Supplement 512 for Fish and Fishery Products

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) issued special notice 12-3J14-Notice-26-004 regarding the Final Supplement 512 for Fish and Fishery Products, effective January 2026. This notice, which carries a response deadline of January 1, 2027, is classified under NAICS 311710 Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging and PSC 8905 MEAT, POULTRY, AND FISH. The documentation includes two attachments: the Product Specifications and Requirements and the Supplement 512 Fish and Fishery Products PDF.

The updated supplement introduces several changes to raw material and shipping requirements, including the reduction of the maximum storage age for raw shrimp from 18 months to 12 months to comply with USDC/NOAA Grade A standards. Vendors must now provide written proof of an approved USDC/NOAA Product Management Plan to verify that finished products meet grade mark criteria. Additionally, contractors are required to record product temperatures on checkloading certificates at the time of loading and list truck seal numbers on all Bills of Lading.

New specifications also apply to specific product lines, such as added shipping case closure requirements for Atlantic Fish Fillet and Walleye Federal Purchase Program Specifications (FPPS) and specific color requirements for commercial Walleye labels. For Wild Shrimp and Pacific Seafood, vendors must maintain a Letter of Conformance from suppliers certifying that raw materials were processed by an approved USDC/NOAA establishment, remain additive-free, were stored at or below zero degrees for no more than 12 months, and meet domestic origin requirements.