Final -Supplement 603 Frozen Bison Items - April 2026.pdf

Approved by DRD Date Issued: 06/10/12 Date Revised: 03/27/26 1

APPROVED

Supplement 603 to the AMS Master Solicitation for Purchase of Frozen Bison Products for Distribution to Federal Food and Nutrition Assistance Programs Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Livestock and Poultry (LP) Program Standards and Specifications Division (SSD) Room 2702-S, STOP 0249 Phone: (202) 690-3148

Supersedes: Supplement 603 March 2023 – changes from previous requirements in blue

Effective: April 2026

100 Overview

110 This document provides additional program requirements for the purchase of frozen bison Products by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), including the applicable Federal Purchase Program Specification (FPPS) (Exhibit A).

200 Instructions to Potential Contractors

210 The frozen bison products shall be purchased on a competitive bid basis from qualified contractors who have met the requirements described in this Section. Interested contractors may submit a technical proposal at any time during the purchase program.

Contractors should allow 10 working days, from USDA’s receipt of the technical proposal for notification of evaluation results. A contractor is deemed eligible upon notification of approval of the technical proposal by the Standards and Specifications Division (SSD).

220 Submission of a technical proposal is not binding on USDA. Contractor eligibility for USDA purchase programs will be based on the technical approval of the contractor as well as the completion of additional contractor requirements described in the AMS Master Solicitation for Commodity Procurements (MSCP-D), this Supplement, and/or a separately issued Solicitation. Actual purchases shall be described in the AMS MSCP-D and Solicitations.

230 Documentation Requirements

Date Revised: 03/27/26 2

231 Technical Proposal Requirement

231.1 Include a detailed description of the bison product(s) offered and each of the production steps that are taken to meet or exceed the minimum product requirements set forth in the FPPS. (Plan/Do)

231.2 Describe all the quality assurance methods used to verify conformance to all requirements.

This shall include the monitoring and measurements taken during the process to verify conformance with each requirement. All measurement results shall be recorded and made available to AMS. (Check)

231.3 Identify all corrective actions to be taken if deviations from contractual and specification requirements occur during production, and all preventative actions to be taken to preclude a reoccurrence. (Act)

231.4 The technical proposal shall follow the format as shown in Exhibit C. Technical proposals should be brief and concise.

231.5 The technical proposal shall be preceded by the following, as required by the template:

231.5.1 Table of Contents listing the major areas as they appear in the technical proposal, and

231.5.2 List of attachments and forms provided in the technical proposal with the applicable document name and reference number.

232 The SSD shall review each technical proposal to determine if it is adequate and shall notify the contractor of the status and their eligibility to bid.

300 Instructions for Submission of Technical Proposal

310 The following procedures establish the acceptable minimum requirements for the format and content of the technical proposal:

310.1 The Government has provided a technical proposal format to be used in preparing the technical proposal (see Exhibit C). The contractor shall submit the technical proposal as an email file attachment to TechnicalApprovals@usda.gov and Kym.Allen@.usda.gov. The technical proposal shall be saved in a non-portable document file format (not PDF, e.g., Microsoft Word). The technical proposal shall be submitted in its entirety. If the file size of the technical proposal is too large to send in a single email, it may be divided and sent in multiple emails (i.e., Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, etc.). The collection of attachments and appendices may be submitted as a separate document as well.

mailto:TechnicalApprovals@usda.gov mailto:Kym.Allen@.usda.gov

Date Revised: 03/27/26 3

310.2 While it is not the desire of the Government to penalize a contractor for non-compliance with formatting instructions, technical evaluators may have difficulty evaluating the technical proposal to the fullest extent possible if the proposal is not presented in the proper format. Technical evaluators shall not be required to search other subsections or sections of the contractor’s technical proposal for information requested in the evaluation.

320 Technical Proposal Revisions

321 Changes to a contractor’s technical proposal may be submitted at any time or at the request of the SSD. All technical proposal revisions shall meet the following criteria:

321.1 Any changes to a technical proposal made by the contractor after its initial submittal is approved shall be accomplished by submitting an entire technical proposal. A cover letter shall be submitted with the changes identified and an explanation of the need for the change. The contractor shall include the revision date and the appropriate page number(s).

321.2 Changes from the original technical proposal shall be highlighted and deletions in strikeouts.

400 Assessment by the Quality Assessment Division (QAD)

410 Once a contractor is notified by the SSD that the technical proposal meets the applicable criteria, the QAD shall contact the contractor to set up a pre-award onsite capability assessment audit of the facility’s processes, food security plan, and quality control program used to produce the product(s) to determine the contractor’s ability to meet contractual requirements.

420 Pre-Award Onsite Capability Assessment Audit

421 Food Defense Assessment

421.1 An AMS agent shall conduct a food defense audit that shall include, but is not limited to, a thorough evaluation of the contractor’s food defense plan. Documentation shall support the contractor’s food defense plan. If the report demonstrates that the food defense plan is inadequate, the contractor shall be notified by the SSD that they are ineligible to bid.

The contractor shall have an opportunity to correct identified deficiencies, modify the food defense plan and resubmit a brief description for further consideration. Eligibility shall depend on whether the modifications demonstrate compliance with the food defense plan.

422 Harvesting Requirement

422.1 QAD shall conduct monthly harvesting and humane handling audits based on the requirements stated in the attached FPPS and the company’s approved technical proposal.

Documentation shall support the contractor’s adherence to meeting the harvesting and humane handling requirements as set forth in the FPPS.

Date Revised: 03/27/26 4

423 Documentation shall support:

423.1 the production of the bison product that complies with the applicable FFPS and the potential contractor’s approved technical proposal, and

423.2 the contractor’s food security plan. In addition, the audit shall consist of the review of records related to purchasing, receiving, production, quality control, inventory and shipping records, and interviews with management and production personnel.

424 Upon completion of the onsite capability assessment, the auditor shall provide either a verbal or email notification of the audit findings to the SSD to determine (based on the audit findings), contractor eligibility to bid. Contractors shall be notified by the SSD, and the official final report shall be sent once released from the QAD.

424.1 If the audit findings demonstrate that the process or food security plan is inadequate, the applicant shall be notified by the SSD that they are ineligible to bid. The contractor shall have an opportunity to correct identified deficiencies, modify the process, food security plan, and/or technical proposal, and resubmit for further consideration.

424.2 Eligibility shall depend on whether the modifications demonstrate that:

424.2.1 the process is capable of delivering bison product(s) in compliance with the FPPS;

424.2.2 the contractor is in compliance with the food security plan;

424.2.3 a successful QAD corrective action audit is conducted; and

424.2.4 the contractor complies with other applicable contractual requirements.

430 Post-Award Assessment Audit

431 Eligible contractors who receive contracts shall have their documented food security plan, technical proposal, and supporting documentation readily available for review by the SSD or AMS agents. Records may be maintained on hard copy or electronic media. However, records maintained as electronic media shall be made available in printed form immediately upon request by the SSD or AMS agents.

432 The QAD shall conduct an onsite audit of the contractor’s facility(s) and processes when production commences for the first contract awarded. Additional audits shall be conducted as determined by the SSD, but not less than once per month for contractors with continuous or multiple contracts, or once per contract for intermittent contractor. At the discretion of the SSD, more frequent audits may be conducted when audit deficiencies are detected.

Date Revised: 03/27/26 5

440 Post-Award Actions

441 Any deviation from contractual requirements shall be immediately reported by the contractor to the Contracting Officer and SSD. The Contracting Officer or SSD shall notify the contractor regarding eligibility to continue to participate as a contractor.

442 Contractor shall assure that the delivered product complies with the provisions of the

FPPS, the applicable assessment by AMS, and the contractor’s technical proposal approved by the SSD.

450 The cost of all audits, product monitoring, and certification services performed by the AMS agents shall be borne by the contractor. This includes, but is not limited to, audits, examinations, supervision, official documentation, and related services.

451 Questions concerning charges and the availability of AMS agents can be directed to a

USDA/AMS, LP Program’s Quality Assessment Division (QAD) field office or to:

USDA, AMS, LP, QAD Business Operations Branch 1200 Cherry Brook Drive, Suite 100 Little Rock, AR 72211 Phone: 501-312-2962

Email: QAD.BusinessOps@usda.gov

460 AMS Monitoring and Evaluation Program

461 Eligible contractors who receive USDA contracts must have an AMS agent present during the production of the frozen ground bison products. The AMS agent will monitor and verify the production based on the contractor’s approved technical proposal and the FPPS. The contractor must provide a copy of the approved technical proposal and have the supporting documentation readily available for review by the AMS agent. Records may be maintained on hard copy or electronic media; however, records maintained as electronic media will be made available in printed form immediately upon request by AMS or its agents.

500 Animal Welfare Requirements

510 The contactor and all subcontractors must meet the animal handling and welfare requirement set forth in the attached Exhibit B (FPPS-BHW-2026).

Date Revised: 03/27/26 6

600 Responsibilities and Eligibility

610 Facilities used in fulfilling USDA contracts must be operating under the provisions of the

Voluntary Exotic Animal Inspection Program of the FSIS contained in Title 9 C.F.R. Part 352 Subpart A 352.1 – 352.18. The firm must also be approved under a QAD pre-award contractor capability assessment audit prior to submitting an offer under this Supplement.

Firms must also comply with the provisions of FSIS Final Rule for Pathogen Reduction;

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control (HACCP) Systems.

620 Contractors or subcontractors of frozen bison products are: (1) ineligible if they are currently delivering late on USDA contracts or USDA-approved subcontracts, and late delivery is not due to causes beyond their control; and (2) ineligible if they are not operating under the provisions of the Voluntary Exotic Animal Inspection Program of the FSIS contained in Title 9 C.F.R. Part 352 Subpart A 352.1 – 352.18, or have been suspended or debarred under the provisions of 48 C.F.R. Subpart 9.4

700 Domestic Origin Certification Clause

710 The contractor shall include the below domestic origin certification clause in its entirety in all subcontracts for meat or meat products used in fulfilling any contracts awarded under this Supplement and MSCP-D. The burden of proof of compliance is on the Contractor. All raw materials shall be shipped in containers labeled as “Domestic Only Product” on the principal display panel and the bill of lading accompanying the shipment shall contain the statement “Domestic Only Product.”

800 Certificate of Conformance (COC)

810 In addition to the referenced payment documents required in the MSCP-D, please include a copy of the Contractor’s Certificate of Conformance (Exhibit D).

900 Contractor Checkloading

910 Contractor shall perform checkloading examinations as described in the FPPS at the time of shipment and issue a contractor’s certificate to accompany each shipment that includes all of the following information:

910.1 Purchase Order Number and Purchase Order Line-Item Number;

910.2 Sales Order Number and Sales Order Line-Item Number;

910.3 Name of product and material number;

910.4 Shipping Date;

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910.5 The information required for traceability includes the production lot number(s) and the corresponding production date for each lot. Additionally, the primary package and shipping case code(s) must be provided, along with the code that facilitates traceability back to the establishment number, production lot, and date;

910.6 Count of shipping cases and total projected net weight in each production lot and delivery unit;

910.7 Identity of car or transportation trailer numbers, letters, license, etc., including all serially numbered door seal(s), as applicable;

910.8 Destination of shipment;

910.9 Count and projected net weight verified;

910.10 Product temperature at time of loading to final destination;

910.11 Sample average fat content analysis of each production lot of ground bison; and

910.12 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading.

1000 Exhibits

Date Issued: 04/26/04 Date Revised: 03/27/26 1

APPROVED

Federal Purchase Program Specification (FPPS) for Ground Bison and Bison Stew Meat, Frozen Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Livestock and Poultry (LP) Program Standards and Specifications Division (SSD) Room 2702-S, STOP 0249 Phone: (202) 690-3148

Supersedes: FPPS Ground Bison and Bison Stew Meat dated March 2023 – changes from previous requirements in blue

Effective: April 2026

100 Scope

110 This FPPS – Ground Bison and Bison Stew Meat (BIS) – 2026 is for use by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Commodity Procurement (CP) Staff for the procurement of frozen ground bison and bison stew meat. For this program, AMS shall utilize the Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications (IMPS) descriptions and requirements for beef for stewing as specification requirements for the production of bison stew meat.

200 Applicable Documents

210 The following documents are incorporated as part of this USDA FPPS-BIS-2026:

210.1 Quality Assessment Division (QAD) Procedures Manual.

210.2 Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Directive 10,010.1 and Notice 05-23.

210.3 Applicable Supplement to AMS Master Solicitation for Commodity

Procurements (MSCP-D).

210.4 IMPS General Requirements, effective June 1996.

210.5 IMPS for Fresh Beef Products, Series 100, effective November 2014.

Supplement 603 to AMS Master Solicitation Exhibit A

Date Revised: 03/27/26 2

210.6 IMPS Quality Assurance Provisions, effective June 1997

300 Ordering Data: To Be Specified by The Purchaser

310 Ground Bison and Bison Stew Meat

311 (Section in the IMPS 100 Series) For the purpose of this FPPS, references to

“Beef for Stewing” (IMPS Item No. 135A) are changed to Bison Stew Meat.

312 The ground bison and bison stew meat shall be produced from bison harvested in, and the finished product shall be prepared and handled in, an establishment(s) operating under the Voluntary Exotic Animal Inspection Program of the USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and shall comply with the Sanitation Performance Standards provisions of 9 CFR 416.1- 416.6.

312.1 Ground Bison – Ground bison shall be produced from fresh bison cuts and trimmings from any portion of the carcass, which yields product that meets the end item requirements. Frozen, boneless bison may be used provided it is ground into the final product within 60 days from date of pack.

312.2 Bison Stew Meat – Bison stew meat shall be prepared from fresh bison cuts and trimmings from any portion of the carcass, which yields product that meets the end-item requirements for IMPS Item 135A.

320 Material

321 The contractor’s technical proposal shall describe a process that includes procedures, records, forms, etc. that demonstrate conformance with the following Checklist of Requirements and has received a satisfactory onsite capability assessment by the QAD.

322 IMPS Requirements - The contractor shall ensure, through their technical proposal, that the product complies with the Material section of IMPS Item No.

135A for bison stew meat, and the following additional criteria:

322.1 Domestic Origin of Meat Component – All meat shall originate from livestock that are born, raised, and harvested in the United States, its territories or possessions (U.S.) If the establishment receives and processes livestock from outside the U.S., a segregation plan shall be put in place to preclude non-conforming product from being introduced into federal nutrition assistance programs.

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322.2 Harvest Requirements – Contractor shall have documentation and a program in place that verifies the source of raw materials used in each lot of production.

All bison shall be harvested in facilities that comply with the following additional requirements:

322.2.1 Humane Handling – All bison shall be humanely handled in accordance with all applicable FSIS regulations and AMS requirements.

322.2.2 Pathogen Intervention Steps – The harvest process shall include at least two pathogen intervention steps. One of the intervention steps shall be a critical control point (CCP) in the contractor’s FSIS recognized harvest process HACCP plan and the CCP intervention(s) shall be scientifically validated to achieve a three-log reduction of enteric pathogens.

322.2.3 Spinal Cord Removal – All spinal cord tissue shall be removed during the harvesting process.

322.2.4 Traceability – Boneless bison shall be traceable to sources that comply with the above domestic origin and harvest requirements.

322.2.5 Residue Prevention – Harvest and production establishments shall 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.

322.3 Mechanical Separation – Bison meat that is mechanically separated from bone with automatic deboning systems, advanced meat (lean) recovery (AMR) systems, or powered knives shall not be allowed.

322.4 Objectionable Materials – The following objectionable materials shall be excluded:

322.4.1 Major lymph glands (prefemoral, popliteal, and prescapular), thymus gland, and the sciatic (ischiatic) nerve (lies medial to the outside round). All bone, cartilage, and the following heavy connective tissues:

322.4.1.1 White fibrous – Shoulder tendon, elbow tendon, silver skin (from the outside round), sacrosciatic ligament, opaque periosteum, serous membrane (peritoneum), tendinous ends of shanks, gracilis membrane, patellar ligament (associated with the stifle joint), and Achilles tendon.

321.4.1.2 Yellow elastin – Back strap and abdominal tunic.

Date Revised: 03/27/26 4

330 Processing

331 The contractor’s technical proposal and process shall assure compliance with the following requirements:

331.1 Grinding and Blending

331.1.1 Ground Bison - Boneless bison shall be ground twice, with the final grind passing through a ⅛-inch grinding plate. Blending after final grinding is allowed only to the extent that it doesn’t affect the appearance of the finished ground bison.

331.1.2 Fat Break-Outs - The grinding, blending, and packaging process shall be conducted in a manner that precludes large fat “break outs” (solid chunks of fat greater than 1.0 cubic inch) or objectionable fat “smears” in the finished product.

331.2 Ground Bison Processing – Frozen, boneless bison may be used provided it is ground into the final product within 60 days from date of pack.

331.3 Traceability - Ground bison production shall be traceable to the boneless bison lots and their associated microbial test results.

331.4 Bone Collector / Extruder System – A bone collector/extruder system shall be in operation to remove remaining bone, cartilage, and heavy connective tissue during the final grind of product.

332 Bison Stew Meat – Bison stew meat shall comply with the following additional requirements:

332.1 Bison Stew Meat Processing – Bison Stew Meat shall be processed to meet the end item requirements listed within IMPS Item No. 135A.

332.2 Dicing – The meat shall be either hand-diced or mechanically diced (grinding is not permitted). To facilitate dicing, meat may be frozen and/or tempered one time only.

332.3 Handling – All boneless bison shall be maintained in excellent condition. The contractor’s technical proposal shall include detailed product scheduling that addresses time and temperature controls necessary to maintain excellent condition of the boneless bison.

332.4 Shank or Heel Meat – No shank or heel meat is permitted.

Date Revised: 03/27/26 5

333 Production Date - Ground bison and bison stew meat shall be delivered within 90 days of production date.

340 Metal Detection

340.1 All products shall be free of metal contaminants. Detection of stainless steel, ferrous, and non-ferrous (e.g., lead, copper, and aluminum) metals is required.

Validation must be performed with all three metals during each testing interval.

340.2 The contractor’s technical proposal shall identify and describe all metal detection equipment, location, detection procedure, sensitivity levels, frequency of equipment validation, and corrective action procedures.

400 State of Refrigeration

410 All finished bison products shall be frozen to an internal temperature of not higher than 0°F (-17.8°C) within 72 hours from the time of final fabrication of the lot.

500 Fat Limitations

510 Ground Bison

510.1 The average fat content shall not exceed 10 percent, and the number of grams of fat per 112 gram serving shall be declared in the nutritional facts panel on the package label. The fat content shall be certified by AMS in accordance with IMPS QAPs. The 4 individual fat results shall be put into ascending order from the lowest to the highest value for evaluation (e.g., 8.30, 9.79, 10.63, and 11.20).

The 4 individual fat test results shall be used to calculate average, median and range. Results not meeting the following requirements shall cause rejection of the lot:

510.1.1 Average – The average of the 4 individual results cannot exceed 10 percent

(e.g., average of the 4 test results = 9.98).

510.1.2 Median – The median, which is the average of the middle two test results, cannot deviate from the average of the four individual samples by more than

2.0 percent (e.g., median is equal to the average of 9.79 and 10.63 = 10.21).

510.1.3 Range – The difference between the highest and lowest test results cannot exceed 5 percent (e.g., 11.20 – 8.30 = 2.90).

Date Revised: 03/27/26 6

511 Bison Stew Meat

511.1 Surface and seam fat shall not exceed ¼-inch in thickness at any point.

600 Packaging and Packing – The contractor’s technical proposal and process shall assure that all packaging, packing, closure, marking, and palletization comply with the National Motor Freight Regulations and FSIS regulations and the requirements listed below. The contractor also shall have procedures for verifying the net weight of shipping cases.

610 Packaging – All cases or packages shall function as a tamper evidence indicator to provide added assurance of product integrity through the method of sealing or closure.

610.1 Package Net Weight – Ground bison and bison stew meat shall be packaged as specified within the Contracting Officer’s invitation:

610.1.1 Ground Bison 110001 1-pound.

610.1.2 Bison Stew Meat 111670 2-pound.

610.2 Package Method - Ground bison and bison stew meat shall be packaged using one of the following methods:

610.2.1 Mechanical Packaged – Mechanically packaged into tamper-proof commercial casings.

610.2.2 Vacuum Packaged – Vacuum packaged in accordance with the IMPS General requirements.

620 Packing.

620.1 Shipping Case Net Weight.

620.1.1 Ground Bison – Forty (40) 1-pound packages of ground bison shall be packed into non-perforated shipping cases to a net weight of 40 pounds, without slack filling or overfilling. Spacers or fillers may not be used to satisfy this requirement.

620.1.2 Bison Stew Meat - Twenty (20) 2-pound packages of bison stew meat shall be packed into non-perforated shipping cases to a net weight of 40 pounds, without slack filling or overfilling. Spacers or fillers may not be used to satisfy this requirement.

620.2 Only one style and size of shipping cases may be used in any one delivery unit.

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620.3 Commingling – Commingling of ground bison and bison stew meat in the same shipping case shall not be allowed.

630 Closure – Shipping cases shall be closed by strapping, taping, or gluing. When strapping is used, the initial closure (usually the bottom of the case) shall be secured by the gluing or taping method.

640 Marking of Packaging and Cases1/ – Primary packages and shipping cases shall be labeled to include all information required by FSIS regulations. In addition, each primary package and shipping case shall have the following markings:

640.1 Primary Package – Each package shall have the following information included on commercially labeled packages.

640.1.1 Name of Product.

640.1.2 Safe Handling Instructions.

640.1.3 "Best If Used By" date – A date that is 365 calendar days from the date of production.

640.1.4 Traceability Code – A code that is traceable to production lot and date.

640.1.5 Nutrition Fact Panel – Include fat declaration for number of grams of fat per

112 grams (ready-to-cook) serving.

640.1.6 FSIS Establishment Number and any other FSIS required markings.

640.1.7 Labels for the primary packaging shall include at least one color, other than black and white, exclusive of the package color.

640.2 Shipping Cases – The following markings shall be included on the shipping cases:

640.2.1 Appendix A – Shipping cases shall be marked in accordance with Appendix A.

However, contractors may vary the placement of the required information shown in Appendix A. Additional markings (e.g., company bar codes, logos, etc.), that are consistent with all other commercial labels may be included;

640.2.2 Traceability Code – A code that is traceable to production lot and date;

1/ All primary packaging and shipping case labeling illustrations shall be provided within the technical proposal.

Date Revised: 03/27/26 8

640.2.3 Nutrition Fact Panel – Include fat declaration for number of grams of fat per 112 grams (ready-to-cook) serving (Optional);

640.2.4 The appropriate product name and material number listed in the table below for each of the items;

Item Material Number

Ground Bison, Frozen – 1-pound 110001

Bison Stew Meat, Frozen – 2-pound 111670

640.2.5 USDA Shield (at least 2 inches high and appearing on the top of the shipping case or on the principal display panel);

640.2.6 Purchase Order Number;

640.2.7 Ingredient declaration (including single ingredient products); and

640.2.8 The allergen statement shall be provided in the format which complies with the

Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) and the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research (FASTER) Act which define milk, egg, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, soybeans, and sesame as well as any food ingredient that contains protein derived from one of these foods, with the exception of highly refined oils, as “major food allergens”; e.g. Contains: _________.

For additional information refer to the FSIS Compliance Guidance at:

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/import/Allergens-Ingredients.pdf

650 Palletized Unit Loads

650.1 All products shall be stacked on new or well-maintained pallets and palletized with shrink wrap plastic.

660 Lot Size and Delivery Unit:

660.1 Lot Size – For finished product, the lot size shall not exceed the amount specified by the purchaser as a delivery unit.

Supplement 603 to AMS Master Solicitation Exhibit A https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/guidance-industry-questions-and-answers-regarding-food-allergen-labeling-edition-5 https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/guidance-industry-questions-and-answers-regarding-food-allergen-labeling-edition-5 https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/import/Allergens-Ingredients.pdf

Date Revised: 03/27/26 9

700 USDA Certification

710 Product Examinations - Product Shall Be Certified By USDA, AMS, QAD – AMS agents shall perform examinations in accordance with IMPS General Requirements, IMPS QAPS, and AMS Instructions and as specified below:

710.1 Bison Stew Meat – Refer to Lot Acceptance Criteria section for diced items within QAPS. In Table 100 H, delete defect numbers 218 in its entirety. Replace defect number 218 with the following defect:

710.1.1 218 - Presence of any portion of the popliteal, prescapular, or prefemoral lymph glands or any other exposed lymph glands measuring 1.0 inch or more in one dimension and 0.5 inch in a second dimension.

710.1.2 Delete defect 194 in its entirety. Insert the following note at the bottom of the table:

710.1.3 Note: The presence of any non-meat components not listed as defects above

(e.g., spinal cord, organ tissue, foreign materials, etc.) shall cause rejection of the product by AMS.

710.2 Fat Content Analysis – Fat content analysis for ground bison shall be in accordance with the QAPS and Fat Limitations section of this specification.

710.3 Traceability Code – Stamping (sealing) of shipping cases by the AMS agent is not required. The AMS agent shall ensure that each primary packaging and shipping case has a traceability code that is traceable to a production lot and date.

710.4 All USDA bison products shall be stored, shipped, and delivered at temperatures that do not exceed 0oF.

720 Purchase Unit Size – The purchase unit size for ground bison and bison stew meat is 40,000 pounds net weight (1,000 shipping cases) plus the amount for use in making box fills at the time of laboratory sample withdrawal.

730 Sealing

731.1 Transportation – All products shall be delivered to AMS assigned destinations, including multi-stop deliveries, under seal(s) with tamper proof, tamper resistant, serially numbered seals as required under the current AMS MSCP-D.

The seal number(s) must be recorded on the Bill of Lading (BOL) and correspond with the applied seal at the time of arrival at each destination when destined for multiple recipients.

Date Revised: 03/27/26 10

800 Microbiological Requirements for Ground Bison

800.1 Boneless Bison for Grinding.

800.1.1 Lot – A lot shall consist of a single combo sized bin of approximately 2,000 pounds of boneless bison produced within a day, between “cleanup to cleanup” and that is from a single harvester or from a single processor.

800.1.2 Microbial Testing – Samples from all lots of fresh chilled boneless bison shall be sent to an AMS designated laboratory (ADL). Samples from each lot shall be tested for E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and indicator microorganisms as listed in Appendix B (aerobic plate count, total coliform and generic E. coli).

800.1.3 Sample Preparation and Handling - The ADL shall be responsible for supplying sampling procedures for sample selection, preparation, and submission. The laboratory shall require contractors to submit a sample submission form as an official record with each sample. The laboratory shall also be responsible for supplying shipping supplies (including sampling bags and shipping materials) to each contractor. Contractor’s technical proposal shall include and describe sample collection and preparation procedures provided by the ADL.

800.1.4 For Bison Manufacturing Trimmings – The samples shall be selected as described within FSIS Directive 10,010.1 and Notice 05-23.

800.1.5 For every lot of Bison Manufacturing Trimmings one sample shall be prepared using one cloth sample unit for pathogen testing and one sample shall be prepared from five different pieces of trim from five different pieces of beef product for indicator microorganism testing. The sample for co-analysis of E.

coli O157:H7 and Salmonella shall be one cloth sample unit; the sample for indicator microorganisms (aerobic plate count, total coliform and generic E.

coli) shall be five pieces and weigh 25 grams ± 10 percent.

800.1.6 When boneless bison has been exposed to any anti-microbial treatment, no sample units shall be selected for at least 15 minutes after such treatment. All anti-microbial treatments (e.g., techniques and procedures) administered during production and post-production shall be described in the contractor’s technical proposal.

800.2 Testing and Results.

800.2.1 The microbiological testing for all microbes shall be in accordance with the applicable AMS-approved testing methodologies.

Date Revised: 03/27/26 11

800.2.2 Notification for presence of pathogens and exceeding critical limit criteria – When presence of E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella is presumptive positive or confirmed positive or any critical limit is exceeded for indicator microbes, the ADL shall immediately notify FSIS (pathogens only) and the Standards and Specification Division (SSD).

800.2.3 The ADL shall record results on spreadsheets for each Microbial Testing performed on each approximately 2,000-pound lot.

800.2.4 Any lot that tests positive for E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella or exceeds the critical limit criteria for indicator microbes set forth in Appendix B cannot be used to produce ground bison or any other product purchased by USDA.

800.2.5 Any lot subjected to microbial analysis by FSIS or other regulatory authority that results in a positive finding for E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella or exceeds the critical limit criteria for indicator microbes set forth in Appendix B cannot be used to produce ground bison or any other product purchased by USDA.

810 Ground Bison Microbial Requirements.

810.1 Lot – For the purpose of microbiological testing, a lot is defined as the amount of finished ground bison product produced within a day, between “cleanup to cleanup” which shall be further divided into sub-lots not to exceed 10,000 pounds.

810.1.1 Microbiological Testing – Samples from each sub-lot shall be tested for E. coli

O157:H7, Salmonella, and indicator microorganisms as listed in Appendix B (aerobic plate count, total coliform and generic E. coli) after final grinding and before freezing. All samples shall be sent to the ADL.

810.1.2 Sample Preparation and Handling – The ADL shall be responsible for supplying sampling procedures for sample selection, preparation, and submission. The laboratory shall require contractors to submit a sample submission form as an official record with each sample. The laboratory shall also be responsible for supplying shipping supplies (including sampling bags and shipping materials), to each contractor. Contractor’s technical proposal shall include and describe sample collection and preparation procedures provided by the ADL.

810.1.3 Sample Selection – Production processes of ground bison shall be subject to the following sampling strategy.

Date Revised: 03/27/26 12

810.1.3.1 Sub-lot Microbial Testing – For every sub-lot, two original and reserve samples shall be prepared from four individual sample units for each microbial test.

The sub-lot samples shall be 325 grams ± 10 percent for co-enrichment of E.

coli O157:H7 and Salmonella and 25 grams ± 10 percent for indicator organism tests, respectively of finished ground bison, randomly selected throughout each 10,000 pounds of production. The four individual sample units shall be composited to produce a sample that represents each microbial test for each sub-lot. The contractor shall describe in their technical proposal the procedure in which the four sample units shall be selected throughout the sub-lot to be composited for each microbial test. These samples shall be submitted to the ADL for analysis. The reserve samples shall be held for testing in case the SSD deems it necessary. The contractor shall describe, in their technical proposal the method to be used to maintain the identity and traceability of each sub-lot.

No more than 10,000 pounds shall be produced during each sub-lot, except for the last sub-lot produced in the lot may exceed the 10,000-pound limitation by five percent.

810.1.4 Testing and Results – The sample from each sub-lot shall be analyzed by the

ADL for all microbes listed in Appendix B.

810.1.4.1 The microbiological testing for all microbes shall be in accordance with AMS-approved testing methodologies.

810.1.4.2 Any sub-lot that tests positive for E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, or any critical limit criteria for indicator microbes set forth in Appendix B that is exceeded shall result in that sub-lot and adjoining sub-lots (one preceding and one following within “clean up to clean up”) being ineligible for this program or any other USDA purchase program. Additionally, any sub-lot subjected to microbial analysis by FSIS or other regulatory authority that results in a positive finding for E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella or exceeds the critical limit criteria for indicator microbes set forth in Appendix B shall result in that sub-lot and adjoining sub-lots being ineligible for this program or any other USDA purchase program. Other sub-lots produced within that lot unit shall be deemed ineligible for this program unless the contractor can demonstrate a scientific or other data-supported basis for defining the sub-lot(s) relative to test results and why ground bison produced from same source material that resulted in the ineligible determination should not be considered affected by the test results.

810.1.4.3 Notification for presence of pathogens or when critical limit is exceeded –

When presence of E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella is presumptive positive or confirmed positive; any critical limit is exceeded for indicator microbes:

810.1.4.4 The ADL shall record results on spreadsheets for each test performed on each sub-lot.

Date Revised: 03/27/26 13

810.1.4.5 The ADL shall immediately notify FSIS (pathogens only) and the SSD.

810.1.4.6 The ground bison associated with the positive pathogen test results or critical limit is exceeded results shall be ineligible for any USDA purchase program.

900 Product Assurance

900.1 Warranty and Complaint Resolution

900.1.1 Warranty – The contractor shall guarantee that the product complies with all specification requirements, technical proposal declarations, and provisions set forth in the MSCP-D.

900.1.2 Complaint Resolution – Customer complaint resolution procedures shall be included in the technical proposal. These procedures shall include: a point of contact, investigation steps, intent to cooperate with AMS, and product replacement or monetary compensation. The procedures shall be used to resolve product complaints from recipient agencies or AMS.

900.2 Non-Conforming Product

900.2.1 The contractor shall include a plan and supporting documentation to ensure that non-conforming products (i.e., boneless bison, ground bison, bison stew meat) are not delivered under USDA contracts. The plan shall address 1) control and segregation of non-conforming product, 2) removal of any USDA markings, and 3) disposition of non-conforming product, including vendor documentation of final disposition (e.g., diverted to cooked product or destroyed).

900.3 AMS Monitoring and Production Assessment

900.3.1 An AMS agent shall be present during the production of the finished product for all USDA bison contracts. The AMS agent shall monitor and verify the processing steps, quality assurance activities, and any corrective actions to ensure that all requirements outlined in the approved technical proposal are complied with. The AMS agent shall be conducting the monitoring and production verification in accordance with applicable AMS procedures and IMPS General Requirements and QAPS. Any deviations to contractual requirements shall be reported to the contractor and SSD. The SSD shall make all determinations as to the acceptability of the product relative to findings documented by the AMS agent.

Date Revised: 03/27/26 14

900.4 Contractor Checkloading

900.4.1 Contractor shall perform checkloading examinations at the time of shipment and issue contractor’s certificate to accompany each shipment that includes all of the following information:

900.4.2 Purchase Order Number and Purchase Order Line-Item Number;

900.4.3 Sales Order Number and Sales Order Line-Item Number;

900.4.4 Destination of shipment;

900.4.5 Name of Product and applicable Material Number;

900.4.6 Shipping Date;

900.4.7 Information for traceability that includes the production lot number(s) and the corresponding production date for each lot. Additionally, the shipping case and primary package code(s) must be provided, along with the code that facilitates traceability back to the establishment number, production lot, and date;

900.4.8 Count of shipping cases and total projected net weight in each production lot and delivery unit;

900.4.9 Product temperature at time of loading to final destination;

900.4.10 Identity of car or truck (car numbers and letters, seals, truck license, etc.) as applicable;

900.4.11 Sample average fat content analysis of each production lot for ground bison only (calculated to 2 decimal places, e.g., 8.25);

900.4.12 Contractor certification that product conforms with the applicable specification (FPPS-BIS-2026);

900.4.13 Count and projected net weight verified; and

900.4.14 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading.

Date Revised: 03/27/26 15

Appendix A

SHIPPING CASE MARKINGS: COMMERCIALLY LABELED SHIPPING CASES SHALL INCLUDE THE

INFORMATION SHOWN BELOW. MANUFACTURER’S NAME AND ADDRESS SHALL APPEAR. THE

NUTRITION FACTS PANEL AND USDA SYMBOL SHALL BE BLACK, FLAT, WATERFAST, AND

NONSMEARING. THE USDA SYMBOL SHALL BE AT LEAST 2.0 INCHES HIGH. ALL OTHER PRINTING OR

STENCILING SHALL BE OF A SIZE AND CONTRASTING COLOR TO STAND OUT PROMINENTLY AND

COMPLY WITH THE USDA-FSIS REGULATIONS OR STATE REGULATIONS.

Boxes shall include Safe Handling instructions in accordance with FSIS Mandatory Safe Handling

Statements on Labeling of Raw Meat and Poultry.

NOTES: DATE PACKED SHALL BE THE MONTH, DAY, AND YEAR OF PACKING.

SERIAL PURCHASE ORDER NUMBER SHALL BE FURNISHED BY USDA.

LOT NO. AND BOX NO. MAY BE PLACED ON THE SAME LINE OR AS SHOWN ABOVE.

BOX NUMBERS SHALL BE SEQUENTIAL.

PER 9 CFR 317.4 & 317.5, PRIOR APPROVED LABELS NEED NOT BE RESUBMITTED. CONTRACTORS THAT DO NOT HAVE APPROVED LABELS ON FILE SHALL SUBMIT LABELS IN SKETCH FORM ONLY TO THE APPROPRIATE USDA, FSIS, OR STATE AGENCY.

Product Name Material Number___

Purchase Order No.

KEEP FROZEN

DATE

PACKED

LOT#___

BOX___

Manufacturer's Name and Address (here or on principle display panel)

PERISHABLE

FROZEN - STORE AT

0°F (-17.8°C)

Date Revised: 03/27/26 16

Appendix B

AMS Microbial Requirements for Boneless and Ground Bison

Microbial Test Critical Limits (cfu)

Standard Plate Count 100,000 / gram

Total Coliforms 1,000 / gram

E. coli 500 / gram

Salmonella Positive (+) result / 325 grams

E. coli O157:H7 Positive (+) result / 325 grams

APPROVED

Federal Purchase Program Specification (FPPS) for Bison Handling and Welfare

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Livestock and Poultry (LP) Program Standards and Specifications Division (SSD) Room 2702-S, STOP 0249 Phone: (202) 690-3148

Supersedes: FPPS - Bison Handling and Welfare – March 2022 - changes from previous requirements in blue

Effective: April 2026

Approved by DRD Date Issued: 10/28/10 Date Revised: 03/27/26 1

100 General

101 This document is for use by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), AMS, LP Program to ensure that the bison handling and welfare requirements for federal nutrition assistance programs reflect industry best practices.

110 Program Approach

111 All bison harvest facilities that supply raw materials from bison for the production of AMS destined finished products must develop and implement a written program that is consistent with a systematic approach to humane bison handling and welfare as outlined in 69 FR 54625. The program will ensure proper bison handling and welfare techniques are conducted from the time the transportation conveyance enters the facility’s premises through the stunning and exsanguination of the bison.

120 Program Submission

121 The program will be submitted as a supporting document to the organization’s approved technical proposal and must address the requirements outlined in Section 200 – 241 (Sections 300 & 400 are not required to be listed in the contractor’s technical proposal – these sections are provided for information only.)

200 Program Components

201 The contractor must ensure that any facility that harvests bison has a:

Supplement 603 to AMS Master Solicitation Exhibit B

Date Issued: 10/28/10 Date Revised: 03/27/26 2

210 Management Commitment

211 Steering Committee (internal) which is ultimately accountable for bison handling and welfare initiatives within the organization.

212 Mission Statement on bison handling and welfare that is distributed to all employees and conspicuously displayed at the premises.

220 Training Program 1, 2

221 Training program on Bison Handling and Welfare that:

221.1 Is provided to all employees interacting with bison;

221.2 Covers the Meat Institute Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines & Audit Guide: A

Systematic Approach to Animal Welfare;

221.3 Training is facilitated by an employee that has earned and maintained a certification of bison handling and welfare training, such as that offered through the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO) or an equivalent;

221.4 Is conducted no less frequently than once a year for each designated employee; and

221.5 Requires signed documentation from each employee and confirmation by signature of the designated, certified trainer upon successful completion of training.

230 Quality Management Plan 1, 2

231 Written quality management plan (internal) which addresses all provisions of

Chapter 4: Transportation Audit Guidelines, 7 Core Criteria and Chapter 5: Auditing Animal Handling and Stunning, 7 Core Criteria, of the Meat Institute Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines & Audit Guide: A Systematic Approach to Animal Welfare, found at the following web site address:

231.1 https://www.meatinstitute.org/Animal_Welfare/Guidelines_and_Audits

232 This internal quality management plan must also provide for routine assessment and monitoring of humane handling through the use of a numerical scoring system conducted by a trained employee.

1Guidlines and audit criteria specified for cattle in Chapter 4: Transportation Audit Guidelines, 7 Core Criteria and Chapter 5: Auditing Animal

Handling and Stunning, 7 Core Criteria, of the Meat Institute Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines & Audit Guide: should be emulated, to the extent possible, for bison.

2Core Criteria 5: Vocalization in Chapter 5: Auditing Animal Handling and Stunning 7 Core Criteria of the Meat Institute Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines and Audit Guide shall be amended so that vocalization only is evaluated at the lead up chute prior to the restrainer with five percent or less vocalization being an acceptable score. Grunting should not be counted.

Date Revised: 03/27/26 3

233 All bison harvest facilities that supply raw materials for the production of AMS destined finished products must have a fully functioning back-up stunning device onsite wherever bison stunning is performed.

240 Regulatory Oversight

241 Bison/carcasses that are inspected and passed by the Food Safety Inspection

Service (FSIS) are eligible for AMS purchase programs.

Sections 300 – 400 are provided for contractors’ information only.

300 Program Evaluation and Eligibility

301 The program will be audited (external) by AMS or a firm accredited by AMS. The accreditation of the firm will be conducted by the Quality Assessment Division (QAD) through the USDA ISO Guide 17065 Program.

302 Audit findings will be communicated to the establishment’s FSIS Inspector in Charge

(IIC) or designee.

310 Audit Format

311 Audits will be conducted utilizing the following format:

312 Transportation Segment (Chapter 4: Meat Institute Recommended Animal Handling

Guidelines & Audit Guide: A Systematic Approach to Animal Welfare).

312.1 Audited organizations must pass Core Criteria 1 and 6 with a minimum scoring of excellent, Core Criteria 2 through 5 with a minimum scoring of acceptable and Core Criteria 7 must be adhered to with full compliance (zero tolerance) each time an audit is performed. 1, 2

313 Animal Handling and Stunning Segment (Chapter 5: Meat Institute Recommended

Animal Handling Guidelines & Audit Guide: A Systematic Approach to Animal Welfare).

313.1 Audited organizations must adhere to Core Criteria 1, 2, 6 and 7 with full compliance

(zero tolerance) and to Core Criteria 3, 4 and 5 with a minimum scoring of Acceptable each time an audit is performed. 1, 2, 3

1Guidlines and audit criteria specified for cattle in Chapter 4: Transportation Audit Guidelines, 7 Core Criteria and Chapter 5: Auditing Animal Handling and Stunning, 7 Core Criteria, of the NAMI Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines & Audit Guide: should be emulated, to the extent possible, for bison.

2Core Criteria 5: Vocalization in Chapter 5: Auditing Animal Handling…