJENY.

Section 1.4 QUALITY ASSURANCE

A. The contractor shall perform the product testing and quality analysis to ensure that the product meets the commodity specifications. The results shall be evidenced by a Certificate of Analysis (COA).

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

Part 2 CONTAINER AND PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS

Section 2.1 GENERAL

This part provides the container specifications and packaging materials requirements used under this contract.

Section 2.2 COMMERCIAL PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS

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.

B. Container and packaging requirements are those used in the current commercial shipping practices and shall comply with:

(1) Unitization requirements in Section 2.4.

(2) At contractor’s option, a statement such as “Not for Retail Sale” may be printed on the principal display panel of the food label.

(3) The manufacturer’s lot code/lot identification number shall be shown on the commercial bill of lading.

(4) 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.

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(5) For identification upon receipt at delivery warehouses, all commercial-labeled product shipping documents shall specify “FOR USDA FOOD

DISTRIBUTION PROGRAMS.”

Section 2.3 CONTAINERS AND MATERIALS

A. All containers and packaging shall be constructed to meet the requirements of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for safe contact with the packaged product. The contractor shall obtain and maintain documentation from the container or packaging material manufacturer to verify that the containers and packaging materials used in this contract were in compliance with the Government’s regulatory requirements for safe contact with food products as required in the Master Solicitation, Part 3, Section A, Number 3.

B. Questions concerning the containers and materials should be directed to:

Ray Boyd (816)-926-2612 or

Roy.Boyd@ams.usda.gov

C. If the contractor purchases packaging and container ingredients from a foreign country and/or the package and container is manufactured in a foreign country, the package and container

SHALL NOT display country of origin labeling. Phrases similar to but not inclusive of, “Made in [Name of Foreign Country.]” or

“Product of [Name of Foreign Country.]” are strictly prohibited.

Section 2.4 UNITIZATION REQUIREMENTS

Shipments shall comply with the following unitization requirements:

A. Unless otherwise specified by the Government, all shipments of packaged products shall be unitized (palletized and stretch wrapped).

B. Pallets shall be:

(1) Constructed to facilitate the safe handling and transportation of the packaged product, as a unit, without loss or damage.

(2) A Number 2, four-way, reversible flush stringer with no broken runners or slats.

(3) Suitable for use in the shipment of food products.

C. Plastic stretch wrap shall be:

(1) Constructed of a plastic film which is to be stretched a minimum of 50 percent beyond its original length when stretched around the pallet load.

mailto:Roy.Boyd@ams.usda.gov

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(2) Applied as tightly as possible around all tiers of the palletized shipping containers. The shipping containers shall be held firmly in place by the stretch wrap.

D. Pallet loads shall be:

(1) Stacked in such a way as to minimize the amount that shipping containers overhang the edges of pallets.

(2) Blocked and braced or otherwise loaded into the conveyance in a manner that prevents shifting during transit.