Corn Products CRD

The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service issued a revised Commodity Requirements specification for corn products on October 8, 2026, with a comment deadline of December 31, 2026. The specification establishes standards for degermed yellow and white cornmeal, blue cornmeal, and white and yellow corn grits intended for use in domestic programs, with no set-aside applied.

The specification requires all corn products to comply with Commercial Item Description standards and FDA enrichment requirements where applicable. Degermed cornmeal must meet CID A-A-20066C with maximum moisture of 13.5%, maximum fat of 1.5%, and maximum ash of 0.70% on a moisture-free basis. Blue cornmeal must comply with CID A-A-20066C as Type I or Type II, Class A, Color 3, with minimum crude fiber of 1.2% and minimum fat of 3.1%. Corn grits must meet CID A-A-20035E and FDA standards for Enriched Corn Meal under 21 CFR 137.260, with no added sodium permitted. All products must test for aflatoxin per Federal Grain Inspection Service procedures with a maximum allowable level of 20 ppb. Contractors must maintain Certificates of Analysis for a minimum of seven years and ensure shelf-life of at least one year for degermed cornmeal at room temperature and six months for frozen blue cornmeal. Products must be manufactured within 60 days prior to shipment. October 2026 revisions added the sodium prohibition for grits and removed quality discount language pending review.