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SECTION C

This document covers fortified nut butters and nut spreads packaged in a flexible pouch for 

use by the Department of Defense as a component of operational rations.

C-1 ITEM DESCRIPTION

PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS AND QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS FOR 

CID A-A-20328C NUT BUTTERS AND NUT SPREADS

Styles, form, class, textures, type, flavors, fortification, seasoning, and agricultural 

practice.

Style I - Peanut butter

 Form (a) - Manufactured from dry roasted nuts

 Class A - Regular

 Texture 1 - Smooth

 Texture 3 - Chunky/crunchy 

 Type a - Stabilized

Flavor (1) - Plain

Style II - Peanut spread

 Form (a) - Manufactured from dry roasted nuts

 Class A - Regular

 Texture 1 - Smooth

 Type a - Stabilized

Flavor (2) - Chocolate

Fortification ii - Fortified

Seasoning (a) - Salted

Agricultural practice (1) - Conventional

C-2 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

 A. Product standard. A sample shall be subjected to first article (FA) or product 

demonstration model (PDM) inspection as applicable, in accordance with the tests and 

inspections of Section E of this Packaging Requirements and Quality Assurance Provisions 

document. The approved sample shall serve as the product standard. Should the contractor at 

any time plan to or actually produce the product using different raw material or process 
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methodologies from the approved product standard, which result in a product noncomparable 

to the product standard, the contractor shall submit a replacement FA or PDM for approval. 

In any event, all product produced must meet all requirements of this document including 

product standard comparability. 

 B. Shelf life. The packaged product shall meet the minimum shelf life requirement of 36 

months at 80°F.

 C. Grade standards. Style I peanut butter shall meet the USDA certification requirements 

for U.S. Grade A of the U.S. Standards for Grades of Peanut Butter in accordance with A-A20328C. Style II chocolate peanut spread shall meet U.S. Grade A Peanut Butter 

characteristics in accordance with A-A-20328C. 

 D. General. The finished product shall have no evidence of excessive heating.

 C. Appearance. 

(1) General. The finished product shall have no evidence of excessive heating. 

(2) Style I, form (a), class A, texture 1, type a, flavor (1), fortification ii, seasoning 

(a), agricultural practice (1) peanut butter, manufactured from dry roasted nuts, regular, 

smooth, stabilized, plain, fortified, salted, conventional. The finished product shall be slightly 

glossy, a light brown color and smooth. 

(3) Style I, form (a), class A, texture 3, type a, flavor (1), fortification ii, seasoning 

(a), agricultural practice (1) peanut butter, manufactured from dry roasted nuts, regular, 

chunky/crunchy, stabilized, plain, fortified, salted, conventional. The finished product shall 

be slightly glossy, a light brown color, and shall have nut particles uniformly distributed 

throughout. 

 ED. Net weight. The net weight of an individual pouch shall be not less than 28 grams. 

 FE. Palatability and overall appearance. The finished product shall be equal to or better 

than the approved product standard in palatability and overall appearance. 

 GF. Vitamin A. Fortification with vitamin A shall be not less than 2350 IU and not greater 

than 2850 IU per 100 grams. 

 HG. Vitamin C. Fortification with vitamin C shall be not less than 90 mg per 100 grams. 
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 IH. Analytical and microbiological requirements. Analytical and microbiological 

requirements, procedures, and testing for aflatoxin, salt, standard plate count, yeast and mold, 

Salmonella, and E. coli shall be as specified in A-A-20328C. 

SECTION D

D-1 PACKAGING

 A. Packaging. The product shall be packaged in a preformed barrier pouch. 

(1) Pouch. 

 a. Pouch material. The pouch shall be fabricated from 0.002 inch thick ionomer or 

polyethylene film laminated or extrusion coated to 0.00035 inch thick aluminum foil which is 

then laminated to 0.0005 inch thick polyester. Tolerances for thickness of plastic films shall 

be plus or minus 20 percent and tolerance for the foil layer shall be plus or minus 10 percent. 

The material shall show no evidence of delamination, degradation, or foreign odor when heat 

sealed or fabricated into pouches. The material shall be suitably formulated for food 

packaging and shall not impart an odor or flavor to the product. The complete exterior 

surface of the pouch shall be uniformly colored and shall conform to number 20219, 30219, 

30227, 30279, 30313, 30324, or 30450 of SAE AMS-STD-595, Colors Used in Government 

Procurement. 

 b. Pouch construction. The pouch shall be a flat style pouch having maximum 

inside dimensions of 2-7/8 inches wide by 5-3/8 inches long. The pouch shall be made by 

heat sealing three edges with 3/8 inch (-1/8 inch, +3/16 inch) wide seals. The side and bottom 

seals shall have an average seal strength of not less than 6 pounds per inch of width and no 

individual specimen shall have a seal strength of less than 5 pounds per inch of width. 

Alternatively, the pouch shall exhibit no rupture or seal separation greater than 1/16 inch or 

seal separation that reduces the effective closure seal width to less than 1/16 inch when tested 

for internal pressure resistance. A tear nick, notch or serrations shall be provided to facilitate

opening of the filled and sealed pouch. A 1/8 inch wide lip may be incorporated at the open 

end of the pouch. 

 c. Pouch filling and sealing. The product shall be filled into the pouch and the 

filled pouch shall be sealed with a minimum 1/8 inch wide heat seal. The closure seal shall be 

free of foldover wrinkles or entrapped matter that reduces the effective closure seal width to 

less than 1/16 inch. Seals shall be free of impression or design on the seal surface that would 
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conceal or impair visual detection of seal defects. The average seal strength shall be not less 

than 6 pounds per inch of width and no individual specimen shall have a seal strength of less 

than 5 pounds per inch of width. Alternatively, the filled and sealed pouch shall exhibit no 

rupture or seal separation greater than 1/16 inch or seal separation that reduces the effective 

closure seal width to less than 1/16 inch when tested for internal pressure resistance.

D-2 LABELING

 A. Pouches. Each pouch shall be correctly and legibly labeled. Printing ink shall be 

permanent black ink or other dark contrasting color which is free of carcinogenic elements. 

The label shall contain the following information:

(1) Name and flavor of product (letters not less than 1/8 inch high)

(2) Ingredients

(3) Date 1/

(4) Net weight

(5) Name and address of packer

(6) “Nutrition Facts” label in accordance with the Nutrition Labeling and Education 

Act (NLEA) and all applicable FDA regulations

1/ Each pouch shall have the date of pack noted by using a four digit code beginning with the 

final digit of the current year followed by the three digit Julian day code. For example, 14 

February 2030 would be coded as 0045. The Julian day code shall represent the day the 

product was packaged into the pouch. 

D-3 PACKING

 A. Packing. Not more than 40 pounds of product shall be packed in a fiberboard shipping 

box constructed in accordance with style RSC-L of ASTM D5118/D5118M, Standard 

Practice for Fabrication of Fiberboard Shipping Boxes. The fiberboard shall conform to type 

CF, class D, variety SW, minimum burst grade 200 or ECT 32 of ASTM D4727/D4727M, 

Standard Specification for Corrugated and Solid Fiberboard Sheet Stock (Container Grade) 

and Cut Shapes. Each box shall be closed in accordance with ASTM D1974/D1974M, 

Standard Practice for Methods of Closing, Sealing, and Reinforcing Fiberboard Boxes. 
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D-5 MARKING

 A. Shipping containers. Shipping containers shall be marked in accordance with DLA 

Troop Support Form 3556, Marking Instructions for Boxes, Sacks, and Unit Loads of 

Perishable and Semiperishable Subsistence.

SECTION E INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

The following quality assurance criteria, utilizing ANSI/ASQ Z1.4, Sampling Procedures and 

Tables for Inspection by Attributes, are required. Unless otherwise specified, single sampling 

plans indicated in ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 will be utilized. When required, the manufacturer shall 

provide the Certificate(s) of Conformance to the appropriate inspection activity. 

Certificate(s) of Conformance not provided shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

 A. Definitions. 

(1) Critical defect. A critical defect is a defect that judgment and experience indicate 

would result in hazardous or unsafe conditions for individuals using, maintaining, or 

depending on the item; or a defect that judgment and experience indicate is likely to prevent 

the performance of the major end item, i.e., the consumption of the ration. 

(2) Major defect. A major defect is a defect, other than critical, that is likely to result 

in failure, or to reduce materially the usability of the unit of product for its intended purpose. 

(3) Minor defect. A minor defect is a defect that is not likely to reduce materially the 

usability of the unit of product for its intended purpose, or is a departure from established 

standards having little bearing on the effective use or operation of the unit.

 B. Classification of inspections. The inspection requirements specified herein are classified 

as follows:

(1) Product standard inspection. The first article or product demonstration model shall 

be inspected in accordance with the provisions of this document and evaluated for 

appearance, odor, flavor, and texture. Any failure to conform to the performance 

requirements or any appearance or palatability failure shall be cause for rejection of the lot. 

(2) Periodic review evaluation. The approved first article or product demonstration 

model shall be used as the product standard for periodic review evaluations. All food 

components that are inspected by the USDA shall be subject to periodic review sampling and 
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evaluation. The USDA shall select sample units during production of contracts and submit 

them to the following address for evaluation: 

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

FCDD-SCC-EMR

COMBAT CAPABILITITES DEVELOPMENT COMMAND-SOLDIER CENTER

10 GENERAL GREENE AVENUE

NATICK, MA 01760-5056 

One lot shall be randomly selected during each calendar month of production or as otherwise 

specified in the contract. Six (6) sample units shall be randomly selected from that one 

production lot. The six (6) sample units shall be shipped to Natick within five (5) working 

days from the end of the production month from which they are randomly selected and upon 

completion of all USDA inspection requirements. The sample units will be evaluated for 

overall quality against the current first article or product demonstration model.

(3) Conformance inspection. Conformance inspection shall include the 

examinations/tests and methods of inspection cited in this section.

E-5 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PRODUCT)

 A. Product examination. The finished product shall be examined for compliance with the 

performance requirements specified in A-A-20328C and Section C of this Packaging 

Requirements and Quality Assurance Provisions document utilizing the double sampling 

plans indicated in ANSI/ASQ Z1.4. The lot size shall be expressed in pouches. The sample 

unit shall be the contents of one pouch. The inspection level shall be S-3 and the acceptable 

quality level (AQL), expressed in terms of defects per hundred units, shall be 1.5 for major 

defects and 4.0 for minor defects. Defects and defect classifications are listed in table I.
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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 3/

Category Defect

Major Minor

General

101 Product not style or not form or not class or not texture or not type or 

not flavor or not fortification or not seasoning or not agricultural 

practice as specified. 

102 Product has evidence of excessive heating.

103 Product exhibits noticeable oil separation.

201 Product does not spread easily or is thin or is more than slightly stiff.

202 Net weight of an individual pouch less than 28 grams.

Style I, form (a), class A, type a, flavor (1), fortification ii, seasoning 

(a), agricultural practice (1) 

Peanut butter, manufactured from dry roasted peanuts, regular, 

stabilized, plain, fortified, salted, conventional 

104 Product does not have a freshly roasted or not a ground peanut odor or 

flavor.

203 Texture 1, smooth, product does not have a very fine or not a very 

even texture or has perceptible grainy nut particles. 

204 Texture 3, chunky/crunchy, product does not have a partially fine or 

not a partially grainy texture or not with a substantial amount of nut 

particles larger than 1/16 inch in any dimension. 

Style II, form (a), class A, texture 1, type a, flavor (2), fortification ii, 

seasoning (a), agricultural practice (1) 

Peanut spread, manufactured from dry roasted peanuts, regular, 

smooth, stabilized, chocolate, fortified, salted, conventional 

205 Product not smooth or not homogenous.
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206 Product not a medium brown color or does not have a slight surface 

sheen.

207 Product does not have a very fine or not a very even texture or has 

perceptible grainy nut particles.

105 Product does not have a freshly roasted or not a ground peanut odor or 

flavor or not with mild cocoa notes. 

104 Product does not have a freshly roasted or not a ground peanut odor or 

flavor.

Style I, form (a), class A, texture 1, type a, flavor (1), fortification ii, 

seasoning (a), agricultural practice (1) peanut butter, manufactured 

from dry roasted nuts, regular, smooth, stabilized, plain, fortified, 

salted, conventional 

203 Product not slightly glossy or not a light brown color or not smooth.

204 Product does not have a very fine or not a very even texture or has 

perceptible grainy nut particles.

Style I, form (a), class A, texture 3, type a, flavor (1), fortification ii, 

seasoning (a), agricultural practice (1) peanut butter, manufactured 

from dry roasted nuts, regular, chunky/crunchy, stabilized, plain, 

fortified, salted, conventional 

205 Product not slightly glossy or not a light brown color or does not have 

nut particles uniformly distributed throughout. 

206 Product does not have a partially fine or not a partially grainy texture 

or not with a substantial amount of nut particles larger than 1/16 inch 

in any dimension. 

Style II, form (a), class A, texture 1, type a, flavor (2), fortification ii, 

seasoning (a), agricultural practice (1) 

Peanut spread, manufactured from dry roasted nuts, regular, smooth, 

stabilized, chocolate, fortified, salted, conventional 
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207 Product not smooth or not homogenous.

208 Product not a medium brown color or does not have a slight surface 

sheen.

209 Product does not have a very fine or not a very even texture or has 

perceptible grainy nut particles.

105 Product not with mild cocoa notes odor or flavor.

1/ Presence of any foreign materials such as, but not limited to dirt, insect parts, hair, glass, 

wood, or metal, or any foreign odors or flavors such as, but not limited to burnt, scorched, 

rancid, sour, stale, musty or moldy shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

2/ Finished product not equal to or better than the approved product standard in palatability 

and overall appearance shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

3/ Style I product not meeting the USDA certification requirements for U.S. Grade A of the 

U.S. Standards for Grades of Peanut Butter in accordance with A-A-20328C shall be cause 

for rejection of the lot. Style II product not meeting the USDA certification requirements for 

equivalent to U.S. Grade A of the U.S. Standards for Grades of Peanut Butter in accordance 

with A-A-20328C shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

 B. Methods of inspection. 

(1) Shelf life. The contractor shall provide a Certificate of Conformance that the 

product has a 36 month shelf life when stored at 80oF. Government verification may include 

storage for 6 months at 100oF or 36 months at 80oF. Upon completion of either storage 

period, the product will be subjected to a sensory evaluation panel for appearance and 

palatability and must receive an overall score of 5 or higher based on a 9 point quality scale 

to be considered acceptable. 

(2) Net weight. The net weight of the filled and sealed pouches shall be determined 

by weighing each sample unit on a suitable scale tared with a representative empty pouch. 

Results shall be reported to the nearest 1 gram. 

(3) Fortification. The sample to be analyzed shall be a composite of eight filled and 

sealed pouches that have been selected at random from the lot. The composite sample shall 
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be prepared and analyzed in accordance with the following methods of the Official Methods 

of Analysis (OMA) of AOAC International:

Test Method number

Vitamin A 2001.13 1/

Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) 967.21, 967.22 or 2012.22 1/

Test results shall be reported to the nearest milligram or microgram, as applicable.

1/ Tests will be conducted for vitamins A and C on the first production lot of a contract 

cycle. USDA will perform the verification testing and obtain a copy of the formulation used 

in the production of that lot. A Certificate of Conformance (CoC) for nutrient content for 

vitamins A and C will be provided on all future lots produced using the same formulation. If 

the formula is changed or a new contract starts, then another set of tests shall be conducted

by USDA for vitamins A and C, and USDA will obtain a copy of the formulation. 

(4) Analytical and microbiological. Analytical and microbiological testing for 

aflatoxin, salt, standard plate count, yeast and mold, Salmonella, and E. coli shall be as 

specified in A-A-20328C with the following notes applied: 

NOTE: The following conditions apply for aflatoxin testing: 

 a. For prepackaged peanut butter or peanut spread received from a supplier and is 

not further processed, the contractor will furnish a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) that the 

peanut butter ingredient represented is not greater than 15 ppb for aflatoxin. 

 b. For peanut butter received in bulk, the contractor is responsible for providing a 

USDA CoA stating that the bulk product is not greater than 15 ppb in aflatoxin. When end 

item lots are manufactured using that bulk peanut butter and both the bulk and end item lots’ 

identities have been preserved, then no further aflatoxin testing is required. 

 c. If peanut butter is received in bulk and the conditions in (b) above are not met, 

each end item lot must be sampled and tested by USDA. End item lots determined to be not 

greater than 15 ppb in aflatoxin as evidenced by a USDA Certificate will be considered 

acceptable. Bulk peanut butter with aflatoxin greater than 15 ppb shall not be used as an 

ingredient.

NOTE: The following conditions apply for salt testing:
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When bulk peanut butter is received for use in peanut butter or peanut spreads and the bulk 

peanut butter has been determined by USDA to not exceed 1.6 percent salt, and no additional 

ingredients are added post grading, no further testing for salt is required. Bulk lots must be 

maintained to ensure traceability of the finished product.

E-6 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PACKAGING AND PACKING 

MATERIALS)

 A. Packaging. 

(1) Pouch material certification. The pouch material shall be tested for these 

characteristics. A CoC may be accepted as evidence that the characteristics conform to the 

specified requirements.

Characteristic Requirement paragraph Test procedure

Thickness of films for laminated 

material

D-1,A(1)a ASTM D2103 1/

Aluminum foil thickness D-1,A(1)a ASTM B479 2/

Laminated material identification 

and construction

D-1,A(1)a Laboratory evaluation

Color of laminated material D-1,A(1)a SAE AMS-STD-595 3/

1/ Standard Specification for Polyethylene Film and Sheeting 

2/ Standard Specification for Annealed Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Foil for Flexible 

Barrier, Food Contact, and Other Applications 

3/ Colors Used in Government Procurement

(2) Unfilled preformed pouch certification. A CoC may be accepted as evidence that 

unfilled pouches conform to the requirements specified in D-1,A(1)a and b. When deemed 

necessary by the USDA, testing of the unfilled preformed pouches for seal strength shall be 

as specified in E-6,B(1)a.

(3) Filled and sealed pouch examination. The filled and sealed pouches shall be 

examined for the defects listed in table II. The lot size shall be expressed in pouches. The 
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sample unit shall be one pouch. The inspection level shall be I and the AQL, expressed in 

terms of defects per hundred units, shall be 0.65 for major defects and 2.5 for minor defects. 

TABLE II. Filled and sealed pouch defects 1/

Category Defect

Major Minor

101 Tear or hole or open seal.

102 Seal width less than 1/16 inch. 2/

103 Presence of delamination. 3/

104 Unclean pouch. 4/

105 Pouch has foreign odor.

106 Any impression or design on the heat seal surfaces which conceals or 

impairs visual detection of seal defects. 5/ 

107 Not packaged as specified.

201 Label missing or incorrect or illegible.

202 Tear nick or notch or serrations missing or does not facilitate opening.

203 Seal width less than 1/8 inch but greater than or equal to 1/16 inch. 2/

204 Presence of delamination. 3/

1/ Any evidence of rodent or insect infestation shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

2/ The effective closure seal is defined as any uncontaminated, fusion bonded, continuous 

path, minimum 1/16 inch wide, from side seal to side seal that produces a hermetically sealed 

pouch. 

3/ Delamination defect classification:

Major - Delamination of the outer ply in the pouch seal area that can be propagated to 

expose aluminum foil at the food product edge of the pouch after manual flexing of the 

delaminated area. To flex, the delaminated area shall be held between the thumb and 
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forefinger of each hand with both thumbs and forefingers touching each other. The 

delaminated area shall then be rapidly flexed 10 times by rotating both hands in alternating 

clockwise-counterclockwise directions. Care shall be exercised when flexing delaminated 

areas near the tear notches to avoid tearing the pouch material. After flexing, the separated 

outer ply shall be grasped between thumb and forefinger and gently lifted toward the food 

product edge of the seal or if the separated area is too small to be held between thumb and 

forefinger, a number two stylus shall be inserted into the delaminated area and a gentle lifting 

force applied against the outer ply. If separation of the outer ply can be made to extend to the 

product edge of the seal with no discernible resistance to the gentle lifting, the delamination 

shall be classified as a major defect. Additionally, spot delamination of the outer ply in the 

body of the pouch that is able to be propagated beyond its initial borders is also a major 

defect. To determine if the laminated area is a defect, use the following procedure: Mark the 

outside edges of the delaminated area using a bold permanent marking pen. Open the pouch 

and remove the contents. Cut the pouch transversely not closer than 1/4 inch (+1/16 inch) 

from the delaminated area. The pouch shall be flexed in the area in question using the 

procedure described above. Any propagation of the delaminated area, as evidenced by the 

delaminated area exceeding the limits of the outlined borders, shall be classified as a major 

defect.

Minor - Minor delamination of the outer ply in the pouch seal area is acceptable and 

shall not be classified as a minor defect unless it extends to within 1/16 inch of the food 

product edge of the seal. All other minor outer ply delamination in the pouch seal area or 

isolated spots of delamination in the body of the pouch that do not propagate when flexed as 

described above shall be classified as minor defects.

4/ Outer packaging shall be free from foreign matter which is unwholesome, has the potential 

to cause pouch damage (for example, glass, metal filings) or generally detracts from the clean 

appearance of the pouch. The following examples shall not be classified as defects for 

unclean:

 a. Foreign matter which presents no health hazard or potential pouch damage and 

which can be readily removed by gently shaking the package or by gently brushing the pouch 

with a clean dry cloth. 

 b. Dried product which affects less than 1/8 of the total surface area of one pouch 

face (localized and aggregate). 
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5/ If doubt exists as to whether or not the sealing equipment leaves an impression or design 

on the closure seal surface that could conceal or impair visual detection of seal defects, 

samples shall be furnished to the contracting officer for a determination as to acceptability.

 B. Methods of Inspection. 

(1) Seal testing. The pouch seals shall be tested for seal strength as required in a, b, or 

c, as applicable.

 a. Unfilled preformed pouch seal testing. The seals of the unfilled preformed pouch 

shall be tested for seal strength in accordance with ASTM F88/F88M, Standard Test Method 

for Seal Strength of Flexible Barrier Materials. The lot size shall be expressed in pouches. 

The sample unit shall be one unfilled pouch. The sample size shall be the number of pouches 

indicated by inspection level S-1. Three adjacent specimens shall be cut from each of the 

three sealed sides of each pouch in the sample. The average seal strength of any side shall be 

calculated by averaging the three specimens cut from that side. Any average seal strength of 

less than 6 pounds per inch of width or any test specimen with a seal strength of less than 5 

pounds per inch of width shall be classified as a major defect and shall be cause rejection of 

the lot.

 b. Pouch closure seal testing. The closure seals of the pouches shall be tested for 

seal strength in accordance with ASTM F88/F88M. The lot size shall be expressed in 

pouches. The sample unit shall be one pouch. The sample size shall be the number of 

pouches indicated by inspection level S-1. Three adjacent specimens shall be cut from the 

closure seal of each pouch in the sample. The average seal strength of the closure shall be 

calculated by averaging the three specimens cut from that closure. Any average seal strength 

of less than 6 pounds per inch of width or any test specimen with a seal strength of less than 

5 pounds per inch of width shall be classified as a major defect and shall be cause for 

rejection of the lot.

 c. Internal pressure test. The internal pressure resistance shall be determined by 

pressurizing the pouches while they are restrained between two rigid plates. The lot size shall 

be expressed in pouches. The sample unit shall be one pouch. The sample size shall be the 

number of pouches indicated by inspection level S-1. If a three-seal tester (one that 

pressurizes the pouch through an open end) is used, the closure seal shall be cut off for 

testing the side and end of the pouch and the distance between restraining plates shall be 1/2 

inch. For testing the closure seal, the bottom seal shall be cut off. The pouches shall be 

emptied prior to testing. If a four-seal tester (designed to pressurize filled pouches by use of a 

hypodermic needle through the pouch wall) is used, all four seals can be tested 
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simultaneously. The distance between rigid restraining plates on the four-seal tester shall be 

equal to the thickness of the product +1/16 inch. Pressure shall be applied at the approximate 

uniform rate of 1 pound per square inch gage (psig) per second until 14 psig pressure is 

reached. The 14 psig pressure shall be held constant for 30 seconds and then released. The 

pouches shall then be examined for separation or yield of the heat seals. Any rupture of the 

pouch or evidence of seal separation greater than 1/16 inch in the pouch manufacturer’s seal 

shall be considered a test failure. Any seal separation that reduces the effective closure seal 

width to less than 1/16 inch (see table II, footnote 2/) shall be considered a test failure. Any 

test failure shall be classified as a major defect and shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

 C. Packing. 

(1) Shipping container and marking examination. The filled and sealed shipping 

containers shall be examined for the defects listed in table III. The lot size shall be expressed 

in shipping containers. The sample unit shall be one shipping container fully packed. The 

inspection level shall be S-3 and the AQL, expressed in terms of defects per hundred units, 

shall be 4.0 for major defects and 10.0 for total defects.

TABLE III. Shipping container and marking defects

Category Defect

Major Minor

101 Marking missing or incorrect or illegible.

102 Inadequate workmanship. 1/

201 More than 40 pounds of product.

1/ Inadequate workmanship is defined as, but not limited to, incomplete closure of container 

flaps, loose strapping, inadequate stapling, improper taping, or bulged or distorted container. 
PKG&QAP A-A-20328C

W/Change 01 2 September 22 ES22-50 (DSCP-SS-22-01254) 

SUPERSEDING

PKG&QAP A-A-20328B 

24 November 2015

16 

SECTION J REFERENCE DOCUMENTS

Unless otherwise specified, the applicable version of these documents is that which is active 

on the date of the solicitation or contract.

DLA Troop Support Form

Form 3556 Marking Instructions for Boxes, Sacks, and Unit Loads of 

Perishable and Semiperishable Subsistence

GOVERNMENT PUBLICATION

U.S. Standards for Grades of Peanut Butter

NON-GOVERNMENTAL STANDARDS

AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR QUALITY (ASQ) www.asq.org

ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection by Attributes

AOAC INTERNATIONAL www.aoac.org

Official Methods of Analysis (OMA) of AOAC International

ASTM INTERNATIONAL www.astm.org

B479 Standard Specification for Annealed 

Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Foil for 

Flexible Barrier, Food Contact, and Other 

Applications 

D1974/D1974M Standard Practice for Methods of Closing, 

Sealing, and Reinforcing Fiberboard Boxes 

D2103 Standard Specification for Polyethylene Film 

and Sheeting 
PKG&QAP A-A-20328C

W/Change 01 2 September 22 ES22-50 (DSCP-SS-22-01254) 

SUPERSEDING

PKG&QAP A-A-20328B 

24 November 2015

17 

D4727/D4727M Standard Specification for Corrugated and Solid 

Fiberboard Sheet Stock (Container Grade) and Cut 

Shapes 

D5118/D5118M Standard Practice for Fabrication of 

Fiberboard Shipping Boxes

F88/F88M Standard Test Method for Seal Strength of 

Flexible Barrier Materials

SAE INTERNATIONAL www.sae.org

SAE AMS-STD-595 Colors Used in Government Procurement