GFS Design System — Food Industry Reference & Standards

01Product CategoriesDairy / Frozen / USDA / Ingredients

GFS Product Portfolio -- 10 Core Categories

Barrel Cheddar

500lb barrel, 39% moisture, USDA commodity, CME-priced. Aged minimum 60 days. Wisconsin/NY origin.

Refrigerated 36-40F

Block Cheddar

40lb block, retail-ready, vacuum sealed. Mild, medium, sharp, extra sharp. Color: white or yellow.

Refrigerated 36-40F

Mozzarella LMPS

Low moisture part skim, pizza-grade. 45-52% moisture, superior melt and stretch. Loaf or shred.

Refrigerated 33-38F

Provolone

Sliced or block, Italian-style. Mild and sharp varieties. Deli-sliced or foodservice bulk.

Refrigerated 36-40F

Swiss Cheese

Baby Swiss, domestic, eye formation. Nutty, mild flavor. Block or sliced. 38-42% moisture.

Refrigerated 36-40F

Butter AA

USDA Grade AA, 80% butterfat minimum. Salted and unsalted. 1lb prints and 68lb bulk blocks.

Frozen 0F / Refrig 36F

Frozen Vegetables

IQF broccoli, carrots, peas, corn. USDA Grade A. Retail and foodservice packs. Year-round supply.

Frozen 0F or below

Brown Box Pancakes

USDA commodity, K-12 program, Material 110393. Whole grain, meets meal pattern. US Waffle copacker.

Frozen 0F or below

Cream Cheese

Foodservice bulk, 3lb loaves. Min 33% milkfat. Smooth texture, bakery and foodservice applications.

Refrigerated 33-38F

Whey Protein

WPC-80, bulk ingredient, spray-dried. 80% protein concentrate. 50lb bags, 2000lb supersacks.

Ambient 60-75F

All products manufactured or distributed by Global Food Solutions, Inc. -- 131 Heartland Blvd, Edgewood NY 11717 / Hermitage PA facility.

02Temperature Zone ReferenceCold Chain Compliance

Comprehensive Temperature Zone Guide

Deep Freeze

-30C to -18C / -22F to 0F

Products

Ice cream, specialty frozen desserts, long-term butter storage

Monitoring

Every 15 minutes, automated

Alarm Threshold

Above -18C / 0F

Response Time

Immediate -- 15 min max

Corrective Action

Relocate product, check compressor, document deviation

Standard Frozen

-18C to -12C / 0F to 10F

Products

Frozen vegetables, proteins, cheese for distribution, pancakes

Monitoring

Every 30 minutes, automated

Alarm Threshold

Above -12C / 10F

Response Time

Within 30 minutes

Corrective Action

Check door seals, verify defrost cycle, quality hold if >2hr breach

Refrigerated

0C to 4C / 32F to 39F

Products

Fresh cheese (cheddar, mozz, provolone), butter, cream cheese, milk

Monitoring

Every 30 minutes, automated

Alarm Threshold

Above 4C / 39F or below 0C / 32F

Response Time

Within 30 minutes

Corrective Action

Adjust thermostat, check evaporator, quality hold if >41F for 1hr

Cool

4C to 7C / 39F to 45F

Products

Produce, beverages, prepared foods, assembled sandwiches

Monitoring

Every 60 minutes, automated

Alarm Threshold

Above 7C / 45F

Response Time

Within 60 minutes

Corrective Action

Verify door schedule, check condenser, segregate affected product

Ambient

18C to 22C / 64F to 72F

Products

Dry goods, whey protein, canned items, shelf-stable ingredients

Monitoring

Daily manual check

Alarm Threshold

Above 27C / 80F or >60% humidity

Response Time

Within 4 hours

Corrective Action

Adjust HVAC, check ventilation, inspect product for damage

Temperature monitoring per 21 CFR 110 and FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food. All temperature logs retained minimum 2 years.

03Food Safety Hazard Icons20 Standardized Safety SVGs

HACCP / Allergen / Safety Pictograms -- Stroke-Based, 24x24

Biological Hazard

Chemical Hazard

Physical Hazard

Allergen -- Milk

Allergen -- Wheat

Allergen -- Soy

Allergen -- Tree Nuts

Allergen -- Eggs

Allergen -- Fish

Allergen -- Shellfish

Cross-Contamination

Temperature Abuse

Time / Temperature

Sanitization

Personal Hygiene

Pest Control

Foreign Material

Undeclared Allergen

Pathogen Alert

Recall Alert

All hazard icons follow GFS Design System stroke conventions: 1.5px stroke, cobalt primary with red accents for hazard conditions. Use consistently across signage, documentation, and digital interfaces.

04USDA Commodity Program ReferenceQBL / WBSCM / Compliance

USDA Foods Program Overview

USDA Foods (formerly USDA Commodities) provides domestically produced foods to schools, food banks, and other nutrition assistance programs. GFS participates as a qualified vendor on the USDA Qualified Bidders List (QBL), manufacturing and distributing approved products to school districts and state distributing agencies.

QBL Status & Process

QBL Application

Submit facility audit, product specs, HACCP plan, insurance, capacity documentation

Active

WBSCM Registration

Web-Based Supply Chain Management system -- order processing and tracking portal

Registered

Solicitation Cycle

Annual bid cycle -- Brown Box Pancakes targeting Nov 2026 solicitation

Pending

Material Codes -- GFS Products

Material Code	Product	Pack Size	QBL Status
110393	Brown Box Pancakes	144ct / case	Submitted
100124	Barrel Cheddar	500lb barrel	Active
100521	Mozzarella LMPS	6/5lb loaves	Active
100890	Butter AA	36/1lb prints	Active

School Meal Pattern Compliance

Grains

Whole grain-rich requirement -- min 50% whole grain by weight

Protein

Meat/meat alternate -- min 1oz eq per serving for K-12

Dairy

1 cup milk equivalent -- fat-free or low-fat (1%)

Buy American Provision

7 CFR 210.21(d) -- All USDA Foods products must be domestically grown, processed, and manufactured. GFS certifies 100% US-origin sourcing for all QBL items. Exceptions require prior USDA approval and documentation.

WBSCM ordering system: wbscm.usda.gov -- All material codes verified against current USDA Foods catalog. Contact compliance@GlobalFoodSolutions.co for QBL documentation.

05Nutrition Facts PanelsFDA-Format / 4 Core Products

FDA-Compliant Nutrition Facts -- 21 CFR 101.9

Nutrition Facts

About 453 servings per container

Serving size 1 oz (28g)

Calories 110

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 9g 12%

Saturated Fat 5g 25%

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 30mg 10%

Sodium 180mg 8%

Total Carbohydrate 0g 0%

Dietary Fiber 0g 0%

Total Sugars 0g

Protein 7g 14%

Vitamin D 0mcg 0%

Calcium 200mg 15%

Iron 0mg 0%

Potassium 20mg 0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

CONTAINS: MILK.
Ingredients: Pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes.

Barrel Cheddar -- 500lb / 39% Moisture

Nutrition Facts

About 12 servings per container

Serving size 1 cup (85g)

Calories 30

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 0g 0%

Saturated Fat 0g 0%

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 20mg 1%

Total Carbohydrate 5g 2%

Dietary Fiber 2g 7%

Total Sugars 1g

Protein 3g 6%

Vitamin D 0mcg 0%

Calcium 40mg 3%

Iron 0.6mg 4%

Potassium 230mg 5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

CONTAINS: NONE of the Big 9 allergens.
Ingredients: Broccoli.

IQF Broccoli Cuts -- USDA Grade A

Nutrition Facts

About 32 servings per container

Serving size 1 tbsp (14g)

Calories 100

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 11g 14%

Saturated Fat 7g 35%

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 30mg 10%

Sodium 90mg 4%

Total Carbohydrate 0g 0%

Dietary Fiber 0g 0%

Total Sugars 0g

Protein 0g 0%

Vitamin D 0mcg 0%

Calcium 0mg 0%

Iron 0mg 0%

Potassium 5mg 0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

CONTAINS: MILK.
Ingredients: Pasteurized cream, salt.

Butter AA Grade -- 1lb Print / 80% BF

Nutrition Facts

About 72 servings per container

Serving size 2 pancakes (76g)

Calories 160

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 3.5g 4%

Saturated Fat 1g 5%

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 15mg 5%

Sodium 340mg 15%

Total Carbohydrate 28g 10%

Dietary Fiber 2g 7%

Total Sugars 5g

Incl. 3g Added Sugars 6%

Protein 5g 10%

Vitamin D 0mcg 0%

Calcium 80mg 6%

Iron 1.4mg 8%

Potassium 95mg 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

CONTAINS: WHEAT, MILK, EGGS, SOY.
Ingredients: Whole wheat flour, water, eggs, soybean oil, sugar, nonfat dry milk, leavening (sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminum phosphate), salt.

Brown Box Pancakes -- USDA Material 110393

Nutrition data approximate, based on USDA FoodData Central and manufacturer specifications. Labels comply with 21 CFR 101.9 formatting requirements effective January 1, 2020.

06Shelf Life & Dating ReferenceExpiration / Storage / Rotation

Product Dating & Shelf Life Matrix

Product	Date Type	Date Format	Storage Temp	Frozen Shelf Life	Refrigerated Shelf Life	Thawed Shelf Life
Barrel Cheddar	Best By	MM/DD/YYYY	36-40F	12 months	180 days	N/A
Block Cheddar	Best By	MM/DD/YYYY	36-40F	12 months	120 days	21 days
Mozzarella LMPS	Use By	MM/DD/YYYY	33-38F	12 months	90 days	14 days
Provolone	Best By	MM/DD/YYYY	36-40F	10 months	120 days	14 days
Swiss Cheese	Best By	MM/DD/YYYY	36-40F	10 months	90 days	14 days
Butter AA	Best By	MM/DD/YYYY	0F / 36F	18 months	90 days	60 days
Frozen Vegetables	Best By	MM/YYYY	0F	24 months	N/A	3 days
Brown Box Pancakes	Best By	MM/DD/YYYY	0F	12 months	N/A	5 days
Cream Cheese	Use By	MM/DD/YYYY	33-38F	6 months	30 days	10 days
Whey Protein WPC-80	Best By	MM/YYYY	60-75F	N/A	N/A	N/A (24 mo ambient)

Dating Definitions: "Best By" = Quality guarantee date, product may still be safe past this date. "Use By" = Safety date, product should not be consumed after this date. "Sell By" = Retail display date (not used by GFS for foodservice products). All dates assume unbroken cold chain and proper storage conditions.

07Lot Code SystemTraceability / Encoding / Decoder

GFS Lot Code Structure -- [Plant Code]-[Julian Date]-[Shift]-[Line]

ED

Plant Code

Edgewood, NY HQ facility.
HR = Hermitage, PA

-

137

Julian Date

Day 137 of the year = May 17. Range: 001-365 (366 leap year)

-

A

Shift

A = Day shift (6am-2pm)
B = Swing (2pm-10pm)
C = Night (10pm-6am)

-

01

Line Number

Production line ID. 01-06 at Edgewood, 01-04 at Hermitage

Decoder Example

ED-137-A-01

Edgewood, NY facility, produced on May 17 (Julian day 137), Day shift (6am-2pm), Line 01

Plant Codes

          ED = Edgewood NY
HR = Hermitage PA
        

Julian Reference

          001 = Jan 1
091 = Apr 1
182 = Jul 1
274 = Oct 1
        

Shift Codes

          A = 0600-1400
B = 1400-2200
C = 2200-0600
        

Line Range

          ED: 01-06 (6 lines)
HR: 01-04 (4 lines)
        

Lot codes are printed on all primary packaging and case labels. Required for full traceability per FSMA Section 204 and USDA FSIS compliance. Retention: minimum 2 years past production date.

08Allergen MatrixBig 9 Cross-Reference

Product Allergen Cross-Reference -- Big 9 Allergens (FALCPA + Sesame)

Product	Milk	Eggs	Wheat	Soy
Barrel Cheddar	X
Block Cheddar	X
Mozzarella LMPS	X
Provolone	X
Swiss Cheese	X
Butter AA	X
Frozen Vegetables
Brown Box Pancakes	X	X	X	X
Cream Cheese	X
Whey Protein WPC-80	X			MAY

X CONTAINS

Allergen is a known ingredient or component. Must be declared on label per FALCPA. Product cannot be served to individuals with this allergy.

MAY MAY CONTAIN

Allergen cross-contact possible due to shared equipment/facility. Advisory statement "may contain" is voluntary but recommended. Risk assessment required.

Allergen matrix updated with each product reformulation or supplier change. Big 9 allergens per FALCPA (2004) + Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research (FASTER) Act (2021, adding sesame). Review quarterly.

09Commodity Pricing ReferenceCME Block / Barrel / Butter / Whey

GFS commodity pricing is indexed to Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) spot and futures markets. The following reference covers the four primary dairy commodity benchmarks used in GFS pricing formulas, contracts, and cost analysis.

CME Block Cheddar

40-lb blocks

$1.8425/lb

+$0.0175 day

+$0.0450 week

30d agoToday

GFS usage: Block cheddar pricing for retail and foodservice sliced/shredded programs. Contract basis = CME trailing week average + processing premium.

CME Barrel Cheddar

500-lb barrels

$1.7950/lb

-$0.0100 day

+$0.0225 week

30d agoToday

GFS usage: Barrel cheddar for Bongards USDA program. Pricing = CME trailing week + 35% moisture premium bracket. Block-barrel spread monitored daily.

CME Grade AA Butter

25-kg cartons

$3.1200/lb

+$0.0250 day

+$0.0825 week

30d agoToday

GFS usage: Butter for foodservice and bakery customers. Seasonal volatility peaks Nov-Dec (holiday baking). Monitor for cost-plus contract adjustments.

CME Dry Whey

Non-hygroscopic

$0.4750/lb

$0.0000 day

-$0.0100 week

30d agoToday

GFS usage: Dry whey and WPC-80 ingredient pricing. Input to Class III milk price formula. Affects USDA commodity program reimbursement rates.

Key Pricing Formulas

Class III Milk Price = (Block + Barrel) / 2 x 1.383 + Dry Whey x 1.03 + $0.1484

Block-Barrel Spread = CME Block - CME Barrel (normal range: $0.03-$0.08)

Bongards Barrel = CME Trailing Week Avg + Moisture Premium Bracket (35%)

Cost-Plus Contract = CME Benchmark + Fixed Processing + Delivery + Margin

Commodity data source: CME Group daily settlement prices via USDA Dairy Market News. GFS updates pricing dashboard weekly (Friday close). All contract pricing references the trailing 5-day average unless otherwise specified. Displayed prices are illustrative samples — use live CME data for actual pricing decisions.

CME prices update at 1:00 PM CT daily. Dairy Market News publishes NDPSR (National Dairy Products Sales Report) weekly. All commodity references in GFS contracts specify "CME Cash Settled" unless futures-based.

10Seasonal Availability CalendarProduce / Dairy Seasonality / 12 Months

Seasonal availability affects pricing, supply reliability, and menu planning for GFS customers. This calendar shows peak, available, and off-season windows for key produce items distributed by GFS through the Northeast corridor.

Product	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEP	OCT	NOV	DEC
Apples (NY)
Tomatoes
Sweet Corn
Butter (demand)
Cheese (USDA)

Peak Season Available Off Season High Demand / Price Pressure

Seasonal data informs procurement timing. GFS uses this calendar for forward-buying decisions, customer menu planning advice, and substitution recommendations during off-season windows.

11GTIN/UPC Barcode ReferenceBarcode Standards / Placement / Sizing

Every GFS product requires a scannable barcode for retail distribution, warehouse management, and USDA traceability. This reference covers barcode types, sizing requirements, and placement specifications.

UPC-A (Retail)

0 12345 67890 5

12-digit numeric code. Required for all retail-packaged GFS products. Min size: 80% of nominal (29.83mm W x 20.73mm H). Quiet zone: 9 modules left, 9 modules right.

ITF-14 (Case Code)

(01) 10012345678905

14-digit GTIN for case/carton level. Bearer bars required. Min size: 142.75mm W x 32mm H. Used on all GFS master cases for warehouse scanning and shipping.

GS1-128 (Logistics)

(01)10012345678905(17)260815(10)LOT123

Variable-length with Application Identifiers. Encodes GTIN + expiration date + lot code. Required for USDA commodity shipments and pallet-level tracking.

Barcode quality standard: All GFS barcodes must achieve ANSI grade C or higher. Test with handheld verifier before print production run. Black bars on white background preferred. Minimum contrast ratio: 70%. Never place barcodes over seams, folds, or curved surfaces.

GFS GS1 Company Prefix registered with GS1 US. UPC assignments managed in NetSuite item master. ITF-14 indicator digit: 1 for standard case, 2 for display-ready case. Barcode artwork files stored in Dropbox/GFS New Team Folder/Packaging/Barcodes/.