Final Supplement 603 Frozen Bison Items - April 2026

Quick Summary

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), under the Department of Agriculture, has issued an updated Supplement 603 for Frozen Bison Items, effective April 2026. This Special Notice provides revised program requirements for the purchase of frozen bison products, superseding the March 2023 version. It details product specifications, animal welfare standards, and contractor eligibility for competitive bids.

Scope of Updates & Requirements

The primary updates to Supplement 603 include:

• Domestic Origin: New verbiage for the Domestic Origin of Meat Component.
• Shipping Documentation: Requirement for truck seal numbers on the Bill of Lading (BOL) and product temperature at loading on Contractor’s Checkloading shipping documentation.
• Terminology: Replaced "immediate" and "shipping container" with "primary package" and "shipping case."
• Metal Detection: Validation must be performed with all three metals during each testing interval, including TP procedural requirements.
• Organizational Name Change: "NAMI" is now "Meat Institute."
• Certificate of Conformance (CoC): "Delivery" date changed to "Shipping" date.

Key requirements for contractors include:

• Technical Proposal: Detailed proposal covering product description, production steps, quality assurance, and corrective actions (per Exhibit C).
• Product Specifications (Exhibit A): Requirements for Ground Bison and Bison Stew Meat, including material origin, harvest, processing, dicing, fat limitations, packaging, microbial testing (E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella), traceability, and metal detection.
• Animal Welfare (Exhibit B): Program for humane bison handling, including management commitment, training, and quality management plans.

Contract Details & Eligibility

• Contract Type: Purchases are made on a competitive bid basis.
• Eligibility: Contractors must be approved through a Quality Assessment Division (QAD) pre-award capability assessment audit. Facilities must operate under the Voluntary Exotic Animal Inspection Program and comply with FSIS Final Rule for Pathogen Reduction and HACCP Systems.
• Ineligibility: Contractors currently delivering late on USDA contracts, not operating under the Voluntary Exotic Animal Inspection Program, or who have been suspended or debarred are ineligible.
• Set-Aside: None specified.

Submission & Evaluation

• Technical Proposals: Can be submitted at any time via email to TechnicalApprovals@usda.gov and Kym.Allen@usda.gov.
• Evaluation: Allow 10 working days for notification of evaluation results. Eligibility is confirmed upon approval by the Standards and Specifications Division (SSD).
• Audits: Pre-award onsite capability assessments by QAD (including food defense and harvesting) are required. Post-award, AMS agents will monitor production, and QAD will conduct audits.

Attachments

• Exhibit A: Federal Purchase Program Specification (FPPS) for Ground Bison and Bison Stew Meat, Frozen.
• Exhibit B: Federal Purchase Program Specification (FPPS) for Bison Handling and Welfare.
• Exhibit C: Technical Proposal Format.
• Exhibit D: Certificate of Conformance.