Guidance for FDPIR and CSFP agencies on (1) receiving USDA Foods from contracted national multi-food warehouses and/or as direct shipments from a vendor, and (2) reporting complaints related to USDA Food deliveries.
Receipt of USDA Foods
Please review FNS Instruction 709-5, Rev 4, “Shipment and Receipt of USDA Foods”, for additional detailed guidance on receipt of USDA Foods for both FDPIR and CSFP.
General Requirements for Receiving USDA Foods
Below are general requirements for FDPIR and CSFP agencies to follow in receiving shipments of USDA Foods from contracted national multi-food warehouses and/or as direct shipments from a vendor. These general standards help you determine if shipments of USDA Foods are received in optimal condition and in the desired quantities ordered.
Each agency in receipt of shipments of USDA Foods should follow this list of procedures:
- Examine each shipment and delivery receipt (e.g., Bill of Lading (BOL)) prior to unloading.
- Ensure the security seal is intact.
- Verify the quantity of USDA Foods ordered (overage or shortage).
- Inspect if USDA Foods have been delivered in good condition; check temperature of refrigerated or frozen product.
- Document any issues, take photos of the product label, product codes, and pack date or Best if Used by (BIUB) date .
- Enter Goods Receipt in Web-Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) within two (2) business days of receipt of product.
- The Goods Receipt must match the signed delivery document, BOL.
- The Goods Receipt entered in WBSCM must also indicate the quantity received in good condition and quantity received damaged. If quantity is received damaged, FDPIR program operators may enter a complaint following the steps below, “Reporting Issues with USDA Food Deliveries”.
Reporting Issues with USDA Food Deliveries
A complaint is entered into the food ordering system, Web-Based Supply Chain Management, or WBSCM, when a program receives a delivery that is not up to standards – for example, the delivery has an out-of-date USDA Foods or damaged product.
After following the process above, “Receiving USDA Foods”, and examining each USDA Foods shipment and delivery receipt during unloading of the shipment, program operators verify the delivery of USDA Foods has the correct quantity of food, and that products have been delivered in good condition. If issues are identified during this verification process, you are asked to document the issue and enter a complaint.
How to Document an Issue and Enter a USDA Foods Delivery Complaint
The first step in reporting an issue associated with a USDA Foods delivery is to document the issue on the “Goods Receipt” when confirming the delivery information in WBSCM. This documentation on the “Goods Receipt” should match the information documented on the BOL, i.e., the delivery receipt.
The second and last step is reporting the issue to USDA, following the complaints process. Program operators report any and all issues with USDA Foods deliveries to USDA, as a complaint. Complaints are entered in WBSCM along with supporting documentation such as pictures of the damaged product. Program operators enter a complaint directly into WBSCM and must include the following information:
- Sales Order Number
- Bill of Lading (BOL)
- Vendor/Product Identification: (Lot #, BIUB Date, Pack Date, Label)
- Description of issue
- Quantity of product/cases
- Injuries or Illnesses occurred
If the product has not been further distributed, USDA asks program operators to please hold the product until further direction is provided by the USDA Complaints Team.
What Happens to Complaints after Submission?
Each entered complaint is given a unique number, is reviewed by the USDA Complaints Team to ensure all required information has been included and is tracked through resolution. Complaints pertaining to USDA Foods delivered by the national warehouse are sent to the USDA Foods Operations Division at the FNS national office which notifies the national warehouse when an issue is reported to examine the product and, if necessary, to stop delivery of a specific product, product label or lot number, and to dispose of product past product date. The USDA Foods Operations Division works with the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) contracting staff to resolve warehouse performance issues.
Complaints requiring USDA Foods vendor action are submitted directly to AMS to address with the vendor. The AMS complaints team reviews the complaints and works with the AMS contracting staff to determine if a contractual resolution is needed. AMS staff also work with vendor to resolve the contractual issue.
The USDA complaints team also updates the status of all submitted complaints in WBSCM. FDPIR and CSFP program operators may view the status of their complaint(s) directly by logging into WBSCM.
Who May I Contact About the Complaints Process?
For assistance in entering a complaint in WBSCM, please contact the USDA Foods Complaints Team (Monday-Friday 6:00am - 5:00pm ET) at 800-446-6991 or USDAFoodComplaints@usda.gov.