United States Department of Agriculture

Food and Nutrition Service

Southeast Region

 

Policy Memorandum 250.14-02:  Destination Inspections for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables 

 

This memorandum is a restatement of policy previously issued as Food Distribution Policy Memorandum 97-11 on February 11, 1997.  Any changes made to the original text are in bold.

 

During School Year (SY) 1996, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) conducted a pilot program requiring destination inspections on fresh oranges, grapefruit, and potatoes.  The Department has decided to continue this requirement for all fresh produce, including apples, oranges,  potatoes, and pears.

 

Inspections will be performed by the Federal or Federal-State Inspection Service in accordance with the destination tolerances in the U.S. Grade Standards.  The vendor shall be responsible for arranging and paying for the inspection.  AMS will work with vendors if there are problems arranging for inspections at the destination.  For example, if it is very expensive to fly an inspector to a destination, under certain conditions, arrangements can be made by the shipper to have the load inspected en route.  Split shipments are to be inspected at each stop unless arrangements can be made with AMS to allow inspection of the entire load at the first stop.  When this occurs, the vendor is still responsible for arranging for the inspection and the associated costs, including unloading and reloading the truck for shipment to the final destination.

 

Please notify your warehouses/distributors and those recipient agencies receiving direct shipments that if a shipment arrives and an inspector is not available, to go ahead and unload, noting on the documentation presented by the trucker that the product was offloaded but not accepted pending U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspection.  The Farm Service Agency will not pay for product without an inspection certificate.  Product should not be distributed prior to inspection.  After inspection, once the USDA inspector confirms that the product meets all contract requirements, it becomes the property of the recipient agency.  There is no extended warranty period after inspection.