Product Specifications & Requirements

USDA Foods meet high standards for quality and wholesomeness and must be produced and processed according to detailed USDA specifications.  

Specifications by Product:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Juice
• Nuts, Beans, Peas & Lentils
• Beef
• Pork
• Fish and Other Seafood Products 
• Other Red Meat and Poultry Products
• Chicken
• Turkey
• Eggs
• Grain & Oilseed Products
• Dairy Products
• Soups
• Additional Resources
• Archived Specifications
• Draft Specifications

Fruits

Canned Fruit

• Commodity Specification for Canned Fruit - May 2021 (pdf)
• Commodity Specifications for Canned Fruit - March 2020 (pdf)
• Commodity Specifications for Canned Fruit - March 2019 (pdf)

Frozen Fruit

• Commodity Specifications for Frozen Fruit – April 2020 (pdf)
• Commodity Specification for Frozen Fruit - September 2019 (pdf)

Fresh Citrus Fruit

• Commodity Specification for Fresh Citrus – August 2019 (pdf)

Fresh Fruit

• Commodity Specification for Table Grapes – February 2020 (pdf)
• Commodity Specification for Fresh Fruit – July 2019 (pdf)
• Trade Mitigation Specification for Fresh Plums – June 2019 (pdf)

Dried Fruit

• Commodity Specification for Dried Fruit, January 2021 (pdf), Section 32 Specification for Dried Sweet Cherries February 2021 (pdf)
• Commodity Specifications for Dried Fruit – April 2020 (pdf)
• Commodity Specifications for Dried Fruit, August 2019 (pdf)

Vegetables

• Commodity Specification for Canned Vegetables, April 2021 (pdf)
• Commodity Specification for Canned Vegetables, March 2020 (pdf)
• Commodity Specification for Canned Vegetables, January 2020 (pdf), Amendment 1 February 2020 (pdf)
• Commodity Specifications for Canned Vegetables, March 2019 (pdf)

Frozen Vegetables

• Commodity Specification for Frozen Vegetables, March 2020 (pdf)

• Commodity Specification for Fresh Vegetables – May 2019

Dehydrated Potato Products

• Commodity Specification for Dehydrated Potato Products, May 2019 (pdf), Amendment 1, July 2020 (pdf)

Frozen Potato Products

• Commodity Specification for Frozen Potato Products, June 2020 (pdf)

Miscellaneous Fruit and Vegetables Products
Bulk Products for Further Processing (Miscellaneous Products)

• Commodity Specification for Bulk Products for Further Processing – April 2020 (pdf)
• Commodity Specification for Bulk Products for Further Processing – May 2019 (pdf)

Juices

• Commodity Specification for Frozen Fruit Juices – April 2020 (pdf)
• Commodity Specification for Frozen Fruit Juices – April 2019 (pdf)

Bottled Fruit Juices

• Commodity Specifications for Bottled Juices – April 2020 (pdf)
• Commodity Specifications for Bottled Juices, April 2019 (pdf)

Concentrated Fruit Juice for Manufacturing

• Commodity Specification for Concentrated Fruit Juices for Manufacturing, April 2019 (pdf)

Nuts, Beans, Peas & Lentils

• Commodity Specification for Canned Dried Beans - May 2021 (pdf)
• Commodity Specifications for Canned Dried Beans - March 2020 (pdf)
• Commodity Specification for Canned Dried Beans - March 2019 (pdf)

Dry Edible Beans, Peas, and Lentils

• Commodity Specification for Dry Edible Beans, Peas and Lentils, June 2014 (pdf), Amendment 1, October 2015 (pdf)

In Shell and Shelled Nuts

• Commodity Specification for Shelled Tree Nuts – April 2020 (pdf) | Amendment 1, August 2020 (pdf)
• TM Specification for Filbert (Hazelnut) Kernels – June 2019 (pdf)
• Commodity Specification for Shelled Tree Nuts, April 2019 (pdf)
• TM Specification for In-Shell Pistachios and Shelled Pecans December 2018 (pdf)

Beef

Miscellaneous Beef Products (Frozen Beef Roasts, Diced Beef)

• Supplement 210 - Frozen Beef Roasts and Diced Beef, August 2017 (pdf)
• FPPS – Beef Round Roasts Frozen- February 2019 (pdf)

Frozen Ground Beef Products

• Supplement 211 - Frozen Beef Products, August 2017 (pdf)

Fresh Boneless Beef Products

• Supplement 212 – Fresh Boneless Beef Products, August 2017 (pdf)

Beef Special Trim

• Supplement 213 – Beef Special Trim, August 2017 (pdf)

Frozen Cooked Beef and Pork Products

• Federal Purchase Program Specification for Frozen Fully Cooked Pulled Pork, October 2019 (pdf)
• Supplement 404 – Frozen, Cooked Beef and Pork Products, October 2019 (pdf)

Pork

• Supplement 304 - Frozen Pork Chops, August 2017 (pdf)
• FPPS - Pork Loin Roast, November 2018 (pdf)

• Supplement 302 - Frozen Pork Picnics and Leg Roast, August 2017 (pdf)

Ham, Boneless, Fully-Cooked, Water-Added

• Supplement 303 - Ham, Boneless, Fully-cooked, Water-added, All Types,  August 2017 (pdf) 

• Federal Purchase Program Specification for Frozen Fully Cooked Pulled Pork, October 2019 (pdf)
• Supplement 404 – Frozen, Cooked Beef and Pork Products, October 2019 (pdf)

Fish and Other Seafood Products

• Federal Purchase Program Specification for Atlantic Groundfish, July 2020 (pdf)

Frozen Atlantic Groundfish Salmon Products 

• Salmon Fillet Portions, Frozen, February 2019 (pdf)
• Supplement 507-Salmon Products, December 2016 (pdf)

• Supplement 500 Tuna Products, August 2018 (pdf)

• Supplement 511 Frozen Catfish Products, April 2016 (pdf); Amendment 1, March 2018 (pdf)

• Supplement 509 Alaska Pollock Products, June 2020 (pdf)

Frozen Walleye

• Federal Purchase Program Specification for Walleye Fillets, December 2020 (pdf)

Other Red Meat and Poultry Products

Other Red Meat Products

Technical Requirements (Specifications) for these commodity products are incorporated into the following Supplements to the AMS Master Solicitation.  View more information about technical requirements.

• Supplement 704 – Canned Meat and Poultry, March 2020 (pdf)

Frozen Bison and Buffalo Products

• Frozen Bison Products March 2021 (pdf)

Frozen Lamb Products

• Supplement 602 – Frozen Lamb Products, August 2020 (pdf)

Chicken

• Federal Purchase Program Specification for Consumer Pack Chicken, July 2018 (pdf)

• FPPS Bulk Chicken and Chicken Parts, October 2020 (pdf)

• Federal Purchase Program Specification for Frozen Chicken Parts, February 2021 (pdf)
• Commodity Specification for Chicken Parts, July 2018 (pdf)

• Federal Purchase Program Specification for Chicken Fillet, September 2019 (pdf)
• Federal Purchase Program Specification for Cooked Grilled Chicken Fillet, February 2018 (pdf)
• Federal Purchase Program Specification for Oven Roasted Chicken, July 2017 (pdf)
• Federal Purchase Program Specification for Diced Chicken, August 2017 (pdf) 
• Federal Purchase Program Specification for Cooked Chicken Fajita Strips, April, 2016 (pdf)

• Supplement 801 for Frozen Cooked Chicken Strips, March 2017 (pdf)

• Commodity Specification for Canned Boned Poultry, March 2020 (pdf)

Turkey

• Commodity Specification for Bulk Boneless Skinless Turkey Thigh, September 2018 (pdf)
• Federal Purchase Program Specification for Turkey and Turkey Products, July 2018 (pdf)

• Federal Purchase Program Specification for Smoked Turkey Ham Products, April 2020 (pdf)
• Federal Purchase Program Specification for Deli Style Turkey Breast, April 2020 (pdf)
• Federal Purchase Program Specification for Whole Muscle Turkey Breast, February 2020 (pdf)
• Federal Purchase Program Specification for Turkey Taco Filling, July 2017 (pdf)

Eggs

Fresh Shell Eggs

• Federal Purchase Program Specification for Shell Eggs, April 2017 (pdf)

Egg Products

View AMS certification options and technical proposal requirements for these egg products (pdf)

• Federal Purchase Program Specification for Hard Cooked Eggs April 2021 (pdf)
• Federal Purchase Program Specification for Egg Patty, December 2017 (pdf)
• Federal Purchase Program Specification for Whole Eggs, January 2017 (pdf)
• Federal Purchase Program Specification for All Purpose Egg Mix, June 2015 (pdf)

 

Grain and Oilseed Products

• Bakery Flour Products (BF13) (pdf) effective January 20, 2016
• Bakery Flour Mix (BFM4) (pdf) effective April 1, 2016
• Corn Products (CP12) (pdf) effective January 20, 2016
• Cracker Products (pdf) effective March 2020
• Fortified R-T-E- Cereal Products (FC11) (pdf) effective February 22, 2019
• Frozen Pancakes (PAN2) (pdf) effective April 15, 2016
• Frozen Tortillas (TOR2) (pdf) effective April 15, 2016
• Macaroni and Cheese (MC11) (pdf) effective October 2019
• Pasta Products and Egg Noodles (PA13) (pdf) effective January 13, 2016
• Processed Cereals (PC14) (pdf) effective September 14, 2018
• Peanut Products (PP16) (pdf) effective October 2019
• Rice Products (RP6) (pdf) effective October 2019
• Sunflower Seed Butter (SSB7) (pdf) effective April 7, 2017
• Vegetable Oil Products (VP10) (pdf) effective September 2019
• Wheat Flour Products (WF16) (pdf) effective April 19, 2017
• Wild Rice (WR2) (pdf) effective July 28, 2016

Dairy

Dairy Products Purchase Specs:

• Evaporated Milk (EVD4) (pdf) effective Jul 29, 2013
• Infant Formula (IFD4) (pdf) effective Aug 16, 2013
• Instant Nonfat Dry Milk (IMD4) (pdf) effective Aug 8, 2013
• Fluid Milk (DFM2) (pdf) effective November 15, 2018
• Mozzarella Cheese (DMOZ7) (pdf) September 2019
• Natural American Cheese (DNAC6) (pdf) effective September 2019
• Natural Pepper Jack Cheese (pdf) effective October 2020
• Natural Pepper Jack Cheese (pdf) effective January 2020
• Packaged Butter (pdf) effective March 2020
• Packaged Butter (PBD7) (pdf) effective October 2019
• Pasteurized Process American Cheese (DPPC5) (pdf) effective September 2019
• Natural Swiss Cheese (pdf) effective August 2020
• Ultra-High Temperature Milk (UHD5) (pdf) effective May 07, 2014, Ultra-High Temperature Milk (pdf) effective February 2021
• Yogurt Products (pdf) effective October 2020
• Yogurt Products (DYO3) (pdf) effective October 2019 - October 2020

Soups

• Commodity Specification for Canned Soups, March 2020 (pdf)

Additional Resources

• Federal Purchase Program Specification for Animal Handling and Welfare (pdf)
• Commercial Item Descriptions (CIDs) - a set of industry standards for fruits, vegetables and specialty crops.
• Institutional Meat Specifications (IMPS) - a series of meat product specifications used by Federal, State, and Local Government agencies, schools, restaurants, hotels, and other food service entities to procure products.