Supplement 303 Ham Products - September 2026.pdf

Approved by: DRD.

Date Issued: 06/10/11 Date Revised: 09/14/26 1

APPROVED

Supplement 303 to the AMS Master Invitation for Purchase of Ham Products, Boneless, Fully Cooked Water-Added 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 303 dated October 2022 – changes from previous requirements in blue

Effective: September 2026

100 Overview

110 This document provides additional program requirements for the purchase of Ham, Boneless, Fully-Cooked, Water-Added Items by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), including the applicable Federal Purchase Program Specification (FPPS) (Exhibit A and A1).

200 Instructions to Potential Contractors

210 The Ham, Boneless, Fully-Cooked, Water-Added Items shall be purchased on a competitive bid basis from qualified contractors who have met the requirements described in this Section. 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 Standards and Specifications Division.

220 Submission of sample(s) and a technical proposal is not binding on USDA.

Additional procurement requirements shall be described in the AMS Master Invitations for Bids – Domestic Commodity Procurement (MIFB-D) and individual Solicitations.

230 Documentation Requirements

Date Revised: 09/14/26 2

231 Technical Proposal Requirement

231.1 Include a detailed description of the Ham, Boneless, Fully-Cooked, Water-Added Items 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 & C1).

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, 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 the proposal is adequate and shall notify the contractor of the status of its technical proposal and its eligibility to bid.

233 Animal Welfare Requirements

233.1 All contractors and subcontractors shall meet the animal handling and welfare requirements set forth in the most recent version of the Federal Purchase Program Specification (FPPS) For Animal Handling and Welfare. (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 technical proposal:

Date Revised: 09/14/26 3

310.1 The Government has provided a technical proposal format which is to be used in preparing the technical proposal (see Exhibit C & C1). The contractor shall submit the technical proposal as an email file attachment to AMS (Darin.Doerscher@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 an offeror 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 offeror’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 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); and

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

400 Domestic Origin Certification Clause

410 The contractor agrees to include the domestic origin certification clause at Section 4A52.225-70 of the MIFB-D, in its entirety, in all subcontracts for meat or meat products used in fulfilling any contracts awarded under the MIFB-D and this Supplement. 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.”

mailto:Darin.Doerscher@usda.gov mailto:TechnicalApprovals@usda.gov

Date Revised: 09/14/26 4

420 Domestic origin verification requirements shall be included in the contractor’s or subcontractor’s technical proposal, if applicable.

Otherwise, prior to any work performed under the contract or purchase order awarded, the Domestic Origin Certificate (refer to the MIFB-D) shall be presented to an AMS representative, the Contracting Officer, or agent thereof upon request.

500 Food Defense

510 Food Defense Requirements – Refer to Section 452.246-70 of the MIFB-D for

Commodity Procurements.

520 Regardless of the contract compliance service utilized for the contract (see section 500), 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.

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

600 AMS Contract Compliance

610 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.

620 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.

630 Questions concerning charges and the availability of AMS agents shall be directed to a

USDA/AMS, LP Program’s QAD field office or to:

USDA, AMS, LP, QAD Business Operations Branch 1200 Cherry Brooke Drive, Suite 100 Little Rock, AR 72211-6022 Phone: 501-312-2962 Email: QAD.BusinessOps@usda.gov mailto:QAD.BusinessOps@usda.gov

Date Revised: 09/14/26 5

640 Option A: QAD Grading-Based Monitoring and Certification

640.1 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 pork raw material contractor is required to submit a technical proposal.

650 Pre-Production Onsite Plant Survey

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

660 Post-Award Monitoring and Certification

660.1 The USDA grader shall always be present during production and processing of the commodity food.

660.2 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.

660.3 The contractor shall perform check-loading examinations as described in the FPPS at the time of shipment and issue an acceptance document to accompany each shipment.

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

670 Option B: Audit-Based Verification

670.1 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 300 - Technical Proposal Requirements) and the applicable FPPS.

Pork raw materials will be subjected to the QAD grading-based certification process prior to being utilized to manufacture finished products.

670.2 Interested contractors may submit sample(s) and a technical proposal at any time during the purchase program. Contractors should allow ten (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.

Date Revised: 09/14/26 6

670.3 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 of the facility’s processes, food defense plan, and quality control program used to produce the product(s) to determine the contractor’s ability to meet contractual requirements.

680 Pre-Award Onsite Capability Assessment Audit

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

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

680.3 Production of the commodity that complies with the applicable FPPS and approved technical proposal;

680.4 Records related to purchasing, receiving, production, quality control, inventory, shipping; and

680.5 Interviews with management and production personnel.

681 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.

682 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.

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

690 Post-Award Assessment Audit

690.1 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.

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690.2 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 SSD, 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 SSD, more frequent audits may be conducted when audit deficiencies are detected.

695 Post-Award Actions

695.1 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.

695.2 Contractor shall ensure 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.

695.3 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.

700 Certificate of Conformance (COC)

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

800 Product Sample for Option B

810 Potential contractors that choose to operate under Option B shall submit samples that are produced in accordance with their submitted technical proposal.

900 Contractor Checkloading

910 Under Option A and B the contractor shall perform check-loading 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:

910.1 Purchase Order Number;

910.2 Sales Order and Sales Order Item Number;

910.3 Name of product;

910.4 Shipping Date;

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

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 Contractor certification that product conforms with the FPPS;

910.9 Count and projected net weight verified;

910.10 Product temperature at time of loading to final destination; and

910.11

Signature of company official responsible for check-loading.

Exhibits

Date Issued: 03/01/09 Date Revised: 09/14/26 1

APPROVED

Federal Purchase Program Specification (FPPS) for Ham

Products, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, 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 for Ham Products (HP) dated October 2022 – changes from previous requirements in blue

Effective: September 2026

100 Item Description

110 Bulk Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully-Cooked, Water Added, Frozen – For material numbers 100184, four (4), 10-pound hams shall be snugly packed into a shipping case to a net weight of 40 pounds. For material number 100182, twelve (12), 3-pound hams shall be snugly packed into a shipping case to a net weight of 36 pounds. The bulk packaged hams shall be round or oval shaped and have a diameter of 4.0 to 4.5 inches.

120 Sliced Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully-Cooked, Water Added, Frozen –

Thinly sliced (not shaved) ham (material numbers 100187 and 100891) shall be shingle layered and packaged. For material number 100187, eight (8), 5-pound packages shall be snugly packed into a shipping case to a net weight of 40 pounds.1/ For material number 100891, twenty (20), 2-pound packages shall be snugly packed into a shipping case to a net weight of 40 pounds. The full intact slices shall be round or oval shaped with a diameter of 4.0 to 4.5 inches, or square shaped with dimensions of 4.0 X 4.0 or 4.0 X 6.0 inches.

1/ Sliced 5-pound packages are permitted to be separated into two (2), 2 ½ - pound attached saddle packs.

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER INVITATION EXHIBIT A

Date Revised: 09/14/26 2

130 Items described in Sections 110 and 120 shall be 97 percent fat free (3 percent fat), minimum Protein Fat Free (PFF) value of 17.0 percent, and have a whole muscle appearance (not ground or chopped), uniform color (slightly two-tone color is permissible), no spongy (porous texture) appearance (after thawing of frozen ham).

140 Diced Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully-Cooked, Frozen – The product shall be 97 percent fat-free and have a minimum PFF value of 15.0 percent.

This item (material number 100188) is recommended for use as a topping for pizza, salads, omelets and as a component for soups, stews, and casseroles. Eight (8), 5-pound packages shall be snugly packed into a shipping case to a net weight of 40 pounds. The dices shall be 0.5-inch cubes and may be made from ground or chopped and formed ham.

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

Item Material #

3 lb. Bulk Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, Water Added, Frozen

10 lb. Bulk Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, Water Added, Frozen

100182

100184

5 lb. Sliced Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, Water Added, Frozen1/

100187

5 lb. Diced Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, Frozen

100188

2 lb. Sliced Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, Water Added, Frozen

100891

1/ Sliced 5-pound packages are permitted to be separated into two (2), 2 ½ - pound attached saddle packs.

Date Revised: 09/14/26 3

200 Checklist of Requirements

210 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).

300 Materials

310 The contractor’s technical proposal shall include procedures to address conformance with the following material requirements.

320 Meat Component

321 Pork (shall be derived from suitable lean from any portion of the sow and/or hog carcass) shall be the only meat component allowed. Pork derived from boars is not permissible.

322 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 the federal nutrition assistance program.

323 Harvesting (Slaughtering) – All sows and/or hogs shall be harvested in facilities that comply with the following requirements:

323.1 Humane Handling – All sows and/or hogs shall be humanely handled in accordance with all applicable FSIS regulations and AMS requirements;

323.2 Non-Ambulatory Disabled Hogs – Meat from carcasses of non-ambulatory disabled livestock shall not be included in USDA Purchase Programs; and

323.3 Spinal Cord Removal – All spinal cord tissue will be removed during the harvesting process.

Date Revised: 09/14/26 4

324 Boneless Pork Legs – Hams shall be derived from boneless pork legs that comply with the following requirements:

324.1 Traceability – Contractors are responsible for providing sufficient product traceability and shall have records to verify the source of raw materials used in each lot of product;

324.2 Handling – All boneless pork legs shall be maintained in excellent condition. The contractor’s technical proposal shall include detailed production scheduling with time and temperature controls necessary to maintain excellent condition of the boneless pork legs;

324.3 Fresh Chilled Only – Meat shall be derived from fresh chilled boneless pork legs. Previously frozen boneless pork legs cannot be used;

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324.4 Uniform Color – To the extent possible, pork leg muscles should be sorted for color uniformity;

324.5 Lean Quality – The pork leg muscles shall not exhibit any evidence of pale, soft, and/or exudative conditions;

324.6 Shanks and Inner Shanks – If used, shanks and inner shanks shall be ground, emulsified, or otherwise reduced in size;

324.7 Objectionable Materials – Pork legs shall be free of bones, cartilages, skins, spinal cord, and foreign materials;

324.8 Ground Meat – Pork leg trimmings (including shank meat and rework) that are ground, emulsified, or otherwise reduced in size cannot exceed 7.0 percent of the meat component; and

324.9 Rework - If used, rework shall be derived from finished ham product intended for delivery to USDA, not be associated with any positive pathogen test and be included as a component of the ground meat (see Section 324.8) while not exceeding a level of 2 percent based on finished product weight.

325 Mechanical Separation - Pork that is mechanically separated from bone with automatic deboning systems or advanced lean (meat) recovery (AMR) systems is not allowed.

330 Non-Meat Components

331 All non-meat components shall be listed in the ingredient statements.

Date Revised: 09/14/26 5

332 Domestic Origin – Significant ingredients (more than 1.0 percent) shall be derived from U.S. produced products.

333 Product Formula – The production formula shall include water, dextrose, salt, sodium phosphate, antimicrobial agent(s) and sodium nitrite. Sodium erythorbate, and/or sodium ascorbate, may be used.

334 Ingredient Limitations – The ingredients in the product formula shall comply with the amounts as listed:

334.1 Material Number 100182:

334.1.1 Dextrose – No more than 3.0 percent

334.1.2 Salt – No more than 2.5 percent

334.1.3 Sodium Phosphate – No more than 0.5 percent

334.2 Material Numbers 100184, 100187, 100188 and 100891

334.2.1 The product formulation(s) shall be developed such that the prescribed finished product limitations (see Sections 500 - 561) are met.

335 Binder Agent – Binder agents such as carrageenan and modified food starch may be used.

336 The following non-meat ingredients shall be precluded from use in the formulation:

336.1 MSG – Monosodium Glutamate (MSG);

336.2 Soy Protein Products (SPP); and

336.3 Gluten-containing ingredients.

400 Processing

410 Processing Date

411 Ham products, as delivered to AMS destinations, shall be processed no more than sixty (60) days prior to shipment.

Date Revised: 09/14/26 6

420 Casing Diameter / Dimension

421 Bulk Packaged Ham - All bulk packaged hams shall be stuffed and processed within high oxygen and high moisture barrier poly “cook-n-ship” casings with a diameter of 4.0 to 4.5 inches. Ham then may be pressed.

422 Sliced and Diced Packaged Ham - All sliced and diced packaged hams shall be stuffed and processed within high oxygen and high moisture barrier poly “cook- n-ship” casings with a diameter of 4.0 to 4.5 inches or square shaped with dimensions of 4X4 or 4X6 inches. Ham then may be sliced or diced and repackaged (see Section 712.2).

430 Product Cooking

431 Ham shall be fully cooked in accordance with FSIS regulations.

440 Metal Detection

440.1

440.2

All hams shall be free of metal contamination. 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.

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

500 Finished Product Limitations

510 Fat and protein-fat-free label declarations shall comply with FSIS labeling regulations.

520 Fat

521 The contractor will target production to maintain a process average for fat content to be 3.0 percent or less. The contractor shall use a Statistical Process Control (SPC) program to analyze fat test results. The SPC Upper Specification Limit (USL) is 3.6 percent fat. The average test results of each production lot exceeding the USL shall not be allowed delivery to USDA. For the purpose of this section, a lot cannot exceed one day’s production.

530 Protein Fat Free (PFF)

531 The contractor shall target its production to maintain the PFF values as specified with the item description.

540 Sodium

541 Material Number 100182:

541.1 The product formulation shall be developed such that the prescribed ingredient limitations (see Section 334.1) are met.

542 Material Numbers 100184, 100187, 100188 and 100891:

542.1 The sodium level shall not exceed 650 mg per 100 g serving.

542.2 ((Declared Sodium Level (mg) X 100) ÷ Declared Serving Size (g; reference amount customarily consumed) ≤ 650))

550 Microbial

551 Contractor shall have a documented plan to comply with the latest FSIS Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes requirements for ready-to-eat foods. Product tested positive for any pathogen shall not be allowed as rework or delivery to USDA.

560 Physical Characteristics

561 Since one or more freeze/thaw cycles shall cause moisture loss and affect quality, hams shall not appear spongy or porous in texture after freezing and thawing. Diced hams shall be processed to minimize ‘clumping’ so that product is easily removed from bags by the end user without completely thawing.

600 State of Refrigeration

610 Hams shall comply with the following holding time and temperature requirements:

620 Holding Time

621 Frozen Ham Products – After processing, ham destined for freezing shall be refrigerated for a minimum of 24 hours. The diced ham shall be frozen in a manner to minimize ‘clumping’ after freezing.

630 Holding Temperature

631 Frozen Hams (material numbers 100182, 100184, 100187, 100188, 100891) – Hams destined for freezing shall have an internal temperature not to exceed 40o F (4.4o C) prior to placement in the freezer.

Date Revised: 09/14/26 8

640 72 Hours Temperature

641 Frozen hams shall be 0o F (- 17.8o C) below within 72 hours after placement into the freezer.

700 Preparation for Delivery

710 Packaging

711 Package – All bulk packaged hams shall be stuffed and processed within poly "cook-n-ship" high oxygen and high moisture barrier casings. Sliced, shingle layered hams and diced hams shall be packaged into bags or thermoformed packaging and vacuum sealed.

All packages shall be closed by heat seal or metal clips.

712 Package Net Weight

712.1 Bulk Ham – For material number 100182, ham shall be packaged into casings to a net weight of 3 pounds. For material numbers 100184, ham shall be packaged into casings to a net weight of 10 pounds.

712.2 Sliced and Diced Hams – For material numbers 100187 and 100188, ham product shall be vacuum packaged or thermoformed vacuum packaged to a net weight of 5 pounds. For material number 100891, ham product shall be vacuum packaged or thermoformed vacuum packaged to a net weight of two (2) pounds.

720 Packing

721 Bulk Ham – For material number 100182, twelve (12), 3-pound hams shall be snugly packed into a new shipping case to a net weight of 36 pounds. For material numbers 100184, four (4), 10-pound hams, shall be snugly packed into a new shipping case to a net weight of 40 pounds.

722 Sliced or Diced Hams – For material numbers 100187 and 100188, eight (8), 5-pound packages shall be snugly packed into a new shipping case to a net weight of 40 pounds.1 / For material number 100891, twenty (20), 2-pound packages shall be snugly packed into a new shipping case to a net weight of 40 pounds.

1/ Sliced 5-pound packages are permitted to be separated into two (2), 2 ½ - pound attached saddle packs.

Date Revised: 09/14/26 9

730 Labeling 2/

731 The shipping cases shall be in compliance with the National Motor Freight Classification, or the Uniform Freight Classification, as applicable. Both primary package and shipping cases shall be labeled to include all information required by FSIS regulations.

732 10-Pound Ham, 5-Pound Sliced and Diced Hams primary package or casing labels – Each package is required to have a traceability code that is traced back to establishment number, production lot, and date.

733 Primary Package Label - 3-Pound Ham and 2-Pound Sliced primary package or casing labels – Each package shall contain the following information:

733.1 Product name;

733.2 Manufacturer name and address;

733.3 Ingredient declaration;

733.4 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

733.5 A traceability code that includes information regarding production establishment, production date and production lot;

733.6 A nutrition facts panel based on actual laboratory analysis of the product;

733.7 Heating Instructions;

2/ All labeling illustrations shall be provided in the contractor’s technical proposal.

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER INVITATION 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.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: 09/14/26 10

733.8 Safe handling instructions; and

733.9 A “Best-If-Used-By” date that is 365 calendar days from the date of production. Labels shall be contractor’s own retail (i.e. commercially available, off-the-shelf) labels. Primary package labels shall include one color other than black and white (exclusive of package color).

Distributor’s labels are not permitted.

734 Shipping Case Label – Shipping cases shall contain the following information:

734.1 USDA shield at least 2 inches high and appearing on the top or on the principal display panel of each case or on a label affixed to the shipping cases;

734.2 Appropriate purchase order number;

734.3 A traceability code that is traced back to establishment number, production lot, and date;

734.4 Ingredient declaration;

734.5 A nutrition facts panel based on actual nutritional analysis of the product;

734.6 10-Pound Ham, 5-Pound Sliced and Diced Hams shipping cases shall have the statement “for institutional use only”;

734.7

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.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

Date Revised: 09/14/26 11

740 Closure

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

750 Palletized Unit Loads

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

800 Delivery Unit

810 The delivery units for each of the following respective material numbers are as follows:

820 Material Numbers 100184, 100187, 100188, 100891

821 Each delivery shall consist of 1,000 shipping cases with a net weight of 40,000 pounds.

830 Material Number 100182

831 Each delivery shall consist of 1,000 shipping cases with a net weight of 35,940 - 36,000 pounds.

900 Delivered Product

910 Size And Style

911 Only one size and style of primary package or casings and shipping case shall be offered in an individual shipping unit.

920 Temperature

922 Frozen Ham Temperature – All products shall be stored frozen and shall not exceed 0°F (-17.8o C) at the time of shipment and delivery.

Date Revised: 09/14/26 12

930 Sealing

931 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 MIFB-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.

1000 Product Assurance

1010 Warranty and Complaint Resolution

1011 Warranty – The contractor shall guarantee that the product complies with all contractual requirements required of this Supplement.

1012 Complaint Resolution – The contractor’s technical proposal shall provide steps taken to resolve complaints received on the product (i.e.

point of contact, cause and effect analysis, corrective and preventative actions taken, and product replacement).

1020 AMS Monitoring and Production Assessment

1021 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.

1022 If the contractor uses the AMS QAD Grading-based Monitoring and

Certification service, it shall be implemented in accordance with Section 540 of Supplement 303.

1023 The contractor’s technical proposal shall specify that the AMS

QAD Audit based Verification service option will be used.

Date Revised: 09/14/26 13

1030 Non-Conforming Product

1031 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 from AMS production or destroyed).

1032 The Contractor shall be deemed ineligible to supply to USDA purchase programs (while under contract) should one of the following circumstances arise:

1032.1 The Contractor is subject to a Class I recall for Ham Items; and

1032.2 The Contractor’s supplier for any ingredient is subject to a Class I recall for that ingredient;

1032.3 The Contractor shall be ineligible until it:

1032.3.1 Submits written corrective action to the SSD;

1032.3.2 The SSD approves the written corrective action; and

1032.3.3 The QAD verifies implementation of the written corrective action through an onside audit.

1040 Contractor Check-loading

1041 Under both the QAD Grading-based Monitoring and Certification option and the QAD Audit-based Verification service option, the contractor shall perform check-loading examinations at the time of shipment and issue a contractor’s certificate to accompany each shipment that includes the following information:

1041.1 Purchase Order Number and Purchase Order Line-Item Number;

1041.2 Sales Order Number and Sales Order Line-Item Number;

1041.3 Destination of shipment;

1041.4 Name of Product and applicable Material Number;

Date Revised: 09/14/26 14

1041.5 Shipping Date;

1041.6 The information required for traceability 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;

1041.7 Count of shipping cases and total projected net weight in each production lot and delivery unit;

1041.8 Identity of car or transportation trailer numbers, letters, license, etc., including all serially numbered door seal(s), as applicable;

1041.9 Contractor certification that product conforms with the applicable specification

(FPPS-HP-2026);

1041.10 Count and projected net weight verified;

1041.11 Product temperature at time of loading to final destination; and

1041.12 Signature of company official responsible for check-loading.

Date Issued: 07/20/17 Date Revised: 09/14/26

APPROVED

Federal Purchase Program Specification (FPPS) for Smoked Pit

Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, Water-Added, 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 for Smoked Pit Ham (PH) dated October 2022 – changes from previous requirements in blue

Effective: September 2026

100 Item Description

110 Smoked Pit Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, Water-Added, Frozen – For this item, six (6) hams (5.0 ± 0.5 lbs. each) shall be packed per shipping case with a catch weight range of 30 ± 2 lbs. Additionally, these hams shall be 94.0 percent fat free (6.0 percent fat), have a minimum Protein Fat Free (PFF) value of 17.0 percent, have a whole muscle appearance with uniform, cured color (no two-toning), minimal fat pockets, and exhibit a firm, non-porous texture post thawing. The exterior shall be tear drop in shape, netting imprinted (e.g. honeycomb) and display a rich mahogany color, typical of smoked ham products.

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

Item Material #

Smoked Pit Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, Water-Added, Frozen. 111580

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER INVITATION EXHIBIT A1

210 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).

300 Materials

310 The contractor’s technical proposal shall include procedures to address conformance with the following material requirements.

320 Meat Component

321 Pork leg insides (Semimembranosus), knuckles (Tensor fasciae latae &

Quadriceps group) and/or outsides (Biceps femoris & Semitendinosus) of the sow and/or hog carcass shall be the only meat components allowed.

Pork derived from boars is not permissible.

322 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 the federal nutrition assistance program.

323 Harvesting (Slaughtering) – All sows and/or hogs shall be harvested in facilities that comply with the following requirements:

323.1 Humane Handling – All sows and/or hogs shall be humanely handled in accordance with all applicable FSIS regulations and AMS requirements;

323.2 Non-Ambulatory Disabled Hogs – Meat from carcasses of non-ambulatory disabled livestock shall not be included in USDA Purchase Programs; and

323.3 Spinal Cord Removal – All spinal cord tissue will be removed during the harvesting process.

324 Boneless Pork Leg Insides/Knuckles/Outsides – Hams shall be derived from pork leg insides, knuckles and/or outsides that comply with the following requirements:

324.1 Traceability – The contractor is responsible for providing sufficient product traceability and shall have records to verify the source of raw materials used in each lot of product;

324.2 Handling – All pork leg insides, knuckles and/or outsides shall be maintained in excellent condition. The contractor’s technical proposal shall include detailed production scheduling with time and temperature controls necessary to maintain excellent condition of the pork leg insides, knuckles and/or outsides;

324.3 Fresh Chilled Only – Hams shall be derived from fresh chilled pork leg insides, knuckles and/or outsides. Previously frozen pork leg insides, knuckles and/or outsides cannot be used;

324.4 Uniform Color - Pork leg insides, knuckles and/or outsides shall be sorted for color uniformity to preclude two-toning in the finished product;

324.5 Lean Quality – The pork leg insides, knuckles and/or outsides shall not exhibit any evidence of pale, soft, and/or exudative conditions; and

324.6 Objectionable Materials – Pork leg insides, knuckles and/or outsides shall be free of skin, bone, cartilage, organ tissue, significant glandular tissue, heavy connective tissue and foreign materials.

325 Mechanical Separation – Meat that is mechanically separated from bone with automatic deboning systems and/or advanced lean (meat) recovery (AMR) systems shall not be allowed.

330 Non-Meat Components

331 All non-meat components shall be listed in the ingredient statements.

332 Domestic Origin – Significant ingredients (more than 1 percent) shall be derived from U.S. produced products.

333 Product Formula – The product formula shall include water, dextrose, salt, sodium phosphate, antimicrobial agent(s) and sodium nitrite. Sodium erythorbate, and/or sodium ascorbate, may be used.

334 Ingredient Limitations - The following non-meat ingredients shall be precluded from use in the formulation:

334.1 Monosodium Glutamate (MSG);

334.2 Soy Protein Products (SPP); and

334.3 Gluten-containing ingredients.

400 Processing

410 Processing Date

411 Ham products, as delivered to AMS destinations, shall be processed no more than sixty (60) days prior to shipment.

420 Product Cooking

421 Hams shall be fully cooked and smoked in accordance with FSIS regulations. The use of natural wood smoking and/or liquid smoke may be used to achieve the appropriate standard of identity (“Smoked”).

430 Metal Detection

All hams shall be free of metal contamination. 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. The contractor’s technical proposal must identify and describe the equipment, location, detection procedure, sensitivity levels, frequency of equipment validation, and corrective action procedures.

500 Finished Product Limitations

510 Fat and protein fat free label declarations shall comply with FSIS labeling regulations.

520 Fat

521 The fat content of the finished product will not exceed six (6.0) percent.

522 Percent Fat = (Total Fat / Serving Size) x 100.

530 Protein Fat Free (PFF)

531 The contractor shall target its production to maintain a minimum PFF value of

17.0 percent.

532 Percent PFF = (Percent Protein / (100 – Percent Fat)) X 100.

540 Sodium

541 Sodium level shall not exceed 750 mg per 100 g.

542 (Declared Sodium Level [mg] X 100) ÷ (Declared Serving Size [grams; Reference Amount Customarily Consumed]) < 750.

550 Microbial

551 Contractor shall have a documented plan to comply with the latest FSIS Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes requirements for ready-to-eat foods. Product tested positive for any pathogen shall not be allowed delivery to USDA.

600 State of Refrigeration

610 Hams shall comply with the following holding time and temperature requirements:

620 Holding Time

621 After processing, hams shall be refrigerated for a minimum of eight (8) hours.

630 Holding Temperature

631 Hams shall have an internal temperature not to exceed 40oF (4.4oC) prior to placement in the freezer.

640 72 Hours Temperature

641 Hams shall be 0oF or below within 72 hours after placement into the freezer.

700 Preparation For Delivery

710 Packaging

711 Individual hams (5.0 ± 0.5 lbs. each) shall have the netting removed and be vacuum packaged.

721 Six (6) hams (5.0 ± 0.5 lbs. each) shall be packed per shipping case with a catch weight of 30 ± 2 lbs.

730 Labeling 1/, 2/

731 The shipping cases shall be in compliance with the National Motor Freight Classification, or the Uniform Freight Classification, as applicable. Both primary packaging and shipping cases shall be labeled to include all information required by FSIS regulations.

732 Primary Package Label – Each primary package shall contain the following information:

732.1 Product name;

732.2 Manufacturer name and address;

732.3 Ingredient declaration;

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

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

732.5 A traceability code that includes information regarding production establishment, production date and production lot;

732.6 A nutrition facts panel based on actual laboratory analysis of the product;

732.7 Heating Instructions;

1/All labeling illustrations shall be provided in the contractor’s technical proposal.

2/Commercial labeling (Brand “X”) of primary package and shipping case is permissible.

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER INVITATION EXHIBIT A1

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-%20%20%20%20%20Ingredients.pdf https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/import/Allergens-%20%20%20%20%20Ingredients.pdf

732.8 Safe handling instructions;

732.9 A “Best-If-Used-By” date that is 365 calendar days from the date of production; and

732.10 Labels shall be contractor’s own retail (i.e. commercially available, off-the-shelf) labels. Primary package labels shall include one color other than black and white (exclusive of package color). Distributor’s labels are not permitted.

733 Shipping Case Label – Shipping cases shall contain the following information:

733.1 USDA shield at least 2 inches high and appearing on the top or on the principal display panel of each case or on a label affixed to the shipping case;

733.2 Appropriate purchase order number;

733.3 A traceability code that is traced back to establishment number, production lot, and date;

733.4 Ingredient declaration;

733.5 A nutrition facts panel based on actual laboratory analysis of the product;

733.6 Product name: Smoked Pit Ham, Cured, Boneless, Fully Cooked, Water- Added, Frozen;

733.7 Material number: 111580; and

733.8

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

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

SUPPLEMENT 303 TO AMS MASTER INVITATION EXHIBIT A1

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

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

750 Palletized Unit Loads

751 All product shall be stacked on new or well-maintained pallets and palletized with shrink wrap plastic. Pallet loads shall be stacked in a manner that minimizes the overhang of the shipping cases over the edges of the pallets and exposes each shipping case’s principal display panel to facilitate certification examinations.

800 Delivery Unit

810 Each delivery unit shall consist of 1,250 cases (7,500 individual hams) with a net weight between 35,000 to 40,000 pounds.

900 Delivered Product

910 Size And Style

911 Only one size and style of primary package and shipping cases shall be offered in an individual shipping unit.

920 Temperature

921 All products shall be stored frozen and shall not exceed 0°F (-17.8oC) at the…