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
- Other Red Meat Products
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Eggs
- Grain & Oilseed Products
- Dairy Products
- Archived Specifications
- Draft Specifications
Fruits
Canned Fruit
- Commodity Specification for Canned Fruit March 2018 (pdf)
- Commodity Specification for Canned Fruit, June 2017 (pdf)
Frozen Fruit
Fresh Citrus Fruit
Fresh Fruit
- Trade Mitigation Specification for Table Grapes, October 2018 (pdf)
- Commodity Specifications for Fresh Fruit, July 2017 (pdf)
Dried Fruit
Vegetables
Canned Vegetables
- Commodity Specifications for Canned Vegetables, May 2017 (pdf), Amendment 1, January 2018 (pdf)
- Technical Amendment No. 2 for Commodity Specification Canned Vegetables – May 2017 (pdf)
Frozen Vegetables
- Commodity Specification for Frozen Vegetables, June 2017 (pdf), Amendment 1, April 2018 (pdf), Amendment 2, May 2018 (pdf)
Fresh Vegetables
Dehydrated Potato Products
- Commodity Specification for Dehydrated Potato Products, June 2014 (pdf), Amendment 1, Sept 2015 (pdf)
Frozen Potato Products
Miscellaneous Fruit and Vegetables Products
Bulk Products for Further Processing (Miscellaneous Products)
- Commodity Specification for Bulk Products for Further Processing, August 2012 (pdf); Amendment 1 (pdf); Amendment 2 (pdf); Amendment 3, (pdf), Amendment 4 (pdf)
Juices
Frozen Fruit Juices
- Commodity Specification for Frozen Fruit Juices, June 2014 (pdf), Amendment 1 September 2015 (pdf), Amendment 2, April 2016 (pdf)
Bottled Fruit Juices
Concentrated Fruit Juice for Manufacturing
Nuts, Beans, Peas & Lentils
Canned Dried Beans
- Commodity Specifications for Canned Dried Beans, September 2014 (pdf); Amendment 1, April 2016 (pdf)
Dry Edible Beans, Peas, and Lentils
- Commodity Specification for Dry Edible Beans, Peas and Lentils, June 2014 (pdf), Amendment 1, October 2015 (pdf)
Shelled Nuts
Beef
Technical Requirements (Specifications) for these commodity products are incorporated into the following Supplements to the AMS Master Solicitation. More information about technical requirements can be found here.
Miscellaneous Beef Products (Frozen Beef Roasts, Diced Beef)
Frozen Ground Beef Products
Fresh Boneless Beef Products
Beef Special Trim
Frozen Cooked Beef and Pork Products
Pork
Technical Requirements (Specifications) for these commodity products are incorporated into the following Supplements to the AMS Master Solicitation. More information about technical requirements can be found here.
Frozen Pork Chops and Loin Roasts
Frozen Pork Picnics and Leg Roast
Ham, Boneless, Fully-Cooked, Water-Added
- Supplement 303 - Ham, Boneless, Fully-cooked, Water-added, All Types, August 2017 (pdf)
- Supplement 303 - Ham, Boneless, Fully-Cooked, Water- May 2017 (pdf)
Frozen Cooked Beef and Pork Products
- Supplement 404 – Frozen, Cooked Beef and Pork Products, August 2017 (pdf)
- FPPS - Fully Cooked Pulled Pork May 2018
Fish
Technical Requirements (Specifications) for these commodity products are incorporated into the following Supplements to the AMS Master Solicitation. More information about technical requirements can be found here.
Salmon Products
Tuna Products (Canned)
Frozen Catfish
Frozen, Alaska Pollock
Other Red Meat Products
Other Red Meat Products
Technical Requirements (Specifications) for these commodity products are incorporated into the following Supplements to the AMS Master Solicitation. More information about technical requirements can be found here.
Canned Meat and Canned Stew Products
Frozen Bison and Buffalo Products
- Supplement 603 – Frozen Bison and Buffalo Products, June 2012 (pdf); Amendment 1, February 2015 (pdf)
Frozen Lamb Products
Chicken
Consumer Pack Chicken
- Federal Purchase Program Specification for Consumer Pack Chicken, July 2018 (pdf)
- Federal Purchase Program Specification for Consumer Pack Chicken, March 2018 (pdf)
Fresh Bulk Chicken and Parts
- Commodity Specification for Bulk Pack Chicken and Chicken Parts, October 2018 (pdf)
- Commodity Specification for Bulk Pack Chicken and Chicken Parts, April 2013 (pdf)
Frozen Chicken Parts
Cooked Chicken Products
- 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)
Shelf Stable Chicken
- Commodity Specification for Canned Boned Poultry, February 2018 (pdf)
- Commodity Specification for Canned Boned Poultry, June 2016 (pdf)
Turkey
Fresh Bulk Turkey and Parts
- Commodity Specification for Bulk Boneless Skinless Turkey Thigh, September 2018 (pdf)
- Federal Purchase Program Specification for Turkey and Turkey Products, July 2018 (pdf)
- Commodity Specification for Bulk Boneless Skinless Turkey Thigh, April 2013 (pdf)
Cooked Turkey Products
- Federal Purchase Program Specification Smoked Turkey Ham Products April 2018 (pdf)
- Federal Purchase Program Specification for Turkey Taco Filling, July 2017 (pdf)
Eggs
Fresh Shell Eggs
Egg Products
- Federal Purchase Program Specification for Egg Patty, December 2017 (pdf)
- Federal Purchase Program Specification for Whole Eggs, January 2017 (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 (CR6) (pdf) effective January 22, 2016
- Fortified R-T-E Cereal Products (FC10) (pdf) effective January 19, 2016
- Frozen Pancakes (PAN2) (pdf) effective April 15, 2016
- Frozen Tortillas (TOR2) (pdf) effective April 15, 2016
- Macaroni and Cheese (MC10) (pdf) effective January 13, 2016
- Pasta Products and Egg Noodles (PA13) (pdf) effective January 13, 2016
- Processed Cereals (PC13) (pdf) effective October 11, 2017
- Processed Cereals (PC14) (pdf) effective September 14, 2018
- Peanut Products (PP16) (pdf) effective July 9, 2018 (pdf)
- Instant Rice Cereal Products (RC10) (pdf) effective January 20, 2016
- Rice Products (RP5) (pdf) effective February 4, 2016
- Sunflower Seed Butter (SSB7) (pdf) effective April 7, 2017
- Vegetable Oil Products (VP10) (pdf) effective January 22, 2016
- 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 (DFM1) (pdf) effective August 28, 2018
- Mozzarella Cheese (DMOZ5) (pdf) effective Sep 9, 2016
- Mozzarella Cheese (DMOZ6) (pdf) effective Sep 13, 2018
- Natural American Cheese (DNAC4) (pdf) effective Sep 10, 2014
- Natural American Cheese (DNAC5) (pdf) effective Sep 26, 2018
- Packaged Butter (PBD6) (pdf) effective Feb 13, 2018
- Pasteurized Process American Cheese (DPPC3) (pdf) effective Sep 25, 2013
- Pasteurized Process American Cheese (DPPC4) (pdf) effective Sep 20, 2018
- Ultra-High Temperature Milk (UHD5) (pdf) effective May 07, 2014
- Yogurt Products (DYO2) (pdf) effective January 1, 2017
Additional Resources
- 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.