Palms' Canned Boned Chicken 

SPECIFICATIONS

SPECIAL OFFER

PALMS POULTRY

CANNED BONED CHICKEN

Canned food may have been around 
for over 200 years, but it▓s still a big part of today▓s food, lifestyle and nutrition trends.

In fact, canned food can be linked to three of today▓s most significant trends; functional nutrition, demand for more flavor and time-saving solutions for the table. 

Round Can
height: 4 11/16t inches 12 centimeters
Diameter: 3 14/16th inches 10 centimeters

LABEL: Palms Poultry or Private brand 
labeling to your specifications

ALSO  MARKED:  Ready to Eat

ALSO TEXT: :This Boned Chicken if fully 
cooked and ready to use.

It may be eaten cold, heated in broth
creamed or used in soups, casseroles,
sandwiches and salads


Commodity Specification Canned Boned Poultry

These are the regulations under which the plant produces this product when it sells this product the the United States Department of Agriculture of the United States Government



Table of Contents
Page
I.
GENERAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 1

II. COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

A. Basic Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
1. Date Processed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..... . 1
2. Poultry Kind and Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . 1
3. Origin of Poultry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........ . 1
4. Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
5. Product Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
6. Poultry From Other Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
7. Frozen Poultry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
8.Sampling Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

B. Prerequisites for Poultry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1. Unacceptable Meat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2. Organoleptic Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

C. Processing, Formulation, and Requirements for Commodity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1. Processing Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2. Cooking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3. Meat and Skin Defects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Table 1. Cooked Poultry Meat and Skin Defects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4. Size Reduction of Skin and Meat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
5. Formulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
6. Meat In Natural Proportions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
7. Broth or Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
8. Processed Fat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
9. Mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
10. Packaging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
11. Net Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

D. Thermal Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

E. Lots, Sublots, and Sampling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1. Definition of a Lot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2. Definition of a Sublot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3. Definition of a Sample . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
    Table 2. Samples Drawn Online From a Lot or Sublot - Option I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
    Table 3. Samples Drawn From a Lot or Sublot - Option II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

F. Requirements for Thermal-Processed Commodity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1. Fat Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2. Price Discounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3. Drained-Weight Requirements and Determination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
4. Organoleptic Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
5. Commodity Defects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11


Table 4. Commodity Defects - Option I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Table 5. Thermal-Processed Commodity Defects Allowed - Option II . . . . . . . . . . 12
6. Reworked Commodity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
7. Contaminated Commodity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
8. Packing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

G. Laboratory Analyses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1. Fat Analyses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2. Laboratories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3. Timely Receipt of Laboratory Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4. Appeal of Laboratory Analyses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

III. LABELING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
A. Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1. Labeling Provisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2. Printing Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3. Labeling Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

B. Cans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1. Universal Product Bar Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2. Plant and Lot Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3. 50-Ounce Cans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4. Nutritional Labeling - 50-Ounce Cans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
5. 29-Ounce Cans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

C. Shipping Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
1. Recycle Symbol and Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2. UPC Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3. Labeling and Marking Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4. TOP PANEL - Labeling and Marking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
5. ONE END Panel - Labeling and Marking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
6. ONE SIDE Panel - Labeling and Marking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
7. THE OTHER END Panel - Labeling and Marking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
8. THE OTHER SIDE Panel - Labeling and Marking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
9. Inventory Control Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

D. Use of Previously Printed Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
E. F.a.s. Vessel Deliveries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

IV. FINAL EXAMINATION OF PACKAGED AND PACKED COMMODITY . . . . . . 21
A. Verification of Materials and Defects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
1. Verification of Packaging and Packing Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
2. Container, Labeling, and Marking Defects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
B. Inspection and Checkloading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
1. Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
2. Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

V. UNITIZATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
A. Pallets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
B. Pallet Exchange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Page
VI. SHIPMENT AND DELIVERY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

A. Contract Compliance Stamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

B. Grading Certificate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
1. Railcar or Piggyback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
2. Trucks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

C. Loading and Sealing of Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
1. Railcar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
2. Truck or Piggyback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

D. Delivery Notification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
1. In-Plant Deliveries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
2. Delivery In Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
3. Early Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

E. Split Deliveries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
EXHIBITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-30
EXHIBIT 1 - Labeling Information for 29-Ounce Cans - Chicken . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
EXHIBIT 2 - Labeling Information for 29-Ounce Cans - Turkey . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
EXHIBIT 3 - Labeling Information for 50-Ounce Cans - Chicken . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
EXHIBIT 4 - Labeling Information for 50-Ounce Cans - Turkey . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
EXHIBIT 5 - "Please Recycle" Symbol and Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
EXHIBIT 6 - Label Information for Shipping Containers of Canned Boned Poultry . . 30
USDA SYMBOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back of Specification

___________________________________________________________________________

GENERAL

Canned boned poultry (commodity) produced from the classes of ready-to-cook chickens and
turkeys (poultry) described in this Specification will be packaged and packed in one or more of
the following forms as specified in the contract:

29-ounce (822 g) cans - Twenty-nine ounces (822 g) of commodity must be packaged in
a 401 x 411 size metal can and packed 24 cans in each fiberboard shipping container. 

A purchase unit will consist of 840 shipping containers totaling 36,540 pounds (16,574 kg):

 

Minimum purchase 5 purchases

50-ounce (1.42 kg) cans - Fifty ounces (1.42 kg) of commodity must be packaged in a
404 x 700 size metal can and packed 12 cans in each fiberboard shipping container. A
purchase unit will consist of 1,000 shipping containers totaling 37,500 pounds (17,010 kg):

 

Minimum purchase 5 purchases

II. COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS

A. Basic Requirements.

1. Date Processed. The commodity must not be processed and packaged more than
30 calendar days prior to the date of the contract

2. Poultry Kind and Class. The commodity must be produced from the
following classe of poultry:

a. Chickens must be fowl or roosters (7 C.F.R. ╖ 70.201).

3. Origin of Poultry. 

The commodity must be produced from poultry which was
produced, raised, and processed in the United States, its territories or possessions, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands. If the
contractor processes or handles poultry products originating from sources other than the United
States, its territories or possessions, Puerto Rico, or the Trust Territories of the Pacific

As a supplier to the U.S. Government the contractor is required to have an acceptable
 identification and segregation plan for these poultry products to ensure they are not used 
in the commodity produced under this Specification. 

This plan must be made available to a representative of the Grading Branch,
Poultry Programs, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) (grader), and the Contracting Officer or agent thereof upon request.
The contractor must ensure that both the contractor and subcontractor(s) maintain records.
This protects other buyers as well.


4. Inspection. Processing operations must comply with Poultry Products Inspection
Regulations (9 C.F.R. Part 381) and be under the supervision of a representative of the
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) (inspector). Inspection for contract and
specification compliance will be in accordance with the Regulations Governing the Voluntary
Grading of Poultry Products and Rabbit Products (7 C.F.R. Part 70) and the U.S. Classes,
Standards, and Grades for Poultry (AMS 70.200
et seq.) under the supervision of a USDA grader. 

The USDA grader will be responsible for certification of compliance with the
requirements of this Specification for poultry; cooked poultry products; formulation of
commodity; canned thermal-processed commodity; drained weight and net weight; packaging
and packing; labeling and marking; sampling; and check-loading.

5. Product Temperature. The temperature of poultry and poultry parts and cooked
poultry meat, skin, broth, and fat, unless otherwise specified herein, must be in compliance
with 9 C.F.R. ╖ 381.66 and FSIS Directive 7110.3 (Time/Temperature Guidelines For
Cooling Heated Products) throughout all operations including transportation between plants.

6. Poultry From Other Plants. Frozen and chilled poultry and poultry parts may be
transferred or obtained from other plants, provided they: (a) have been processed, handled,
and identified in accordance with this Specification, and (b) comply with the organoleptic and
other applicable requirements of this Specification as evidenced by USDA certification.
a. Type, kind, and class of poultry; date slaughtered or date placed in frozen
storage, as applicable; and USDA-assigned plant number must be shown on each shipping
container.

b. The poultry and poultry parts must be maintained at an internal product
temperature not higher than 40 ╟F (4.4 ╟C) when shipped from the origin plant and when
received at the destination plant.

7. Frozen Poultry. Frozen poultry and poultry parts may be used if they have been:
(a) packaged to protect the product from freezer burn, dehydration, and quality deterioration
during storage, (b) labeled as to kind and class of poultry and identified so the time in storage
can be determined, and (c) held in frozen storage not more than 60 days.

8. USDA Sampling Option. USDA may select additional product for further
inspection or may draw samples for laboratory analyses.

B. Prerequisites for Poultry

1. Unacceptable Meat. Mechanically separated meat (comminuted), giblets, and
kidneys cannot be used in preparing the commodity.

2. Organoleptic Requirements. The poultry and poultry parts will be examined on a
continuous basis for the following organoleptic requirements: Poultry and poultry parts must
be free of rancidity; free of fruity, sulfide-like, cardboardy, tallowy, oily, oxidized, metallic,
chlorine, or other off-odors; free of foreign materials (e.g., glass, paper, rubber, metal); must
show no evidence of mishandling or deterioration; and must have a bright color and show no
evidence of freezer burn or dehydration, thawing, or refreezing. Any poultry or poultry parts
that does not comply with the organoleptic requirements will be rejected for use under this
Specification.

C. Processing, Formulation, and Requirements for Commodity

1. Processing Requirements. The commodity must be prepared from cooked poultry
meat and skin; broth from cooked poultry, or water; and processed poultry fat. The use of the
words-meat, skin, fat, and broth in this section means poultry meat, poultry skin, poultry fat,
and poultry broth prepared from one of the kinds and classes of poultry specified in II.A.2.

2. Cooking.

a. Poultry without giblets and poultry parts may be: (1) cooked with water
without pressure, or (2) pressure cooked. The method of cooking must produce a cooked
product free of overcooked, burnt, scorched, bitter, metallic, cardboardy, rancid, or other
flavors or odors foreign to properly cooked chicken or turkey.

b. Cooked meat and skin must be handled and cooled in accordance with
9 C.F.R. Part 381 and FSIS Directive 7110.3 (Time/Temperature Guidelines For Cooling
Heated Products). Cooked meat and skin may be held at 40 ╟F (-17.8 ╟C) or lower for not
more than 5 days from time of cooking until canned, or the chilled cooked meat and skin may
be frozen and held at an internal product temperature of 0 ╟F (-17.8 ╟C) or lower.

3. Meat and Skin Defects.

a. Organoleptic defects. The cooked meat and skin will be examined on a
continuous basis for compliance with the organoleptic requirements shown in Table 1 below.
If the cooked meat or skin does not comply with the organoleptic requirements it will be
rejected for use under this Specification.

b. Skin defects. Before the skin is reduced in size, a 2-pound (0.91 kg) sample
of skin will be examined for the skin defects shown in Table 1. The frequency of sampling
will be as outlined in Poultry Programs' Sample Plan Level 2 (SPL-2). If any sample of skin
has more defects than the maximum tolerance for the AQL, the skin the sample represents will
be rejected.

Table 1. Cooked Poultry Meat and Skin Defects

Organoleptic Defects:

The meat and skin must be free of foreign materials (e.g., glass, paper, rubber, metal);
and odors which are not characteristic of properly cooked and handled
poultry meat; for example, rancid, metallic, stale, sour, or scorched.

Skin Defects:

A defect for skin is the presence of feathers, hair, and areas of moderate
discolorations exceeding an area equivalent to the area of a circle with a
diameter of 1 inch (2.54 cm).

4. Size Reduction of Skin and Meat.

a. Skin. The skin must be separated from the meat and reduced in size, except
for wing meat from the first and second portions of the wings when used as outlined in
II.C.5.b. The skin must be reduced to pieces no greater than 0.25 inch (1/4 inch) (0.64 cm)
in maximum dimension before it is used in the commodity.

b. Meat. The meat must be processed in a manner that will minimize stringy
texture. The larger pieces of meat, e.g., breast portions and thigh portions, must be cut into
chunks which are a minimum of 1.25 inch (1 1/4 inch) (3.18 cm) in size. The meat must not
be ground or shredded.

5. Formulation. The following proportions of cooked meat and skin, and broth or
water must be used in preparing the commodity:
Percent by Weight White meat 39.00 - 44.00 (may include wing meat up to 5.00 percent)

Dark meat 34.00 - 39.00 (may include neck meat up to 4.00 percent)

Skin (maximum) 12.00

Broth or Water (maximum) 10.00
100.00

a. The amount of skin, and/or broth or water may be reduced and replaced with
additional white meat or dark meat. Additional white meat may replace dark meat.

b. As an alternative for wing meat and skin, the white meat may include up to
7.5 percent wing meat with attached skin instead of 5 percent wing meat without skin,
provided the amount of other skin which may be added to the formula does not exceed
9 percent.


6. Meat In Natural Proportions. As an alternative to formulating, cooked white and
dark meat removed from the whole poultry carcass in natural proportions may be used for the
combined amount of white and dark meat as specified in the above formula if prepared in
accordance with the following:

a. The contractor must have established control procedures, processing sequence,
product flow, and methods for handling the pulled (deboned) cooked white and dark meat to
ensure that: (1) the natural proportion of cooked white and dark meat is maintained, (2) no
white meat is removed for other uses, and (3) no dark meat is added from other sources.

b. These procedures and methods must be reviewed and found acceptable by
supervisory personnel of the Grading Branch, Poultry Programs, before this option can be
used to produce white and dark meat for this Specification.

7. Broth or Water.

a. Broth or potable water must be used in the commodity. Broth used must be a
flavorful broth from the un-pressurized cooking of not less than two or more than four batches
of poultry products in the same broth. A continuous cooking method may be used, provided
water is added during the cooking operation and the process results in a broth equivalent to
that described in the preceding sentence. Broth from one batch of pressure-cooked poultry
product may be used. Broth produced by cooking only fat and bones cannot be used. Broth
must be maintained at a temperature of 160 ╟F (71.1 ╟C) or higher or must be cooled to and
maintained at a temperature or 40 ╟F (4.4 ╟C) or lower within 4 hours of preparation. Broth
may not be held more than 48 hours unless the broth is frozen or dried.

b. Other methods of preparing broth or handling the broth may be approved by
the Deputy Administrator of Poultry Programs, in writing. (Approvals will be granted on an
individual plant basis after a review of the process and when the resulting method is found
acceptable by supervisory personnel of the Grading Branch, Poultry Programs.)

c. Broth must be free from bitter, rancid, metallic, cardboardy, soapy, scorched,
burnt, overcooked, stale, and other off-odors or off-flavors foreign to properly processed
chicken or turkey broth.

8. Processed Fat.

a. Fat may be from the broth in which the poultry products are cooked or from
rendered skin or leaf fat. Visible moisture, cracklings, and sediment must be removed.
During rendering, the temperature must not exceed 220 ╟F (104.4 ╟C). Fat must be held at
180 ╟F (82.2 ╟C) or higher until used or, as an alternate method, held under refrigeration at a
temperature of 38 ╟F (3.3 ╟C) or below and reheated to 180 ╟F (82.2 ╟C) or higher before
incorporation with meat and skin.

b. When the poultry products used in processing the commodity do not provide
enough fat, chicken or turkey fat processed by the contractor or subcontractor in accordance
with 9 C.F.R. Part 381 may be used.

c. Fat must be clear, have a light yellow to golden color and a mild chicken or
turkey fat odor and flavor; be free from foreign matter; and free of scorched, rancid, metallic,
soapy, bitter, stale, or other off-odors or off-flavors.

d. The commodity must be formulated so the fat complies with II.F. Processed
fat needed in the formula may be mixed with the cooked meat and skin or added with the broth
or water.

9. Mixing. The cooked white meat, dark meat, and skin or the cooked white meat,
dark meat, skin, and the broth or water must be mixed into a homogenous mixture prior to
filling the cans. Mixing must be accomplished without shredding the meat.

10. Packaging. All packaging materials must be clean and in new condition and
must not impart odors or flavors to the product. A supplier of packaging material must furnish
a guaranty that the packaging material complies with the criteria in 9 C.F.R.
╖ 381.144.

a. Packaging material. The commodity must be packaged in cans. The cans
must be metal, round, and open-style with welded side seams. They must be equivalent in
construction, base plate (tinplate or chromium-coated steel), and enamel/coating to those in
commercial use for the commodity specified in this Specification.

b. Filling cans. Cans may be filled by first adding the homogenous mixture of
cooked meat and skin to each can and then adding the broth or water to each can, or filling
with a homogenous mixture of cooked meat and skin, and broth or water.
(1) 29-ounce cans. Twenty-nine ounces (822 g) net weight of commodity
must be packed in 401 x 411 size metal cans.
(2) 50-ounce cans. Fifty ounces (1.42 kg) net weight of commodity must be
packed in 404 x 700 size metal cans.

11. Net Weight. The net weight of the commodity will be determined in accordance
with Poultry Programs' procedures.

D. Thermal Processing
The filled can must be vacuumized, hermetically sealed, and thermal-processed in accordance
with 9 C.F.R. Part 381. The thermal-processed commodity must have a stable shelf life under
the conditions of long-term, nonrefrigerated storage and transportation. The exterior of the can
must be dry, clean, and free from rust, fat, and grease before packing into shipping containers.

E. Lots, Sublots, and Sampling

1. Definition of a Lot.
a. A lot is defined as the amount of commodity produced during a processing
shift.

b. Unless otherwise specified, the commodity will be: (1) sampled, examined,
and tested; and (2) accepted, rejected, or accepted subject to a price discount on a lot basis.

2. Definition of a Sublot.

a. A lot may be separated into sublots for the purpose of sampling and analyzing
for compliance with the fat requirements. Additionally, lots may be separated into sublots for
the purpose of sampling and determining drained weight and compliance with organoleptic and
commodity defect requirements. If this option is used, the commodity must be sampled as
outlined in II.E.3. below.

b. Commodity sampled and analyzed on the basis of sublots will be accepted,
rejected, or accepted with a discount on a sublot basis.

3. Definition of a Sample.

a. A sample is one 29-ounce or 50-ounce (822-g or 1.42-kg) can of commodity
or its equivalent.

b. The USDA grader will draw samples at random for compliance with the
organoleptic requirements, and determination of fat content and drained weight after thermal
processing. As determined by the contractor/processor, the USDA grader will collect sample
cans from each lot or sublot at random prior to or after thermal processing to examine for the
commodity defects (see II.F.5.). The contractor/processor must select a sampling option
(either option I or option II) prior to the start of production.

(1) If the contractor/processor elects to sample cans prior to thermal
processing (option I), the number of samples from a lot for the fat analyses, drained weight,
and the determination of organoleptic and defect requirements will be as detailed in Table 2
below.

(a) For the determination of organoleptic and defect requirements under
option I, no additional separation of the lot into sublots will be allowed.

(b) Samples for organoleptic requirements (see II.F.4.), fat content
requirements (see II.F.1.), and drained weight determination (see II.F.3.d.) will be drawn
after thermal processing and will represent 1 day's production.

Table 2. Samples Drawn Online From a Lot or Sublot -

Option I
29-ounce (822-g) cans
50-ounce (1.42-kg) cans

Lot or Sublot Organoleptic and Defect Requirements Fat Analyses Drained Weight

2 cans per sampling interval
10 cans
10 cans
Lot
1 can per
sampling
interval
6 cans
6 cans
Sublot
2 cans per
sampling
interval
5 cans
*
5 cans
*
Sublot
1 can per
sampling
interval
3 cans
*
3 cans
*
The total number of samples drawn from all sublots in a lot must be equal to or greater than
*
those specified for a lot.

(2) If the contractor/processor elects to sample cans after
 hermal processing (option II), the sampling of commodity from a lot or a sublot will be as detailed in Table 3 below:

Table 3. Samples Drawn From a Lot or Sublot -
Option II
29-ounce (822-g) cans
50-ounce (1.42-kg) cans
Lot or
Sublot
Total
No. of
Cans
Fat
Analyses
Drained
Weight
Organoleptic
and Defect
Requirements
Lot or
Sublot
Total
No. of
Cans
Fat
Analyses
Drained
Weight
Organoleptic
and Defect
Requirements
Number of Cans
Number of Cans
Lot
Total =
26
cans
10
First 10 cans
First 10 + 6 cans
Lot
Total =
14
cans
6
First 6 cans
First 6 + 2 cans
16 cans total
8 cans total
Sublot
*
Total =
13
cans
5
First 5 cans
First 5 + 3 cans
Sublot
*
Total =
7
cans
3
First 3 cans
First 3 + 1 can
8 cans total
4 cans total
II.E.3.
Page 13
9
The total number of samples drawn from all sublots in a lot must be equal to or greater than
hose specified for a lot.

F. Requirements for Thermal-Processed Commodity

1. Fat Content. After thermal processing, the USDA grader will randomly draw
sample cans (as defined in II.E.3.b.) for laboratory analyses for fat content. The samples will
be analyzed in a USDA laboratory. A lot or sublot of thermal-processed commodity must
contain no more than an average 9.5 percent fat.

2. Price Discounts.
a. A lot or sublot of thermal-processed commodity with more than 9.5 percent
fat (average for the lot or sublot) but not more than 10.5 percent fat will be accepted with the
following deviations subject to the price discount indicated:

Fat Content, Basis
USDA Laboratory Analysis Applicable Discount Greater than 9.5 but not more than 10.0 percent
2.00 percent of contract price

Greater than 10.0 but not more than 10.5 percent 4.00 percent of contract price

b. A lot or sublot of thermal-processed commodity with more than 10.5 percent
fat will be rejected.

3. Drained-Weight Requirements and Determination.

a. Samples. After thermal processing, the USDA grader will randomly draw
sample cans (as defined in II.E.3.b.) to determine drained weight.

b. Filled 29-ounce can requirements. The 29-ounce (822-g) filled cans from a
lot or sublot must average not less than 25.7 ounces (729 g) of commodity on a drained-weight
basis.

(1) Lots or sublots of commodity with a drained weight averaging greater than
or equal to 24.7 ounces (700 g) and less than 25.7 ounces (729 g) will be accepted with the
following deviations subject to the price discount indicated:

Drained-Weight Basis Applicable Discount 

Greater than 25.1 ounces (726 g) and less
2.25 percent of contract price than 25.7 ounces (729 g)

Greater than or equal to 24.7 ounces (700 g)
4.50 percent of contract price and less than or equal to 25.1 ounces (712 g)

Page 14
10
II.F.3.

(2) A lot or sublot of 29-ounce (822-g) filled cans with a drained weight
averaging less than 24.7 ounces (700 g) of commodity will be rejected.

c. Filled 50-ounce can requirements. The 50-ounce (1.42-kg) filled cans from a
lot or sublot must average not less than 44.3 ounces (1.26 kg) of commodity on a drained-
weight basis.

(1) Lots or sublots of commodity with a drained weight averaging greater than
or equal to 42.6 (1.21 kg) and less than 44.3 ounces (1.26 kg) will be accepted with the
following deviations subject to the price discount indicated:

Drained-Weight Basis
Applicable Discount
Greater than 43.3 ounces (1.23 kg) and less
2.25 percent of contract price than 44.3 ounces (1.26 kg)

Greater than or equal to 42.6 ounces (1.21 kg)
4.50 percent of contract price and less than or equal to 43.3 ounces (1.23 kg)

(2) A lot or sublot of filled cans with a drained weight averaging less than
42.6 ounces (1.21 kg) of commodity will be rejected.

d. Determination. The drained-weight of the sample cans will be determined 24
to 72 hours after the day of the processing shift in which the product was produced. The
contents of each sample can will be weighed after draining product, with a No. 8 sieve, for
2 minutes for a 29-ounce (822-g) can and 3 minutes for a 50-ounce (1.42-kg) can. The
temperature of the commodity at time of weighing must be 75 ╟ ╠ 5 ╟F (23.9 ╟ ╠ 2.8 ╟C).
The average drained-weight results will be reported to the nearest 10th of an ounce on the
USDA shipping certificate.

e. Rejected product. If the commodity in a lot or sublot is rejected for drained
weight, the contractor/processor may request an appeal which must be performed within

6 calendar days from the end of the processing shift on which the product was produced. The
contractor/processor may remove cans suspected of being out of compliance and reoffer the
balance of the lot or sublot once for acceptance. Those cans determined out of compliance
with drained weight requirements will be rejected, but may be reworked in accordance with
II.F.6.

4. Organoleptic Requirements. After thermal processing, the commodity will be
sampled (as defined in II.E.3.) and examined for compliance with the following organoleptic
requirements: The commodity must have an appetizing appearance, odor, flavor and texture,
and must be free of off-flavor or off-odors; for example, overcooked, burnt, scorched, sour,
stale, cardboardy, metallic, bitter, or rancid. A lot or sublot of commodity which does not
comply with these organoleptic requirements will be rejected for use under this Specification.


5. Commodity Defects. The contractor/processor may select one of the two options
below for the examination of commodity defects. Once an option is selected, the
contractor/processor may not change options until the end of 1 day's production. Samples of
commodity with more defects than the maximum tolerance for either option will result in the
rejection of the lot or sublot the samples represent.

a. Option I - Examination prior to
thermal processing. The samples (see
II.E.3.b.(1) for sampling) will be randomly selected online prior to canning or thermal
processing and examined for the defects shown in Table 4 below.

(1) The number of defects allowed will be those outlined in Poultry Programs'
AQL Sample Plan 3 found in the Poultry Graders Handbook. Separate examinations will be
made for: (1) bone and (2) other defects.

(2) Regardless of the kind and number of defects (within Table 4) found, any
sample with bone or hard bone-like material greater than 0.75 inch (1.91 cm) will be cause for
the rejection of the product the sample represents.

(3) If the number of bone defects exceeds an "accept" level for the respective
sample number, or results in a rejection, the frequency of sampling for bone defects will be
increased to a sample drawn twice each sampling interval until the cumulative number of bone
defects reverts back to an "accept" level.

(4) If the sample has more defects than the maximum tolerance for the AQL
sample plan, the product the sample represents will be rejected.

Table 4. Commodity Defects -
Option I
Meat Defects:
Bone:
Other:
A defect for meat is the presence of:
Bone or hard bone-like material in a sample greater than 0.75 inch (1.91 cm)
(Also see II.F.5.a.(2)).

Bone or hard bone-like material in a sample less than or equal to 0.75 inch
(1.91 cm).
Dark colored (due to blood) vein or artery more than 1 inch (2.54 cm) in length; or
Bruises, blood clots, and moderate discolorations which exceed an area equivalent to a
circle with a diameter of 0.30 inch (0.76 cm).

b. Option II - Examination after thermal-processing.

(1) After drained weight determination, the samples (see II.E.3.b.(2) for
sampling) will be examined for the defects shown in Table 5 below.


(2) Separate examinations will be made for: (1) bone and (2) other defects.
The number of defects allowed in a sample representing a lot or sublot will be as shown in
Table 5.

(3) Regardless of the kind and number of defects (within Table 5) found, any
sample with bone or hard bone-like material greater than 0.75 inch (1.91 cm) will be cause for
the rejection of the product the sample represents.

(4) If the sample has more defects than the maximum tolerance for the AQL
sample plan, the product the sample represents will be rejected.

Table 5. Thermal-Processed Commodity Defects Allowed -
Option II Criteria Tolerance Meat Defects: Bones: Other:

A defect for meat is the presence of: Bone or hard bone-like material in a sample greater than 0.75 inch
*
(1.91 cm).
See II.F.5.b.(3)
Bone or hard bone-like material in a sample less than or equal to
*
0.75 inch (1.91 cm).
Dark colored (due to blood) vein or artery more than 1 inch (2.54 cm)
in length; or Bruises, blood clots, and moderate discolorations which exceed an area
equivalent to a circle with a diameter of 0.30 inch (0.76 cm).
6 bones permitted per lot
3 bones permitted per sublot
10 defects permitted per lot
5 defects permitted per sublot
Bone or hard bone-like material is material which does not break up or disintegrate when 
subjected to pressure from a spatula, flat side of a knife, or fork.

6. Reworked Commodity.

a. Sample cans examined by the USDA grader or product with more defects than
the maximum tolerances; or unsatisfactory due to drained weight or fat content; may be
reworked and incorporated into formulated batches of cooked product, prior to thermal
processing, provided:

(1) The defects are removed from the product;

(2) The product is incorporated at a maximum of 5 percent of the formulated
batch; and

(3) Product removed from cans must be reworked into a batch within
72 hours.

b. X-ray equipment may be used to examine product to be reworked provided:

(1) The equipment and x-ray examination procedures are found to be in
compliance with FSIS regulations and procedures; and

(2) A USDA grader monitors the x-ray and rework procedure.

(3) The contractor/processor may remove product cans from a lot or sublot
suspected of containing defects after the x-ray examination and the balance of the lot or sublot
may be reoffered for acceptance. Product containing defects may be reworked once.

7. Contaminated Commodity. A lot or sublot of commodity which contains foreign
matter--for example, paper, plastic, rubber, or metal--will be handled in accordance with FSIS
procedures. Samples which contain comminuted meat, giblets, or kidneys will result in
rejection of the lot or sublot the samples represent.

8. Packing. All packing materials must be clean and in new condition and must not
impart odors or flavors to the product.

a. Shipping containers

(1) Requirements. The shipping container must: (a) be a fiberboard container;

(b) be of such size to pack the commodity without slack filling or bulging; (c) protect the
commodity from contamination and against loss or damage; (d) withstand the variations in
humidity and temperature during the conditions of use; and (e) have the combined facings
weight, the bursting strength, and the compression strength (edge crush value) to withstand the
stresses of handling, shipping, stacking, and storage.

(2) Container bottom. The flaps on the bottom of a shipping container must
be securely fastened so the bottom remains securely fastened when the top of the container is
opened.

(3) Final closure. Final closure of the shipping containers must be secure and
made with commercially acceptable filament-reinforced tape, plastic film packaging tape, non-
metallic strapping, adhesive, or other similar types of materials that are applicable for storage
conditions and that provide for safe handling of the commodity. Steel or wire straps or staples
must not be used for the final closure. Adhesive or staples cannot be used to fasten the top
portion of telescope-style containers to the bottom portion. However, staples may be used to
manufacture and to assemble the fiberboard shipping containers, provided the staples are
fastened into the container and tightly clenched to eliminate sharp edges prior to packing the
commodity into the shipping containers.

b. 29-ounce cans. Twenty-four 29-ounce (822-g) cans of commodity must be
packed four in length, three in width, and on end in two layers in each shipping container.

c. 50-ounce cans. Twelve 50-ounce cans (1.42-kg) of commodity must be
packed four in length, three in width, and on end in one layer in each shipping container.

G. Laboratory Analyses

1. Fat Analyses.

a. Determination. The sample cans submitted for a lot or sublot will be
combined by the USDA laboratory into a composite sample and analyzed in duplicate for fat.
The analysis will be performed by the USDA laboratory. The USDA laboratory will report
the results of each duplicate to nearest 100th of a percent and the average for each composite
to the nearest 10th of a percent on the USDA certificate.

b. Chemical analyses will be in accordance with the following methods found in
the "Official Methods of Analysis," of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists
International (AOAC International), Sixteenth Edition, 1995, Chapter 39: "Meat and Meat
Products," Subchapter 1, Sections 39.1.05, 39.1.06, and 39.1.07.

Finished Product
Test Method
Fat Petroleum ether method or Rapid microwave -solvent extraction method

2. USDA Laboratories. The samples for laboratory analyses may be submitted to
any one of the USDA laboratories 


3. Timely Receipt of Laboratory Results. The contractor must present the thermal-
processed commodity to USDA so the commodity may be sampled, the samples sent to the
USDA laboratory, and the laboratory analyses performed in time for the laboratory results to be
available for the contractor to meet the shipment or delivery requirements of the contract. If
laboratory results are received by the contractor later than 7 calendar days, excluding Sundays
and Federal Holidays, from the receipt of the samples by the USDA laboratory, the
number of days' delay will be added to the permissible shipping or delivery period before
liquidated damages for late shipment or delivery will be assessed.

4. Appeal of Laboratory Analyses. An appeal of an original laboratory analysis may be
authorized for a lot or sublot of commodity. The appeal must be filed and made according to
the appeal provisions in 7 C.F.R. Part 70. Only one appeal per lot or sublot is permitted. In
the event of an appeal, the following procedures will be used:

a. The USDA grader will randomly draw twice the number of original sample cans
and identify the sample cans as appeal samples.

b. The appeal samples will be submitted to the USDA laboratory where the original
analyses were performed.

c. The USDA laboratory will combine an equal number of consecutively numbered
sample cans into two composite samples and analyze each composite sample. The results of
each composite will be reported on the USDA certificate as outlined in II.G.1.a. and identified
as the results for appeal samples.

d. The laboratory results of the appeal samples will supersede those of the original
analysis being appealed. The results of the appeal will be final.

III.
LABELING
A. Requirements

1. Labeling Provisions. Cans and shipping containers of the commodity must be
labeled and marked in accordance with this Specification. Labeling is subject to the provisions
of 9 C.F.R. 381.132(c)(3)(iv). The name and address of the contractor or processor must not
be shown on cans or shipping containers.

2. Printing Requirements. Printed, stamped, and stenciled labeling and marking
information must be water-fast, nonsmearing, of a contrasting color, clear, and readable.

3. Labeling Format. Any deviations from the labeling requirements in this
Specification must be approved by the Contracting Officer, in writing, prior to start of
production.

V. UNITIZATION
Each delivery unit of canned boned poultry must be unitized (palletized and stretchwrapped)
and comply with the following:

A. Pallets
Pallets must be good quality, wood, 48 inches x 40 inches, nonreversible, flush stringer, and
partial fourway entry. Each pallet of shipping containers must be stretchwrapped with plastic
film in a manner that will secure each container and layers of containers on the pallet.
Palletized product must be loaded in a way that will prevent shifting and damage to containers
of product.

B. Pallet Exchange
Contractors may arrange for pallet exchange with consignees; however, USDA is in no way
responsible for such arrangements.

VI. SHIPMENT AND DELIVERY
Shipment and delivery must be made in accordance with this Specification, the applicable
Announcement and Invitation, and Articles 56, 57, and 64 of USDA-1, as amended by the
Announcement. In addition, the contractor must adhere to the following provisions:

A. Contract Compliance Stamp
Each shipping container must be identified with a USDA Contract Compliance stamp with the
applicable certificate number. A USDA grader, or other authorized personnel under the
supervision of the USDA grader, will stamp one end of each shipping container prior to
shipment. If there is inadequate space available on either end of the shipping container, the
stamp may be applied to a side of the container.

B. Grading Certificate
A copy of the original USDA Poultry Products Grading Certificate issued at time of
checkloading must accompany each shipment.

1. Railcar or Piggyback. If shipment is by rail or piggyback, the certificate must be
placed in the railcar or trailer for easy access to the USDA grader, warehouseman, or
consignee, as applicable.

2. Trucks. If shipment is by truck, the driver must, upon delivery, give the
certificate to the USDA grader, warehouseman, or consignee, as applicable.

Page 28
24

VI.

C. Loading and Sealing of Vehicles
Loading must be in accordance with good commercial practices and the sealing must be done at
origin under the supervision of a USDA grader.

1. Railcar. Each railcar must be sealed. The contractors are responsible for
arranging railcar deliveries of more than one delivery unit so that each delivery unit contained
in the same railcar can be completely separated and sealed.

2. Truck or Piggyback. Truck or piggyback shipments must be sealed at origin. A
delivery unit shipped by truck or piggyback which includes split deliveries to two destinations
will not require separation by sealing each drop.

D. Delivery Notification
Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 56(c) of USDA-1, as amended by the applicable
Announcement, the contractor must follow the instructions in the Notice to Deliver issued by
the Kansas City Commodity Office (KCCO) concerning delivery notification. Such notification
and information of impending delivery are vital in proper execution of delivery. The contractor
must notify the State distributing agency and the consignee of shipment per instructions in the
Notice to Deliver. For rail or piggyback shipments, notification shall be made on the day of
shipment. For truck shipments, notification of the estimated arrival time should be made as far
in advance of delivery as possible. In addition, for truck or piggyback shipments, the
contractor must request and keep scheduled appointment(s). Unloading appointments for truck
or piggyback shipments must be requested from the consignee contact party(ies) at least
24 hours in advance of delivery.

1. In-Plant Deliveries. When in-plant delivery is made, the contractor must notify
the appropriate resident USDA grader and furnish applicable information.

2. Delivery In Storage. Delivery may be made in store provided the destination in
the Notice to Deliver and the place the contractor has the commodity in storage are the same.
Inspection and certification by a USDA grader are also required for transfers in store.

3. Early Delivery. The contractor may deliver early upon approval of the KCCO.
Approval may be obtained by telephoning (816) 926-6068. Approval is contingent on the
recipient's concurrence to accept early delivery and upon the USDA grader being available to
perform necessary checkloading and final acceptance duties.

E. Split Deliveries
The contractor is responsible to deliver the quantity stated on each Notice to Deliver to each
destination. Contractors must provide to the USDA Grader, at time of shipment, the number of
boxes and pounds for each destination.

Page 29
25
VI.E.
At the option of the contractor, a purchase unit with two Notices to Deliver (split deliveries) for
two different destinations may be delivered on two separate trucks provided each truck ships the
total quantity stated on the Notice to Deliver. Any additional costs will accrue to the
contractor's account.
_________________________________________

EXHIBIT 1
Labeling Information for 29-Ounce Cans of Chicken
The UPC 12-digit code and symbol must be shown in accordance with section III.

EXHIBIT 2
Labeling Information for 29-Ounce Cans of Turkey
The UPC 12-digit code and symbol must be shown in accordance with section III.
Page 31
27

EXHIBIT 3
Label Information for 50-Ounce Cans - Chicken

Palms & Company, Inc. Copyright 1998

Palms'
International Catalog of Products
optimized for
MS Internet Explorer @ 1024X768

click image to return to:

 

EMAIL



CAN YOU REALLY RELY UPON PALMS & COMPANY?
You are One of the  World population counter. Who can. (World Population Counter)

 



Attention Brokers, Agents , Intermediaries, Mandates of Principals/Buyers

Go to TOP of this page

 RETURN TO HOME PAGE


Go to TOP of this page

Palms & Company, Inc. Founded 1934
Palms Bayshore Building, Penthouse Suite #408 West Wing 
6421 Lake Washington Boulevard North East
State of Washington, United States of America, 98033-6876
Phone: 1-425-828-6774 & 1-425-827-5528
Branches: 41 World-wide 
email: Marketing@PeterPalms.com
Consulting telephone: click HERE 
Created 1995 Last Revision: 6/23/2004
Copyright 1995-1996, Palms and Company, Inc., All rights reserved
Last Revised Feb 8, 2003