Final Supplement 603 Frozen Bison Items - April 2026

Supplement 603 to the AMS Master Solicitation, effective April 2026, governs the competitive procurement of frozen ground bison and bison stew meat for federal food and nutrition assistance programs. The contract requires that all products be produced in the United States and handled in facilities operating under the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service Voluntary Exotic Animal Inspection Program. Key technical specifications include a maximum average fat content of 10 percent, a requirement that products be frozen to 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower within 72 hours of fabrication, and a shelf life of 365 calendar days from the production date. Strict packaging and marking standards are mandated, including the use of tamper-evident seals, specific USDA symbol dimensions, and traceability codes linked to production lots and dates. To be eligible for award, contractors must pass several critical gates, including a technical proposal adequacy review, a pre-award onsite capability assessment audit by the Quality Assessment Division, and a food defense audit. Recent updates to the supplement introduce new requirements for recording truck seal numbers on bills of lading, documenting product temperatures during checkloading, and performing metal detection validation across three metal types. Contractors must also comply with animal welfare standards and provide a Certificate of Conformance for each shipment. Technical proposals must be submitted in a non-PDF format, such as Microsoft Word, to the designated USDA email addresses for review.