PSC H989

Overview

The Product Service Code (PSC) system standardizes how the U.S. federal government classifies goods and services in procurement records (FPDS/SAM) to support consistent tracking, reporting, and spend analysis. The PSC Manual on Acquisition.gov maintains the official PSC list, change process, and guidance used by contracting officers and reporting systems to ensure consistent assignment and historical comparability across agencies. ¹

PSC H989 is the designated code in the official PSC table for “Other QC/Test/Inspect — Subsistence,” applied when the procurement’s principal requirement is quality-control, testing, or inspection services related to subsistence items (for example, food, rations, or subsistence supplies). The PSC code list and descriptor in the PSC Manual are the authoritative sources for code usage and reporting. ²

• See also on G2X:
  • G2X — PSC H989 overview
  • G2X — PSC H973 overview
  • G2X — PSC H975 overview

What this PSC covers

• Quality-control, inspection, and acceptance services specifically for subsistence items, supplies, and rations; includes on-site inspection of incoming or stored food products and associated documentation reviews. ²
• Laboratory testing of foodstuffs and subsistence materials (microbiological, chemical, physical analyses) performed to verify contract quality requirements or standards. ²
• Inspection services related to storage, handling, packaging, and transportation conditions that affect subsistence quality and safety. ²
• Sampling, acceptance testing, and conformance inspections for both perishable and nonperishable subsistence items to support contract award, receipt, or acceptance decisions. ²
• Certification, validation, and inspection activities tied to food-safety or regulatory conformance where the service itself—rather than the food sale—is the primary procurement objective. ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Not specified by official sources. ²

Acquisition uses and coding guidance

• Select PSC H989 when the contract’s dominant requirement is inspection, testing, sampling, or quality-control services for subsistence items rather than the procurement or resale of the subsistence itself; report H989 as the primary PSC in FPDS when QC/testing is the principal purpose. ²

• Award and reporting systems depend on the PSC Manual’s published code list for consistent classification; contracting officers should consult the current PSC table on Acquisition.gov when assigning H‑series codes and when in doubt document rationale in the contract file. ¹

Frequently asked questions

• Q: When should H989 be selected instead of a goods PSC for food items?
  A: Choose H989 when the core contract requirement is QC, inspection, or testing of subsistence (food, rations) and not the purchase or resale of the food product itself. The PSC Manual’s code list and descriptor indicate this reporting use. ²

• Q: Does selecting H989 imply required laboratory accreditation or specific test methods?
  A: No. The PSC descriptor identifies the class of service only; required accreditations, test methods, and acceptance criteria must be stated in the solicitation or statement of work, since the PSC Manual does not prescribe methods. ²

• Q: Can H989 be used as a secondary PSC on subsistence procurements?
  A: Yes. Use H989 as a secondary PSC when substantial QC/testing/inspection services are included alongside a primary subsistence supply award; the primary PSC should reflect the contract’s dominant purpose. ¹

Useful resources

• G2X — PSC H989 overview
• Product and Service Code Manual (Acquisition.gov — PSC Manual index): https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual
• PSC April 2025 code list (Acquisition.gov — PSC April 2025.xlsx): https://www.acquisition.gov/content/psc-april-2025.xlsx

References

1. Product and Service Code Manual — Acquisition.gov (PSC Manual index). https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual
2. PSC April 2025 code list — Acquisition.gov (PSC April 2025.xlsx). https://www.acquisition.gov/content/psc-april-2025.xlsx