Supplement 210 Beef Round Roast and Diced 072524.pdf

Approved by DRD Date Issued: 06/12/08 Date Revised: 07/25/24

Supplement 210 to the AMS Master Solicitation for the Purchase of Miscellaneous Beef Items for Distribution to Federal Food and Nutrition Assistance Programs

APPROVED

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Livestock and Poultry (LP) Program

Standards and Specifications Division (SSD) Room 2702-S, Stop 0258, Phone: (202) 690-3148

Supersedes: Supplement 210 October 2022 – Changes from previous requirements in blue

Effective: July 2024

100 Overview

110 This document provides additional program requirements for the purchase of Frozen

Beef Roasts and Diced Beef by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), including the applicable Federal Purchase Program Specification (FPPS) (Exhibit A and A1).

200 Instructions to Potential Suppliers

210 The frozen beef roasts and diced beef shall be purchased on a competitive bid basis from qualified suppliers who have met the requirements described in this Section.

Interested suppliers may submit a production plan at any time during the purchase program. Suppliers should allow 10 working days, from USDA’s receipt of the production plan for notification of evaluation results. A supplier is deemed eligible upon notification of approval of the production plan by the Standards and Specifications Division (SSD).

220 Submission of a production plan is not binding on USDA. Actual purchases shall be described in the AMS Master Solicitation for Commodity Procurements and Solicitations.

230 Documentation Requirements

231 Technical Proposal Requirement

231.1 Include a description of the products 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)

Date Revised: 07/25/24

231.3 Identify all corrective actions to be taken if deviations from contractual and FPPS 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 and C1. The TP 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, forms provided with the technical proposal, if appropriate 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 supplier of the status of their eligibility to bid.

233. Animal Welfare Requirements

233.1 All eligible suppliers shall meet the animal handling and welfare requirements set forth in the FPPS for Animal Handling and Welfare, effective March 2021 (Exhibit B).

300 Instructions for Submission of Technical Proposal

310 The following procedures establish the acceptable minimum requirements for the format and content of the production plan:

310.1 The Government has provided a technical proposal format to be used in preparing the technical proposal (see Exhibit C and C1). The supplier shall submit the technical proposal as an email file attachment to AMS (mark.lemon@usda.gov and TechnicalApprovals@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.

310.2. The technical proposal shall be submitted by an authorized agent of the company.

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

mailto:mark.lemon@usda.gov mailto:TechnicalApprovals@usda.gov

Date Revised: 07/25/24

320 Technical Proposal Revisions

321 Changes to a supplier’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 supplier after its initial submittal 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 supplier shall include the revision date and the appropriate page number(s).

321.2 Changes from the original production plan shall be highlighted and deletions in strikeouts.

400 Food Defense

410 Food Defense Requirements – Refer to Section 4A52.246-81 of the Master Solicitation for Commodity Procurements.

420 The USDA, AMS, LP Quality Assessment Division (QAD) shall conduct a food defense audit on the contractor’s and/or subcontractor’s documented and operational Food Defense Plan for approval.

430 A QAD-approved Food Defense Plan is required prior to the bid opening date for submitted bids to be considered.

500 AMS Contract Compliance

510 The contractor may request to use either AMS’s QAD Grading-based Monitoring and Certification service or QAD Audit-based Verification service, for assessing contract compliance of the finished product. AMS will seek to honor the request but reserves the right to make a final determination Once an option is implemented, the contractor shall remain under that service until completion of the contract, at which time it may request a change in oversight option for any subsequent contract.

520 The cost of all audits, grading 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.

530 Questions concerning charges and the availability of AMS agents can be directed to a USDA/AMS, LP Program’s, QAD field office or to:

USDA,AMS, LP, QAD Business Operations Branch, 10809 Executive Center Drive, Suite 318 Little Rock, AR 72211-6022;

Phone: 501-312-2962 or Email: QAD.BusinessOps@usda.gov

540 Option A: QAD Grading-Based Monitoring and Certification mailto:QAD.BusinessOps@usda.gov

540.1 Monitoring of production and processing and product certification shall be conducted through the direct continuous supervision of a USDA grader in accordance with the requirements listed in the FPPS and AMS/LP/QAD Policies and Procedures for certifying USDA commodity foods. A technical proposal is not required to be submitted when the contractor is operating under Option A. Pork raw materials will be subjected to QAD audit-based verification and the raw material supplier is required to submit a technical proposal.

540.2 Pre-Production Onsite Plant Survey

540.2.1 QAD shall contact the contractor to set-up a pre-production plant survey and discuss production and certification requirements.

540.3 Post-Award Monitoring and Certification

540.3.1 The USDA grader shall be present at all times during production and processing of the commodity food.

540.3.2 The USDA Grader may select samples for laboratory analyses or inspect the commodity at any point in transit and after delivery to point of destination.

540.3.3 The contractor shall perform checkloading examinations as described in the FPPS at the time of shipment and issue an acceptance document to accompany each shipment.

540.3.4 The AMS Grader shall be responsible for certification of compliance with the requirements of the FPPS for raw material, formulation, marinating, cooking, F freezing, packaging and packing, metal detection, labeling and marking and net weight.

550 Option B: Audit Based Verification

550.1 Verification of production and processing shall be conducted through routine audits performed by QAD according to the suppliers’ and contractor’s approved technical proposal (see section 1000 Technical Proposal Requirements) and the applicable FPPS. Poultry raw materials will be subjected to the QAD grading-based certification process prior to being utilized to manufacture finished products.

550.1.1 Interested contractors may submit sample(s) and a technical proposal at any time during the purchase program. Contractors should allow 10 working days, from USDA’s receipt of the product sample(s) and technical proposal for notification of evaluation results. A contractor is deemed eligible upon notification of approval of the sample(s) and technical proposal by the SSD.

550.1.2 Once a contractor is notified by the SSD that the technical proposal meets the applicable criteria, QAD shall contact the contractor to set up a pre-award onsite capability assessment audit

550.2 Pre-Award Onsite Capability Assessment Audit

550.2.1 QAD shall conduct an onsite capability assessment that shall consist of reviewing:

550.2.2 Food Defense Requirements – Refer to Section 400 of this Supplement;

550.2.3 Production of the commodity that complies with the applicable FPPS;

550.2.4 Records related to purchasing, receiving, production, quality control, inventory, Shipping; and

550.2.5 Interviews with management and production personnel.

550.2.6 Upon completion and if necessary (due to time constraints), QAD may provide the SSD either with a verbal or email notification of the audit findings. SSD shall notify the vendor of their status based on the audit findings as well as QAD and the Commodity Procurement Program (CP). The official final audit report shall be sent to the contractor once released from QAD.

550.2.7 After bid opening, CP shall contact QAD and SSD to determine that vendors have met all requirements to deem the bids responsive or non-responsive.

550.2.8 Bids that are determined to be non-responsive bids, CP shall notify the contractor(s) directly.

550.3 Post-Award Assessment Audit

550.3.1 Contractors who receive contracts shall have their required documentation readily available for review upon request by SSD, QAD, or other AMS agents. Records may be maintained in hard copy or electronic media. However, records maintained as electronic media shall be made available in printed form immediately upon request.

550.3.2 QAD shall conduct an onsite audit of the contractor’s and subcontractor’s facility(s) and processes when production commences for the first contract awarded.

Additional audits, and their frequency, shall be conducted as determined by the QAD, but not less than once per month for contractors or subcontractors with continuous or multiple contracts, or once per contract for intermittent contractors. At the discretion of the QAD, more frequent audits may be conducted when audit deficiencies are detected.

550.4 Post-Award Actions

550.4.1 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.

550.4.2 Contractor shall assure that the delivered product complies with the provisions of the FPPS, the applicable assessment by USDA, and the contractor’s technical proposal approved by the SSD.

Date Revised: 07/25/24

550.4.3 In the instance that any non-conformance is cited by the USDA auditor, or when a complaint is received by commodity recipient agencies, the supplier or contractor shall submit a cause-and-effect analysis and corrective actions to address the non-conformance or complaint.

600 Domestic Origin Certification Clause

610 The supplier 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 Master Solicitation. 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 principle display panel and the bill of lading accompanying the shipment shall contain the statement “Domestic Only Product.”

700 Certificate of Conformance (COC)

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

800 Contractor Checkloading

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

810.1 Purchase Order Number;

810.2 Sales Order and Sales Order Item Number;

810.3 Name of product;

810.4 Shipping Date;

810.5 Production lot number(s) and date each lot was produced;

810.6 Count of shipping containers and total projected net weight in each production lot, and delivery unit;

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

810.8 Contractor certification that product conforms with the FPPS;

810.9 Count and projected net weight verified; and

810.10 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading.

900 Exhibits

Federal Purchase Program Specification (FPPS) for Fresh Beef Round Roasts, Boneless, Frozen

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Livestock and Poultry (LP) Program

Standards and Specifications Division (SSD) Room 2702 S-Bldg Stop 0258, Phone: (202) 690-3148

Supersedes: FPPS-BR-October 2022 – Changes from previous requirements in blue

Effective: July 2024

Date Revised: 07/25/2024

100 Item Description

110 Fresh Beef Round Roasts, Boneless, Frozen – This item consists of beef round roasts that weigh 2-3 pounds, inclusive, individually vacuum packaged and frozen, derived from USDA Select, Choice, or Prime beef carcasses.

200 Applicable Documents

210 Institutional Meat Purchase Specification (IMPS) for Fresh Beef - Series 100, effective November 2014.

300 Checklist of Requirements

310 All items shall be produced in accordance with Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulations. The contractor’s technical proposal, submitted to the Standards and Specifications Division (SSD), shall adhere to the following Checklist of Requirements. A technical proposal is not required to be submitted when the contractor is operating under the Quality Assessment Division (QAD) Grading-based Monitoring and Certification service option (See Section 1020).

320 Materials

321 The contractor’s production plan shall describe a documented quality control program that includes procedures, records, forms, pictures, etc., that demonstrate conformance with the following Checklist of Requirements.

Supplement 210 to AMS Master Solicitation Exhibit A

Date Revised: 07/25/2024 2

330 Meat Component

331 Beef shall be the only meat component allowed. Roasts shall be intact muscles portioned from any combination of the following IMPS items:

167D – Beef Round, Sirloin Tip (Knuckle), Peeled, 2-Piece 169A – Beef Round, Top (Inside), Cap Off 171C – Beef Round, Eye of Round (Individual Muscle (IM)) 171D – Beef Round, Outside Round, Side Muscle Removed (IM) 171E – Beef Round, Outside Round, Side Roast (IM)

332 Domestic Origin – 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.

333 Grade – USDA Select, Choice or Prime.

334 Harvesting – Cattle shall be harvested in facilities that comply with the following requirements:

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

334.2 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 establishment’s FSIS recognized harvest process Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan.

334.3 Spinal Cord Removal – All spinal cord material shall be removed during the harvesting process.

335 Boneless Beef – Only fresh-chilled boneless beef that complies with the requirements of the previous sub-sections (334.1-334.3) of this section and the following additional requirements and has never been previously frozen shall be allowed:

335.1 Traceability – Contractor shall provide sufficient product traceability and shall have records to verify the source of raw materials used in each production lot.

335.2 Handling – All boneless beef shall be maintained in excellent condition. The contractor’s production plan shall include time and temperature controls necessary to maintain excellent condition of the boneless beef.

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

Date Revised: 07/25/2024 3

335.3.1 Major lymph glands (prefemoral and popliteal) and the sciatic (ischiatic) nerve (lies medial to the outside round).

335.3.2 All bone, cartilage, silver skin on the outside round, sacrosciatic ligament, opaque periosteum, tendinous ends of shanks, gracilis membrane, patellar ligament (associated with the stifle joint), and achilles tendon.

336 Mechanically Separated – Beef that is mechanically separated from bone with automatic deboning systems or advanced meat (lean) recovery (AMR) systems is not allowed.

340 Non-Meat Component

341 Seasonings and Other Ingredients – Seasonings and other ingredients are not allowed in the manufacture of this beef item.

350 Fat Limitations

351 Peeled/Denuded (≥90% lean exposed). Remaining “flake” fat not to exceed

1/8-inch (3mm) in depth.

360 State of Refrigeration

361 Product 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.

370 Metal Detection

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

The contractor's production plan shall identify and describe the equipment, location, detection procedure, sensitivity levels, frequency of equipment validation, and corrective action procedures.

380 Preparation for Delivery

381 The contractor shall assure that all packaging, packing, labeling, closure, marking, and palletization comply with the National Motor Freight Regulations, FSIS regulations, and the requirements listed below.

390 Packaging

391 All roasts shall be individually vacuum packaged prior to freezing.

400 Packing

401 Each individual roast shall weigh 2-3 pounds.

Date Revised: 07/25/2024 4

402 Sixteen (16) individually packaged roasts shall be snuggly packed in a 38 ± 2 pound (net weight) shipping container.

410 Closure

411 Shipping containers shall be strapped or taped.

420 Labeling

421 Both immediate and shipping containers shall be labeled to include all information required by FSIS regulations. Labels shall be illustrated in the contractor’s production plan and contain the following information:

421.1 Immediate Container Labels – Immediate container labels will be commercially labeled (e.g. “Brand X”) and contain the following information:

421.2 Product name.

421.3 Manufacturer name and address.

421.4 Ingredient declaration (including single ingredient products).

421.5 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, and 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: _________.

421.6 A traceability code that includes information regarding production establishment, production date and production lot.

421.7 Nutrition Facts panel based on actual nutritional analysis of the product.

421.8 Cooking Instructions.

421.9 Safe handling instructions.

421.10 A “Best-If-Used-By” date that is 365 calendar days from the date of production.

422 Shipping Container

Date Revised: 07/25/2024 5

422.1 USDA shield at least 2-inches high and appearing on the top of the container or on the principal display panel.

422.2 Applicable purchase order number.

422.3 A traceability code that is traceable back to establishment number, production lot, and date.

422.4 Material number: 111578.

422.5 Product Name “Beef Round Roasts, Boneless, Frozen”.

422.6 Ingredient declaration (including single ingredient products).

422.7 Nutrition facts panel based on actual nutritional analysis of the product.

422.8 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, and 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: _________.

430 Palletized Unit Loads

431 All products shall be stacked on new or well-maintained pallets and palletized with shrink wrap plastic, unless otherwise specified in the invitation. Pallet loads shall be stacked in a manner that minimizes the overhang of the shipping containers over the edges of the pallets and exposes each shipping container’s principal display panel to facilitate certification examinations.

440 Delivery Unit

441 The delivery unit shall consist of 1000 shipping containers and be between 36,000 - 40,000 pounds (net weight).

450 Delivered Product

460 Size and Style of Container

461 Only one size and style of shipping container shall be used in any one delivery unit.

Date Revised: 07/25/2024 6

470 Temperature

471 Product temperature shall not exceed 0°F at the time of shipment and delivery.

480 Sealing

481 Sealing – 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.

500 Product Assurance

510 Warranty and Complaint Resolution

511 Warranty – The contractor shall guarantee that the product complies with all specification requirements, production plan declarations, and provisions set forth in the Master Solicitation and Supplement.

512 Complaint Resolution – Customer complaint resolution procedures shall be included in the production plan. 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.

520 AMS Monitoring and Production Assessment

521 The contractor may request to use either AMS’s QAD Grading Based Monitoring and Certification service or QAD Audit-based Verification service, for assessing contract compliance of the finished product.

522 If the contractor uses the AMS QAD Grading-based Monitoring and Certification service, it shall be implemented in accordance with Section 500 of Supplement 210.

523 The contractor’s technical proposal shall specify that the AMS QAD Audit based Verification service option will be used.

600 Non-Conforming Product

610 The contractor shall include a plan and supporting documentation to assure that non-conforming product is 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 commercial production, cooked or destroyed).

620 The Contractor shall be deemed ineligible to supply to USDA purchase programs (while under contract) should one of the following circumstances arise:

Date Revised: 07/25/2024 7

620.1 The Contractor is subject to a Class I recall for Beef Items.

620.2 The Contractor’s supplier for any ingredient is subject to a Class I recall for that ingredient.

620.3 The Contractor shall be ineligible until it:

620.3.1 Submits a written corrective action to the SSD.

620.3.2 The SSD approves the written corrective action.

620.3.3 The Quality Assessment Division verifies implementation of the written corrective action through an onsite audit.

630 Contractor Checkloading

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

630.1.1 Purchase Order Number/Purchase Order Line Item Number;

630.1.2 Sales Order Number/Sales Order Line Item Number;

630.1.3 Destination of shipment;

630.1.4 Name of Product and applicable Material Number;

630.1.5 Shipping Date;

630.1.6 Production lot number(s) and date each lot was produced along with shipping container and immediate container code(s) and the code used that provides traceability to establishment number, production lot and date;

630.1.7 Count of shipping containers and total projected net weight in each production lot, and delivery unit;

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

630.1.9 Contractor certification that product conforms with the applicable specification

(FPPS-BR-2024);

630.1.10 Count and projected net weight verified; and

630.1.11 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading.

Specification (FPPS) for Diced Beef, Frozen

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Livestock and Poultry (LP) Program

Standards and Specifications Division (SSD) Room 2702-S, Stop 0258, Phone: (202) 690-3148

Supersedes: FPPS-DB-October 2022 – Changes from previous requirements in blue

Effective: July 2024

Approved by DRD Date Issued: 06/12/08 Date Revised: 07/25/24

100 Item Description

110 Diced Beef – This item may be prepared from any portion of the carcass which yields product that meets finished product limitations.

120 Dices shall be of a size equivalent to not less than a ½-inch cube and not more than a ¾-inch cube with no individual surface being more than 1 inch in length.

130 Fat content shall not exceed 10 grams per 100 gram basis.

200 Applicable Documents

210 Institutional Meat Purchase Specification (IMPS) for Fresh Beef - Series 100, effective November 2014.

300 Checklist of Requirements

310 Diced Beef shall be produced in accordance with Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulations and the AMS Checklist of Requirements. The contractor’s technical proposal, submitted to the Standards and Specifications Division (SSD), shall adhere to the following checklist requirements.

320 Materials

321 The contractor’s technical proposal shall describe a documented technical proposal that includes procedures, records, forms, pictures, etc., that demonstrate conformance with the following Checklist of Requirements.

330 Meat Component

331 Diced Beef may be prepared from any portion of the carcass which yields product that meets the end-item requirements by either hand or mechanical dicing (grinding is not permitted).

Supplement 210 to AMS Master Solicitation Exhibit A1

Date Revised: 07/25/24 2

332 Shank, detached cutaneous muscles, and heel meat shall be excluded.

333 Dices shall be of a size equivalent to not less than a ½-inch cube and not more than a ¾-inch cube with no individual surface being more than 1 inch.

334 To facilitate dicing, boneless beef cuts may be frozen and/or tempered, one time only.

335 Domestic Origin – 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.

336 Grade – USDA Select, Choice or Prime.

337 Harvesting – Cattle shall be harvested in establishments that comply with the following requirements:

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

337.2 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 establishment’s FSIS recognized harvest process Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan.

337.3 Spinal Cord Removal – All spinal cord material shall be removed during the harvesting process.

338 Boneless Beef – Only fresh-chilled boneless beef that complies with the requirements of the previous sub-sections (337.1-337.3) of this section and the following additional requirements shall be allowed:

338.1 Traceability – Contractor shall provide sufficient product traceability and shall have records to verify the source of raw materials used in each production lot.

338.2 Handling – All boneless beef shall be maintained in excellent condition. The contractor’s technical proposal shall include detailed production scheduling that addresses time and temperature controls necessary to maintain excellent condition of the boneless beef. Frozen boneless beef may be used provided it is processed into the final product within 60 days from the date of pack

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

338.3.1 Major lymph glands (prefemoral and popliteal), and the sciatic (ischiatic) nerve (lies medial to the outside round).

Date Revised: 07/25/24 3

338.3.2 All bone, cartilage, silver skin on the outside round, sacrosciatic ligament, opaque periosteum, tendinous ends of shanks, gracilis membrane, patellar ligament (associated with the stifle joint), achilles tendon, back strap and abdominal tunic .

338.4 Mechanically Separated – Beef that is mechanically separated from bone with automatic deboning systems or advanced meat (lean) recovery (AMR) systems shall notbe allowed.

340 Finished Product Limitations

341 Fat - Surface and/or seam fat shall not exceed ⅛-inch at any point. The maximum surface fat thickness at any one point is evaluated by visually determining the areas on the edges of either side of the dice which have the thickest amount of fat and measuring the thickness of fat in these areas. The maximum seam fat thickness at any one point is evaluated by visually determining the areas of fat between layers of lean on any side of the dice which have the thickest deposits of fat and measuring the width in these areas.

The resulting fat content shall not exceed 10 grams per 100 gram basis.

342 Dimensions - Dices shall be of a size equivalent to not less than a ½-inch cube and not more than a ¾-inch cube with no individual surface being more than 1 inch.

343 Objectionable Materials - Dices shall be free of objectionable materials listed in Section 338.3.

344 Dices not meeting these requirements shall not exceed 10 percent, by weight, of the finished product.

360 State of Refrigeration

361 Product 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.

370 Metal Detection

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

The contractor's technical proposal shall identify and describe the equipment, location, detection procedure, sensitivity levels, frequency of equipment validation, and corrective action procedures.

400 Preparation for Delivery

410 The contractor’s technical proposal shall assure that all packaging, packing, labeling, closure, marking, and palletization comply with the National Motor Freight Regulations and FSIS regulations and the requirements listed below.

Date Revised: 07/25/24 4

420 Packaging

421 Product shall be bulk packaged without use of plastic liner material directly into leak-proof shipping containers with fiberboard that is wax impregnated, have a moisture barrier coating, or have plastic laminated interior panels.

430 Packing

431 Diced Beef shall be packed to a net weight of 60 pounds.

440 Closure

441 Shipping containers shall be closed by strapping or taping.

450 Labeling

451 Shipping containers shall be labeled to include all information required by FSIS regulations. Shipping container labels shall be illustrated in the contractor’s technical proposal and contain the following information:

451.1 USDA shield at least 2 inches high and appearing on the top of the container or on the principal display panel.

451.2 Applicable purchase order number.

451.3 A traceability code that is traced back to establishment number, production lot, and date.

451.4 Material Number: 110196

451.5 The product name “Diced Beef, Frozen”

451.6 Ingredient declaration (including single ingredient products).

451.7 Nutrition facts panel based on actual nutritional analysis of the product.

Date Revised: 07/25/24 5

451.8 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, and 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: _________.

460 Palletized Unit Loads

461 All product shall be stacked on new or well-maintained pallets and palletized with shrink wrap plastic, unless otherwise specified in the invitation. Pallet loads shall be stacked in a manner that minimizes the overhang of the shipping containers over the edges of the pallets and exposes each shipping container’s principal display panel to facilitate certification examinations.

470 Delivery Unit

471 The delivery unit shall be 700 shipping containers with a net weight of 42,000 pounds. No tolerance shall be allowed.

500 Delivered Product

510 Size and Style Of Container

511 Only one size and style of shipping container shall be used in any one delivery unit.

520 Temperature

521 Product temperature shall not exceed 0°F at the time of shipment and delivery.

530 Sealing

531 Sealing – 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.

600 Product Assurance

610 Warranty and Complaint Resolution

611 Warranty – The contractor shall guarantee that the product complies with all specification requirements, technical proposal declarations, and provisions set forth in the Master Solicitation and Supplement.

Date Revised: 07/25/24 6

612 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.

620 AMS Monitoring and Production Assessment

621 The contractor may request to use either AMS’s QAD Grading Based Monitoring and Certification service or QAD Audit-based Verification service, for assessing contract compliance of the finished product.

622 If the contractor uses the AMS QAD Grading-based Monitoring and Certification service, it shall be implemented in accordance with Section 500 of Supplement 210.

623 The contractor’s technical proposal shall specify that the AMS QAD Audit Based Verification service option will be used.

700 Non-Conforming Product

710 The contractor shall include a plan and supporting documentation to assure that non-conforming product is 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 commercial production, cooked or destroyed).

720 The Contractor shall be deemed ineligible to supply to USDA purchase programs (while under contract) should one of the following circumstances arise:

720.1 The Contractor is subject to a Class I recall for Beef Items.

720.2 The Contractor’s supplier for any ingredient is subject to a Class I recall for that ingredient.

720.3 The Contractor shall be ineligible until it:

720.3.1 Submits a written corrective action to the SSD.

720.3.2 The SSD approves the written corrective action.

720.3.3 The Quality Assessment Division verifies implementation of the written corrective action through an onsite audit.

Date Revised: 07/25/24 7

730 Contactor Checkloading

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

731.1.1 Purchase Order Number/Purchase Order Line Item Number;

731.1.2 Sales Order Number/Sales Order Line Item Number;

731.1.3 Destination of shipment;

731.1.4 Name of Product and applicable Material Number;

731.1.5 Shipping Date;

731.1.6 Production lot number(s) and date each lot was produced along with shipping container and immediate container code(s) and the code used that provides traceability to establishment number, production lot and date;

731.1.7 Count of shipping containers and total projected net weight in each production lot, and delivery unit;

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

731.1.9 Contractor certification that product conforms with the applicable specification

(FPPS-DB-2024);

731.1.10 Count and projected net weight verified; and

731.1.11 Signature of company official responsible for checkloading.

Specification (FPPS) for Animal Handling and Welfare

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Livestock and Poultry (LP) Program

Standards and Specifications Division (SSD) Room 2702-S, STOP 0258

Phone: (202) 690-3148

Supersedes: FPPS-AHW- March 2021 – Changes from previous requirements in blue

Effective: July 2024

Approved by DRD Date Issued: 08/11/08 Date Revised: 07/25/24

100 General

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

110 Program Approach

111 All animal harvest facilities that supply raw materials from bovine, porcine and ovine species for the production of AMS destined finished products must develop and implement a written program that is consistent with a systematic approach to humane animal handling and welfare as outlined in 69 FR 54625.

The program will ensure proper animal handling and welfare techniques are conducted from the time the transportation conveyance enters the facility’s premises through the stunning and exsanguination of the animal.

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 – Program Components.

200 Program Components

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

210 Management Commitment

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

Supplement 210 to AMS Master Solicitation Exhibit B

Date Issued: 08/11/08 Date Revised: 07/25/24 2

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

220 Training Program

221 Training program on Animal Handling and Welfare that:

221.1 is provided to all employees interacting with animals;

221.2 covers the Meat Institute (MI) Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines & Audit Guide: A Systematic Approach to Animal Welfare.

221.3 is facilitated by an employee that has earned and maintained a certification of animal 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

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 MI 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.

233 All animal harvest facilities that supply raw materials from bovine, porcine and ovine species for the production of AMS destined finished products must have a fully functioning back-up stunning device onsite wherever animal stunning is performed.

240 Regulatory Oversight

241 For all species, animals/carcasses that are inspected and passed by the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) are eligible for AMS purchase programs.

Date Revised: 07/25/24 3

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 Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Inspector in Charge (IIC) or designee.

310 Audit Format

311 Audits will be conducted utilizing the following format:

312 Transportation Segment (Chapter 4: MI 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.

313 Animal Handling and Stunning Segment (Chapter 5: MI 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/

313.2 The auditor shall inform FSIS and organization officials in writing of all audit findings, including any observations of missed stuns and/or animals regaining sensibility following stunning, upon completion of the audit during the exit interview.

320 Initial Audit

321 Initial audit must be performed prior to award of contracts.

330 Audit Failure

331 If an audit is failed for any of the Core Criteria, the organization is not eligible to provide product until such a time that corrective and preventative actions are approved by SSD, implemented and proven effective.

1/Religious harvest (Kosher and Halal) shall be exempt from the AMS auditing of Core Criteria 6: Effective Stunning.

Date Revised: 07/25/24 4

340 Audit Frequency and Status

341 Standard - Until four (4) consecutive successfully passed audits are attained, an audit must be conducted within 3 months of the previous audit.

342 Monthly - If at any time an audit identifies any of the Core Criteria not meeting the pass requirements while in the Standard phase, auditing will be required to be conducted on a monthly basis once corrective and preventative actions have been approved by SSD, implemented and proven effective. This schedule will be for a period of time until four (4) successive audits are found to meet the passing requirements noted in Section 310 – Audit Format; at which time audits shall be conducted on the Standard basis.

343 If four successfully conducted audits are sequentially completed within a one-year period while in Standard auditing phase, the facility may move to a Semi- Annual audit basis.

344 Semi-Annual - Semi-annual audits may continue until such time that a failed audit is reported or a period of greater than six months has elapsed without any audits being performed; at which time the audits must resume as described for Standard audits.

345 For-Cause – Any official enforcement actions issued by FSIS for missed stuns or for an animal regaining sensibility following stunning shall result in an immediate for-cause animal handling and welfare audit by AMS. Subsequent audit frequency will be determined by results of the AMS audit, as described above.

400 SSD

401 SSD can declare an organization’s Animal Handing and Welfare Program out of compliance at any time.

402 The organization shall immediately notify SSD when any animal handling and welfare official enforcement action is issued by FSIS.

Date Revised:07/25/24

Supplement 210 to AMS Master Solicitation Exhibit C

Cover Page:

Company Name Company Address Contact Person, including title, phone number, including emergency contact information, e-mail address (must be authorized to represent the company).

Technical Proposal for: Supplement 210 and FPPS - Fresh Beef Round Roasts, Boneless, Frozen.

Table of Contents (all pages and attachments shall be number and identified – any attachments shall be identified and referenced in the Production Plan).

The production plan should document a quality control program that includes procedures, records, forms, pictures, etc., which demonstrates conformance with the following checklist of requirements:

100 Item Description

200 Applicable Documents

300 Checklist of Requirements

320 Materials

330 Meat Component

331 Imps Items

332 Domestic Origin of Meat Component

333 Grade

334 Harvest (Slaughter)

334.1 Humane Handling

Non-Ambulatory Cattle

334.2 Pathogen Intervention Steps

334.3 Spinal Cord Removal

335 Boneless Beef

335.1 Traceability

335.2 Handling

Date Revised:07/25/24

335.3 Objectionable Materials

336 Mechanically Separated

340 Non-Meat Components

350 Fat Limitations

360 State of Refrigeration

370 Metal Detection

380 Preparation for Delivery

390 Packaging

400 Packing

410 Closure

420 Labeling

430 Palletized Unit Loads

440 Delivery Unit

450 Delivered Product

460 Size and Style of Container

470 Temperature

480 Sealing

500 Product Assurance

510 Warranty and Complaint Resolution

511 Warranty

512 Complaint Resolution

520 AMS Monitoring and Production Assessment

600 Non-Conforming Product

Date Revised:07/25/24

630 Contractor Checkloading

Attachments or Appendixes - Please attach all referenced documents with the applicable document name and reference number.

Date Revised: 07/25/24

Supplement 210 to AMS Master Solicitation Exhibit C1

Cover Page:

Company Name Company Address Contact Person, including title, phone number, including emergency contact information, e-mail address (must be authorized to represent the company).

Technical Proposal for: Supplement 210 and FPPS – Diced Beef, Frozen

Table of Contents (all pages and attachments shall be number and identified – any attachments shall be identified and referenced in the Production Plan).

The production plan should document a quality control program that includes procedures, records, forms, pictures, etc., which demonstrates conformance with the following checklist of requirements:

100 Item Description

200 Applicable Documents

300 Checklist of Requirements

320 Materials

330 Meat Component

335 Domestic Origin of Meat Component

336 Grade

337 Harvest (Slaughter)

337.1 Humane Handling

Non-Ambulatory Cattle

337.2 Pathogen Intervention Steps

337.3 Spinal Cord Removal

338 Boneless Beef

338.1 Traceability

338.2 Handling

338.3 Objectionable Materials

Date Revised: 07/25/24

338.4 Mechanically Separated

340 Finished Product Limitations

341 Fat Limitations

360 State of Refrigeration

370 Metal Detection

400 Preparation for Delivery

420 Packaging

430 Packing

440 Closure

450 Labeling

460 Palletized Unit Loads

470 Delivery Unit

500 Delivered Product

510 Size And Style Of Container

520 Temperature

530 Sealing

600 Product Assurance

610 Warranty and Complaint Resolution

611 Warranty

612 Complaint Resolution

620 AMS Monitoring and Production Assessment

700 Non-Conforming Product

730 Contractor Checkloading

Attachments or Appendixes - Please attach all referenced documents with the applicable document name and reference number.

Supplement 210 to AMS Master Solicitation Exhibit D

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE

LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY PROGRAM

CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMANCE FOR

THE PROCUREMENT OF BEEF ROASTS OR

DICED BEEF, FROZEN

CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMANCE

I certify the following:

(1) On [delivery date(s)], [Supplier’s name] furnished the (insert the appropriate commodity description) called for by Purchase Order Number via [Carrier] under Sales Order Number/Item number(s): .

(2) The (insert the appropriate material name) is of the quality specified and conforms in all respects with the purchase order requirements, including [Supplier’s name] Production Plan as approved by the AMS, LP Program, Standards and Specifications Division.

(3) Product identification, (i.e.