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SECTION C

This document covers cakes and brownies packaged in a polymeric tray for use by the 

Department of Defense as a component of operational rations. 

C-1 ITEM DESCRIPTION

PCR-C-024D, CAKES AND BROWNIES, PACKAGED IN A POLYMERIC TRAY, 

SHELF STABLE 

Types and flavors.

Type I – Cakes

Flavor 1 – Devil’s fudge cake with white icing

Flavor 2 – Walnut tea cake

Flavor 3 – Dulce de Leche cake with white icing

Flavor 4 – Breakfast cake with maple flavored syrup

Flavor 5 – Yellow cake with chocolate icing

Flavor 6 – Yellow cake with white icing

Flavor 7 – Devil’s fudge cake with chocolate icing

Flavor 8 – Spice cake with white icing

Flavor 9 – Lemon cake with white icing

Flavor 10 – Apple spice breakfast cake with apple fruit topping

Flavor 11 – Blueberry breakfast cake with maple flavored syrup

Flavor 12 – Red velvet cake with white icing

Flavor 13 – Banana nut cake with white icing

Flavor 14 – Cranberry orange cake with white icing

Flavor 15 – Golden harvest cake with white icing

Flavor 16 – Vanilla cake with strawberry fruit topping

Flavor 17 – Chocolate cherry cake with cherry fruit topping

Flavor 18 – Sweet potato walnut cake with white icing

Flavor 19 – Gingerbread cake with white icing

Flavor 20 – Carrot cake with white icing

Type II – Brownies

Packages.

Flavor 1 – Fudge brownie with chocolate icing
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Package E – Unitized Group RationTM (UGRTM)-Heat & ServeTM (UGR-H&STM)

Package K – Unitized Group RationTM-ExpressTM (UGR-ETM)

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 Performance-based Contract Requirements (PCR) 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 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. Appearance. 

(1) General. The finished product shall be intact. The product shall show no signs of 

excessive heating (materially darkened or scorched). The product surface may have slightly 

browned edges. The product shall have a uniform cell (crumb) structure and shall show no 

evidence of compression streaks. The finished product shall be free from foreign materials.

a. Type I. For all flavors, the cake height measured at its lowest point, excluding 

the icing or syrup or fruit topping, shall be not less than 14/16 inch. The cake height shall be 

reported to the nearest 1/16 inch. For flavors 1, 3, 5 to 9, 12 to 15, and 18 to 20, the icing is 

packaged separately. For flavors 4 and 11, the maple flavored syrup is packaged separately. 

For flavors 10, 16 and 17, the fruit topping is packaged separately. 

b. Type II. For flavor 1, the chocolate icing is packaged separately.

(2) Type I. 

 a. Flavor 1. The devil’s fudge cake shall have a deep, chocolate brown surface and 

crumb. The white icing shall be shiny, white. 

 b. Flavor 2. The walnut tea cake shall have a golden to tan surface and a very light 

tan crumb with small pieces of walnuts distributed throughout.
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c. Flavor 3. The Dulce de Leche cake shall have a medium golden brown surface 

and a pale, off-white crumb with small caramel drops distributed throughout. The white icing 

shall be shiny, white. 

d. Flavor 4. The breakfast cake shall have a light golden brown surface and a pale, 

off-white crumb. The maple flavored syrup shall be light to medium golden brown. 

 e. Flavor 5. The yellow cake shall have a pale, tan surface and a pale, off-white

crumb. The chocolate icing shall be shiny, dark brown. 

 f. Flavor 6. The yellow cake shall have a pale, tan surface and a pale, off-white

crumb. The white icing shall be shiny, white. 

 g. Flavor 7. The devil’s fudge cake shall have a deep, chocolate brown surface and 

crumb. The chocolate icing shall be shiny, dark brown. 

 h. Flavor 8. The spice cake shall have a medium beige surface and crumb with 

flecks of spices throughout. The white icing shall be shiny, white. 

 i. Flavor 9. The lemon cake shall have a yellow surface and crumb. The white icing 

shall be shiny, white. 

 j. Flavor 10. The apple spice breakfast cake shall have a tan to golden brown 

surface and off-white to light tan crumb with apple pieces and cinnamon drops distributed 

throughout. The apple fruit topping shall be shiny, golden brown with diced apple pieces. 

 k. Flavor 11. The blueberry breakfast cake shall have a light golden brown surface 

and a pale, off-white crumb with blueberry pieces distributed throughout. The maple flavored 

syrup shall be light to medium golden brown. 

 l. Flavor 12. The Red Velvet cake shall have a red brown surface and crumb. The 

white icing shall be shiny, white. 

 m. Flavor 13. The banana nut cake shall have a tan to golden brown surface and 

off-white to light tan crumb with small pieces of walnuts distributed throughout. The white 

icing shall be shiny, white. 

 n. Flavor 14. The cranberry orange cake shall have a tan to golden brown surface 

and off-white to light tan crumb with small cranberry pieces distributed throughout. The 

white icing shall be shiny, white. 
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 o. Flavor 15. The golden harvest cake shall have a medium brown surface and 

crumb. The white icing shall be shiny, white. 

 p. Flavor 16. The vanilla cake shall have a golden brown surface with a pale, offwhite crumb. The strawberry fruit topping shall be shiny, red with whole or broken 

strawberry pieces. 

 q. Flavor 17. The chocolate cherry cake shall have a deep, chocolate brown surface 

and crumb. The cherry fruit topping shall be shiny, dark red with whole or broken cherry 

pieces. The fruit topping shall be free from pit(s) or portions thereof. 

 r. Flavor 18. The sweet potato walnut cake shall have a medium golden brown 

surface and a light to medium tan crumb with small pieces of walnuts distributed throughout 

and may have flecks of spices. The white icing shall be shiny, white.

 s. Flavor 19. The gingerbread cake shall have a medium to dark brown surface and 

a medium brown crumb. The white icing shall be shiny, white.

 t. Flavor 20. The carrot cake shall have a medium brown surface and a medium 

golden brown crumb with small pieces of carrots and walnuts distributed throughout. The 

white icing shall be shiny, white.

(3) Type II. 

a. Flavor 1. The fudge brownie shall have a very dark brown surface and crumb. 

The chocolate icing shall be shiny, dark brown. 

 D. Odor and flavor. The packaged food shall be free from foreign odors and flavors. 

(1) Type I. 

 a. Flavor 1. The devil’s fudge cake shall have a sweet chocolate odor and flavor. 

The white icing shall have a sweet odor and flavor.

 b. Flavor 2. The walnut tea cake shall have a sweet, mild vanilla-walnut odor and 

flavor.

 c. Flavor 3. The Dulce de Leche cake shall have a sweet, mild caramel odor and 

flavor. The white icing shall have a sweet odor and flavor. 

 d. Flavor 4. The breakfast cake shall have a sweet, mild maple odor and flavor. The 

maple flavored syrup shall have a sweet, maple odor and flavor. 
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 e. Flavor 5. The yellow cake shall have a sweet, mild vanilla odor and flavor. The 

chocolate icing shall have a sweet chocolate odor and flavor. 

 f. Flavor 6. The yellow cake shall have a sweet, mild vanilla odor and flavor. The 

white icing shall have a sweet odor and flavor. 

 g. Flavor 7. The devil’s fudge cake shall have a sweet chocolate odor and flavor. 

The chocolate icing shall have a sweet chocolate odor and flavor. 

 h. Flavor 8. The spice cake shall have a cinnamon and allspice odor and flavor. The 

white icing shall have a sweet odor and flavor. 

 i. Flavor 9. The lemon cake shall have a sweet lemon odor and flavor. The white 

icing shall have a sweet odor and flavor. 

 j. Flavor 10. The apple spice breakfast cake shall have a sweet, cinnamon and mild 

apple odor and flavor. The apple fruit topping shall have a sweet, cooked spiced apple odor 

and flavor. 

 k. Flavor 11. The blueberry breakfast cake shall have a sweet, blueberry and mild 

vanilla odor and flavor. The maple flavored syrup shall have a sweet, maple odor and flavor. 

 

 l. Flavor 12. The red velvet cake shall have a sweet, chocolate odor and flavor. 

The white icing shall have a sweet odor and flavor. 

 m. Flavor 13. The banana nut cake shall have a sweet, banana odor and sweet, 

banana walnut flavor. The white icing shall have a sweet odor and flavor.

 n. Flavor 14. The cranberry orange cake shall have a sweet, cranberry and orange 

odor and flavor. The white icing shall have a sweet odor and flavor. 

 o. Flavor 15. The golden harvest cake shall have a sweet honey, mild wheat bran 

odor and flavor. The white icing shall have a sweet odor and flavor. 

 p. Flavor 16. The vanilla cake shall have a sweet, mild vanilla odor and flavor. The 

strawberry fruit topping shall have a strawberry odor and a slightly sweet, strawberry flavor.

 q. Flavor 17. The chocolate cherry cake shall have a sweet chocolate and cherry 

odor and flavor. The cherry fruit topping shall have a cherry odor and a slightly sweet, 

slightly sour, cherry flavor.
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 r. Flavor 18. The sweet potato walnut cake shall have a slight spice odor. The cake 

shall have a slight sweet potato and slight spice flavor. The white icing shall have a sweet 

odor and flavor. 

 s. Flavor 19. The gingerbread cake shall have a sweet ginger and molasses odor 

and flavor with a slight brown spice odor and flavor. The white icing shall have a sweet odor 

and flavor. 

 t. Flavor 20. The carrot cake shall have a sweet spice odor and flavor. The white 

icing shall have a sweet odor and flavor. 

(2) Type II. 

 a. Flavor 1. The fudge brownie shall have a sweet, chocolate odor and a sweet 

chocolate, slightly bitter flavor. The chocolate icing shall have a sweet chocolate odor and 

flavor.

 E. Texture. 

(1) Type I. 

 a. Cake. For flavors 1, 3 to 9, 12, 16 and 17, the cake shall have a dense, tender, 

moist, fine grain texture. For flavors 2, 13, and 18, the cake shall have a dense, tender, moist, 

fine grain texture with walnut pieces. For flavor 10, the cake shall have a dense, tender, 

moist, fine grain texture with apple pieces and cinnamon drops. For flavor 11, the cake shall 

have a dense, tender, moist, fine grain texture with blueberry pieces. For flavor 14, the cake 

shall have a dense, tender, moist, fine grain texture with cranberry pieces. For flavor 15 and 

19, the cake shall have a dense, tender, moist, slightly open grain texture. For flavor 20, the 

cake shall have a dense, tender, moist, slightly open grain texture with pieces of carrots and 

walnuts.

 b. Icing. For flavors 1, 3, 5 to 9, 12 to 15, and 18 to 20, the white or chocolate icing 

shall be smooth and easily spreadable. 

 c. Syrup. For flavors 4 and 11, the maple flavored syrup shall be free flowing, 

moderately thick, and easily poured. 

 d. Fruit topping. For flavor 10, the fruit topping shall be slightly firm to slightly 

soft apple dices in a thick, smooth sauce. For flavor 16, the fruit topping shall be slightly firm 

to slightly soft strawberries and slightly chewy in a thick, smooth sauce. For Flavor 17, the 
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fruit topping shall be slightly firm to slightly soft cherries and slightly chewy in a thick, 

smooth sauce.

(2) Type II. 

 a. Flavor 1. The fudge brownie shall have a dense, firm, moist texture. The 

chocolate icing shall be smooth and easily spreadable.

 F. Net weight. 

(1) Type I. 

 a. Flavors 1, 3 to 9, 11 to 15, and 18 to 20. The average net weight for all flavors 

without the icing or syrup shall be not less than 30.0 ounces (850.0 grams). The net weight of 

an individual polymeric tray shall be not less than 29.0 ounces (822.0 grams). The average 

net weight of the icing or syrup shall be not less than 6.0 ounces (170.0 grams). 

 b. Flavor 2. The average net weight shall be not less than 36.0 ounces (1020.0 

grams). The net weight of an individual polymeric tray shall be not less than 35.0 ounces 

(992.0 grams). 

 c. Flavors 10, 16 and 17. The average net weight for all flavors without the fruit 

topping shall be not less than 30.0 ounces (850.0 grams). The net weight of an individual 

polymeric tray shall be not less than 29.0 ounces (822.0 grams). The average net weight of 

the fruit topping shall be not less than 10.0 ounces (283.0 grams). 

(2) Type II. 

 a. Flavor 1. The average net weight of the fudge brownie without the icing shall be 

not less than 42.0 ounces (1191.0 grams). The net weight of an individual polymeric tray 

shall be not less than 40.0 ounces (1134.0 grams). The average net weight of the chocolate 

icing shall be not less than 6.0 ounces (170.0 grams). 

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

the approved product standard in palatability and overall appearance. 

 H. Analytical requirements. 
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(1) Type I fat. The fat content for flavors 1, 5 to 18, and 20 shall be not less than 14.0 

percent. The fat content for flavors 2, 3, and 4 shall be not less than 16.0 percent. The fat 

content for flavor 19 shall be not less than 8.0 percent. The trans fat content shall be not 

greater than 0 grams per serving. 

(2) Type II fat. The fat content for flavor 1 shall be not less than 12.0 percent. The 

trans fat content shall be not greater than 0 grams per serving.

(3) Type I moisture. The moisture content for flavors 1, 2, 3, 5 to 9, and 12 to 18 shall 

be not less than 18.0 percent. The moisture content for flavors 4, 10, 11, 19 and 20 shall be 

not less than 16.0 percent. 

(4) Type II moisture. The moisture content for flavor 1 shall be not less than 14.0 

percent. 

(5) Type I and Type II water activity. The water activity (aw) of type I (without icing

or syrup or fruit topping) and type II (without icing) packaged product shall be not greater 

than 0.890. 

 (6) Oxygen. The oxygen content of the filled and sealed polymeric tray shall not 

exceed 0.30 percent.

SECTION D

D-1 PACKAGING

 A. Preservation. Product as specified plus the appropriate number of oxygen scavengers 

and ovenable tray insert, if applicable, shall be filled and sealed into polymeric trays within 4 

hours of baking and the trays shall conform to the requirements of section 3 of MIL-PRF32004, Packaging of Food in Polymeric Trays, Type II Oven-baked products. Government 

verification testing and inspection of trays and lids shall be in accordance with Section 4 of 

MIL-PRF-32004 and the Quality Assurance Provisions of Section E of this document. The 

requirement for protective sleeves shall not apply to Type II Oven-baked products. 

 B. Polymeric tray closure. The filled and sealed tray shall be securely closed.

 C. Component. For type I, flavors 4 and 11, one pouch containing maple flavored syrup 

shall be provided. For type I, flavors 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 12 to 15, and 18 to 20, one pouch 

containing white icing shall be provided. For type I, flavors 5 and 7, and for type II, flavor 1, 

one pouch containing chocolate icing shall be provided. For type I, flavor 10, one pouch 

containing apple fruit topping shall be provided. For type I, flavor 16, one pouch containing 

strawberry fruit topping shall be provided. For type I, flavor 17, one pouch containing cherry 
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fruit topping shall be provided. The following materials and processing requirements are for

the products in a pouch: 

(1) Icing, syrup, and fruit topping pouch. 

 a. Material and construction. The preformed pouch shall be fabricated from 

material suitably formulated for food packaging and shall be in compliance with all 

applicable FDA and USDA regulations. The material shall show no evidence of 

delamination, degradation, or foreign odor when heat-sealed or fabricated into pouches. The 

material shall not impart an odor or flavor to the product after filling and sealing. 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 filled and sealed pouch shall exhibit no rupture or seal 

separation greater than 1/16 inch or seal separation that reduces the manufacturer’s seals to 

less than 1/16 inch. A tear nick, notch or serrations shall be provided to facilitate opening of 

the filled and sealed pouch. 

 b. Filling and sealing. Icing, syrup, and fruit topping shall be heat processed 

(pasteurized or hot filled). For type I, flavors 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 12 to 15, and 18 to 20, 6.0 ounces 

(170.0 grams) of white icing shall be filled into the pouch and the filled pouch shall be heat 

sealed. For type I, flavors 4 and 11, 6.0 ounces (170.0 grams) of maple flavored syrup shall 

be filled into the pouch and the filled pouch shall be heat sealed. For type I, flavors 5 and 7 

and for type II, flavor 1, 6.0 ounces (170.0 grams) of chocolate icing shall be filled into the 

pouch and the filled pouch shall be heat sealed. For type I, flavor 10, 10.0 ounces (283.0 

grams) of apple fruit topping shall be filled into the pouch and the filled pouch shall be heat 

sealed. For type I, flavor 16, 10.0 ounces (283.0 grams) of strawberry fruit topping shall be 

filled into the pouch and the filled pouch shall be heat sealed. For type I, flavor 17, 10.0 

ounces (283.0 grams) of cherry fruit topping shall be filled into the pouch and the filled 

pouch shall be heat sealed. 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 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. Residual headspace in the filled and sealed pouch shall be minimized to facilitate 

packing. 

 c. Pouch size. The filled and sealed pouch shall be a size that fits within the void 

created between the tray lid material and fiberboard pad added during packing. 
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 D. Oxygen scavenger. The oxygen scavenger shall be constructed of materials that are safe 

for direct or indirect food contact and shall be suitable for use with edible products. The 

oxygen scavenger shall be in compliance with all applicable FDA regulations. 

 E. Ovenable tray insert. The ovenable tray insert (if utilized) shall be constructed of 

materials that are safe for direct or indirect food contact and shall be suitable for use with 

edible products. The ovenable tray insert shall be in compliance with all applicable FDA and 

USDA regulations. 

D-2 LABELING

 A. Polymeric tray body. The polymeric tray body shall be clearly printed or stamped, in a 

manner that does not damage the tray, with permanent ink of any contrasting color, which is 

free of carcinogenic elements. One end of the polymeric tray (see figure 1 of MIL-PRF32004) shall be marked with the product name and number of portions. If the tray body end 

markings are not readily legible in low light conditions, a small, easily legible label shall be 

applied, but not over any existing tray markings. All other markings may be applied along 

the tray body side. The product name, lot number and filling equipment number shall be 

applied at the time of tray sealing. 1/ 

Tray body markings shall include: 

(1) Product name. Commonly used abbreviations may be used.

(2) Tray code includes: 2/

 Lot Number

1/ As an alternate method, tray body markings may be clearly printed or stamped onto the 

polymeric tray lid at the time of tray sealing, in a manner that does not damage the lid, with 

permanent ink of any contrasting color, which is free of carcinogenic elements, provided that 

the required markings are applied onto the tray body prior to packing for shipment to ration 

assembler.

2/ The lot number shall be expressed as a four digit Julian code. The first digit shall indicate 

the year of production and the next three digits shall indicate the day of the year (Example, 

14 February 2015 would be coded as 5045). The Julian code shall represent the day the 

product was packaged into the tray and the tray sealed. Sublotting (when used) shall be 

represented by an alpha character immediately following the four digit Julian code. 

Following the four digit Julian code and the alpha character (when used), the other required 

code information shall be printed in the sequence as listed above. 
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 B. Polymeric tray lid. The lid shall be clearly printed or stamped, in a manner that does not 

cause damage. Permanent ink of any contrasting color, which is free of carcinogenic 

elements, shall be used. As an alternate labeling method, a pre-printed self-adhering 0.002 

inch thick clear polyester label printed with indelible contrasting color ink may be used.

Note: The font tested by Natick was Microsoft Helvetica. The font used shall be similarly 

clear/easy to read as Helvetica. The recommended font sizes are as follows: 22 for the 

product name, 14 for “yield” and “to heat in water.” If an additional note is required on the 

label, such as “fluff before serving,” it should also be in font size 14. All other information 

should be in font size 9. 

(1) Lid labeling shall include: 

 Product name and flavor

 Ingredients

 Net weight

 Name and address of packer

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

 Act (NLEA) and all applicable FDA regulations

(2) Lid labeling shall also show the following statements:

 a. For type I, flavor 2: 

Yield: Serves 18 portions; cut 3 rows by 6 rows.

 b. For type I, flavors 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 12 to 15, and 18 to 20: 

WHITE ICING: White icing is packaged in a separate pouch. 

Spread icing evenly on the cake surface using a spatula or knife, 

prior to cutting the cake. 

Yield: Serves 18 portions; cut 3 rows by 6 rows.

 c. For type I, flavors 4 and 11: 
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MAPLE FLAVORED SYRUP: Maple flavored syrup is packaged 

in a separate pouch. Prior to serving, cut cake into 18 portions and 

pour syrup evenly on the breakfast cake surface.

Yield: Serves 18 portions; cut 3 rows by 6 rows.

TO HEAT IN WATER: Submerge unopened tray and syrup 

pouch in water. Bring to a boil. Simmer gently 15 minutes. Avoid 

overheating (pouch or tray shows evidence of bulging).

WARNING: Do not heat pouch or tray in oven.

TO TRANSPORT AFTER HEATING: Stack trays with lids oriented upright and fiberboard pads in 

between.

CAUTION: Use care when opening as pressure may have been generated within pouch or tray.

TO OPEN: Open pouch at tear notch and cut tray lid with a clean knife.

 

 d. For type I, flavors 5 and 7: 

CHOCOLATE ICING: Chocolate icing is packaged in a separate 

pouch. Spread icing evenly on the cake surface using a spatula or 

knife, prior to cutting the cake. 

Yield: Serves 18 portions; cut 3 rows by 6 rows.

 e. For type II, flavor 1: 

CHOCOLATE ICING: Chocolate icing is packaged in a separate 

pouch. Spread icing evenly on the brownie surface using a spatula 

or knife, prior to cutting the brownie. 

Yield: Serves 18 portions; cut 3 rows by 6 rows.

 f. For type I, flavors 10, 16 and 17: 
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FRUIT TOPPING: Fruit topping is packaged in a separate pouch. 

Spread fruit topping evenly on the cake surface using a spatula or 

knife, prior to cutting the cake. 

Yield: Serves 18 portions; cut 3 rows by 6 rows.

 C. Icing, syrup, and fruit topping pouch. 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.

(7) The pouch labeling shall also show the following statements: 

 a. For type I, flavors 4 and 11 Maple flavored syrup: 

CAREFULLY PEEL POUCH AWAY FROM TRAY LID PRIOR TO 

SERVING

Squeeze syrup evenly onto surface of breakfast cake.

 b. For type I, flavors 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 12 to 15, and 18 to 20 white icing and type I, 

flavors 5 and 7 chocolate icing and type II, flavor 1 chocolate icing: 

CAREFULLY PEEL POUCH AWAY FROM TRAY LID PRIOR TO 

SERVING

Knead pouch to soften icing.

Squeeze icing onto surface of product and spread evenly using a spatula or 

knife.
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 c. For type I, flavor 10 apple fruit topping, flavor 16 strawberry fruit topping, and 

flavor 17 cherry fruit topping: 

CAREFULLY PEEL POUCH AWAY FROM TRAY LID PRIOR TO 

SERVING

Squeeze fruit topping onto surface of cake and spread evenly using a spatula 

or knife.

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 2015 would be coded as 5045. The Julian day code shall represent the day the 

product was packaged into the pouch. 

D-3 PACKING

 A. Packing. Four filled, sealed and processed polymeric trays shall be packed in a 

fiberboard box conforming to 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, burst grade 275 of ASTM D4727/D4727M, Standard Specification for 

Corrugated and Solid Fiberboard Sheet Stock (Container Grade) and Cut Shapes. The trays 

shall be stacked with lids oriented upright. Fiberboard pads shall be placed between the trays 

and on the top and bottom of the stacked trays. The pad dimensions shall be not less than 1/8 

inch of the full length and width inside dimensions of the box and shall be fabricated of class 

D, burst grade 275 fiberboard. Each box shall be closed in accordance with ASTM 

D1974/D1974M, Standard Practice for Methods of Closing, Sealing, and Reinforcing 

Fiberboard Boxes. 

 B. Packing of icing or syrup or fruit topping pouches. In addition to the packing 

requirements in D-3,A, the following shall apply for all flavors that require an additional 

pouch of icing or syrup or fruit topping. One filled and sealed icing or syrup or fruit topping 

pouch shall be provided for each polymeric tray of specified product. The filled and sealed 

icing or syrup or fruit topping pouch shall be placed between the polymeric tray lid and 

fiberboard pad and secured to the tray lid using a food grade, peelable adhesive or alternate 

method of attachment. The icing or syrup or fruit topping pouch shall peel away easily from 

the tray lid. 

D-4 UNITIZATION

 A. Unit loads. Boxes shall be arranged in unit loads in accordance with DLA Troop 

Support Form 3507, Loads, Unit: Preparation of Semiperishable Subsistence Items. 
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D-5 MARKING

 A. Shipping containers and unit loads. Shipping containers and unit loads shall be marked 

in accordance with DLA Troop Support Form 3556, Marking Instructions for Boxes, Sacks, 

and Unit Loads of Perishable and Semiperishable Subsistence.

D-6 MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

THE FOLLOWING IS INFORMATION ONLY TO PROVIDE THE BENEFIT OF PAST 

GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE. THIS IS NOT A MANDATORY CONTRACT 

REQUIREMENT.

 A. Icing, syrup and fruit topping pouch material. It has been found that a pouch with 

minimum inside dimensions of 8-3/4 inches in length by 6-5/8 inches in width and fabricated 

from a 3-ply laminate constructed of, from inside to outside, 0.002 inch thick linear low 

density polyethylene, extrusion coated or laminated to 0.00035 inch thick aluminum foil, and 

extrusion coated or laminated to 0.0006 inch thick biaxially oriented nylon, meets the 

performance requirements of this document. 

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.
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 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 

evaluation. The USDA shall select sample units during production of contracts and submit 

them to the following address for evaluation: 

US Army Research, Development and Engineering Command 

Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center 

RDNS-CFF 

15 Kansas Street

 Natick, MA 01760-5056 

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

specified in the contract. Two (2) sample units shall be randomly selected from that one 

production lot. The two (2) 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 the 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 Section C of this Performance-based Contract 

Requirements document utilizing the double sampling plans indicated in ANSI/ASQ Z1.4. 

The lot size shall be expressed in trays. The sample unit shall be the contents of one tray, and 

the contents of the associated icing, syrup, or fruit topping pouch, as applicable. The 

inspection level shall be S-3 and the acceptable quality level (AQL), expressed in terms of 

defects per hundred units, shall be 4.0 for major defects and 6.5 for minor defects. Defects 
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and defect classifications are listed in table I. The filled and sealed polymeric trays shall be 

brought to room temperature (65°F to 75°F).

TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/

Category Defect

Major Minor

General 

101 Product not type or not flavor as specified. 

102 Evidence of excessive heating (materially darkened or scorched).

103 Polymeric tray does not contain intact oxygen scavenger(s). 5/

104 Icing or syrup or fruit topping pouch leaking, as applicable.

201 Product not intact.

202 Product does not have a uniform cell (crumb) structure.

203 Evidence of compression streaks.

204 Product size not as specified. 6/

205 Evidence of delamination by ovenable tray insert (if utilized).

206 Icing or syrup or fruit topping pouch missing, as applicable.

207 Icing or syrup or fruit topping pouch not secured to tray lid.

208 Icing or syrup or fruit topping pouch does not peel away easily from 

tray lid.

Type I – Cakes

Type I, Flavor 1 – Devil’s fudge cake with white icing

105 Cake odor or flavor not sweet chocolate. 
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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ - Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

209 Cake surface or crumb not deep, chocolate brown.

210 White icing not shiny, white.

211 White icing odor or flavor not sweet.

212 Cake texture not dense or not tender or not moist or not fine grain. 

213 White icing not smooth or not easily spreadable.

Type I, Flavor 2 – Walnut tea cake

106 Cake odor or flavor not sweet, mild vanilla-walnut.

214 Cake surface not golden to tan.

215 Cake crumb not very light tan with small pieces of walnuts distributed 

throughout. 

216 Cake texture not dense or not tender or not moist or not fine grain or 

without walnut pieces. 

Type I, Flavor 3 – Dulce de Leche cake with white icing 

107 Cake odor or flavor not sweet, mild caramel.

217 Cake surface not medium golden brown.

218 Cake crumb not pale, off-white with small caramel drops distributed 

throughout. 

219 White icing not shiny, white.

220 White icing odor or flavor not sweet.

221 Cake texture not dense or not tender or not moist or not fine grain. 

222 White icing not smooth or not easily spreadable.
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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ - Continued 

Category Defect

Major Minor

Type I, Flavor 4 – Breakfast cake with maple flavored syrup

108 Cake odor or flavor not sweet, mild maple. 

223 Cake surface not light golden brown.

224 Cake crumb not pale, off-white.

225 Maple flavored syrup not light to medium golden brown.

226 Maple flavored syrup odor or flavor not sweet, maple.

227 Cake texture not dense or not tender or not moist or not fine grain. 

228 Maple flavored syrup not free flowing or not moderately thick or not 

easily poured. 

Type I, Flavor 5 – Yellow cake with chocolate icing

109 Cake odor or flavor not sweet, mild vanilla.

229 Cake surface not pale, tan.

230 Cake crumb not pale, off-white.

231 Chocolate icing not shiny, dark brown.

232 Chocolate icing odor or flavor not sweet chocolate.

233 Cake texture not dense or not tender or not moist or not fine grain.

234 Chocolate icing not smooth or not easily spreadable.

Type I, Flavor 6 – Yellow cake with white icing

110 Cake odor or flavor not sweet, mild vanilla.
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235 Cake surface not pale, tan.

236 Cake crumb not pale, off-white.

TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ - Continued 

Category Defect

Major Minor

237 White icing not shiny, white.

238 White icing odor or flavor not sweet.

239 Cake texture not dense or not tender or not moist or not fine grain.

240 White icing not smooth or not easily spreadable.

Type I, Flavor 7 – Devil’s fudge cake with chocolate icing

111 Cake odor or flavor not sweet chocolate.

241 Cake surface or crumb not deep, chocolate brown.

242 Chocolate icing not shiny, dark brown.

243 Chocolate icing odor or flavor not sweet chocolate.

244 Cake texture not dense or not tender or not moist or not fine grain. 

245 Chocolate icing not smooth or not easily spreadable.

Type I, Flavor 8 – Spice cake with white icing

112 Cake odor or flavor not cinnamon or not allspice.

246 Cake surface or crumb not medium beige or not with flecks of spices 

throughout. 

247 White icing not shiny, white.

248 White icing odor or flavor not sweet.
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249 Cake texture not dense or not tender or not moist or not fine grain.

250 White icing not smooth or not easily spreadable.

Type I, Flavor 9 – Lemon cake with white icing

113 Cake odor or flavor not sweet lemon.

TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ - Continued 

Category Defect

Major Minor

251 Cake surface or crumb not yellow.

252 White icing not shiny, white.

253 White icing odor or flavor not sweet.

254 Cake texture not dense or not tender or not moist or not fine grain.

255 White icing not smooth or not easily spreadable.

Type I, Flavor 10 – Apple spice breakfast cake with apple fruit topping

114 Cake odor or flavor not sweet, cinnamon or not mild apple.

256 Cake surface not tan to golden brown.

257 Cake crumb not off-white to light tan.

258 Cake does not have apple pieces or cinnamon drops distributed 

throughout. 

259 Apple fruit topping not shiny, golden brown with diced apple pieces.

260 Apple fruit topping odor or flavor not sweet, cooked spiced apple.

261 Apple fruit topping texture not slightly firm to slightly soft apple dices 

or not a thick, smooth sauce. 

26259 Cake texture not dense or not tender or not moist or not fine grain or 

without apple pieces and cinnamon drops. 
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Type I, Flavor 11 – Blueberry breakfast cake with maple flavored syrup

115 Cake odor or flavor not sweet, blueberry or not mild vanilla. 

2630 Cake surface not light golden brown.

2641 Cake crumb not pale, off-white.

2652 Cake does not have blueberry pieces distributed throughout.

TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ - Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

2663 Maple flavored syrup not light to medium golden brown.

2674 Maple flavored syrup odor or flavor not sweet, maple.

2685 Cake texture not dense or not tender or not moist or not fine grain or 

without blueberry pieces. 

2696 Maple flavored syrup not free flowing or not moderately thick or not 

easily poured.

Type I, Flavor 12 – Red velvet cake with white icing

116 Cake odor or flavor not sweet, chocolate.

27067 Cake surface or crumb not red brown.

27168 White icing not shiny, white.

27269 White icing odor or flavor not sweet.

27370 Cake texture not dense or not tender or not moist or not fine grain.

2741 White icing not smooth or not easily spreadable.

Type I, Flavor 13 – Banana nut cake with white icing

117 Cake odor not sweet, banana or cake flavor not sweet, banana walnut.

2752 Cake surface not tan to golden brown. 
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2763 Cake crumb not off-white to light tan with small pieces of walnuts 

distributed throughout. 

2774 White icing not shiny, white.

2785 White icing odor or flavor not sweet.

2796 Cake texture not dense or not tender or not moist or not fine grain or 

without walnut pieces. 

28077 White icing not smooth or not easily spreadable.

TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ - Continued 

Category Defect

Major Minor

Type I, Flavor 14 – Cranberry orange cake with white icing

118 Cake odor or flavor not sweet, cranberry or orange.

28178 Cake surface not tan to golden brown.

28279 Cake crumb not off-white to light tan. 

2830 Cake does not have small cranberry pieces distributed throughout.

2841 White icing not shiny, white.

2852 White icing odor or flavor not sweet.

2863 Cake texture not dense or not tender or not moist or not fine grain or 

without cranberry pieces. 

2874 White icing not smooth or not easily spreadable.

Type I, Flavor 15 – Golden harvest cake with white icing

119 Cake odor or flavor not sweet honey, or not mild wheat bran.

2885 Cake surface or crumb not medium brown.
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2896 White icing not shiny, white.

29087 White icing odor or flavor not sweet.

29188 Cake texture not dense or not tender or not moist or not a slightly open 

grain texture.

29289 White icing not smooth or not easily spreadable.

Type I, Flavor 16 – Vanilla cake with strawberry fruit topping.

120 Cake odor or flavor not sweet, mild vanilla.

2930 Cake surface not golden brown.

TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ - Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

2941 Cake crumb not pale, off-white.

2952 Strawberry fruit topping not shiny, red with whole or broken strawberry 

pieces.

2963 Strawberry fruit topping odor not strawberry.

2974 Strawberry fruit topping flavor not slightly sweet, strawberry.

2985 Cake texture not dense or not tender or not moist or not fine grain.

2996 Strawberry fruit topping texture not slightly firm to slightly soft or not 

slightly chewy strawberries or not a thick, smooth sauce. 

Type I, Flavor 17 – Chocolate cherry cake with cherry fruit topping

121 Cake odor or flavor not sweet chocolate or not cherry.

300297 Cake surface or crumb not deep, chocolate brown.

301298 Cherry fruit topping not shiny dark red with whole or broken cherry 

pieces.
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302299 Cherry fruit topping not free from pit(s) or portions thereof. 7/

3030 Cherry fruit topping odor not cherry.

3041 Cherry fruit topping not a slightly sweet, slightly sour, cherry flavor.

3052 Cake texture not dense or not tender or not moist or not fine grain.

3063 Cherry fruit topping texture not slightly firm to slightly soft or not 

slightly chewy cherries or not a thick, smooth sauce. 

Type I, Flavor 18 – Sweet potato walnut cake with white icing

122 Cake odor not slight spice. Cake flavor not slight sweet potato or slight 

spice. 

3074 Cake surface not medium golden brown.

TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ - Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

3085 Cake crumb not light to medium tan with small pieces of walnuts 

distributed throughout. 

3096 White icing not shiny, white.

31007 White icing odor or flavor not sweet.

31108 Cake texture not dense or not tender or not moist or not fine grain or 

without walnut pieces. 

31209 White icing not smooth or not easily spreadable.

Type I, Flavor 19 – Gingerbread cake with white icing 

123 Cake odor or flavor not sweet ginger or not molasses with a slight 

brown spice. 

3130 Cake surface not medium to dark brown.
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3141 Cake crumb not medium brown.

3152 Cake texture not dense or not tender or not moist or not a slightly open 

grain texture. 

3163 White icing not shiny, white.

3174 White icing odor or flavor not sweet.

3185 White icing not smooth or not easily spreadable.

Type I, Flavor 20 – Carrot cake with white icing

124 Cake odor or flavor not sweet spice. 

3196 Cake surface not medium brown.

32017 Cake crumb not medium golden brown with small pieces of carrots or 

walnuts distributed throughout. 

TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ - Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

32118 Cake texture not dense or not tender or not moist or not a slightly open 

grain texture or without carrots or walnut pieces.

32219 White icing not shiny, white.

3230 White icing odor or flavor not sweet.

3241 White icing not smooth or not easily spreadable. 

Type II – Brownies

Type II, Flavor 1 – Fudge brownie with chocolate icing

125 Brownie odor not sweet chocolate or not sweet chocolate, slightly bitter 

flavor. 

3252 Brownie surface or crumb not very dark brown.
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3263 Chocolate icing not shiny, dark brown.

3274 Chocolate icing odor or flavor not sweet chocolate.

3285 Brownie texture not dense or not firm or not moist.

3296 Chocolate icing not smooth or not easily spreadable.

Net weight 

33027 Type I, flavor 2, net weight of an individual polymeric tray less than 

35.0 ounces (992.0 grams). 8/ 

33128 Type I, flavors 1 and 3 to 20, net weight of an individual polymeric tray 

less than 29.0 ounces (822.0 grams). 9/ 

33229 Type II, flavor 1, net weight of an individual polymeric tray less than 

40.0 ounces (1134.0 grams). 10/ 

3330 Net weight of icing or syrup pouch less than 6.0 ounces (170.0 grams).

3341 Net weight of fruit topping pouch less than 10.0 ounces (283.0 grams).

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/ As applicable, bisect cake or brownie vertically in the center with a sharp knife to inspect 

for defects.

4/ The trans fat content shall be verified by the NLEA “Nutrition Facts” label. Product not 

conforming to the trans fat content as specified in Section C of this document shall be cause 

for rejection of the lot.

5/ Construction of the oxygen scavenger and compliance with FDA regulations will be 

verified by CoC.
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6/ As applicable, cake or brownies heights, excluding icings or syrup or fruit toppings shall 

be measured at the lowest point along the vertical cut, excluding areas within 1/2 inch of the 

cake edge. 

7/ Presence of sharp pit material, whole pit or pieces of pit material measuring more than 3/8 

inch in any dimension shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

8/ Cake flavor 2, sample average net weight less than 36.0 ounces (1020.0 grams) shall be 

cause for rejection of the lot.

9/ Cake flavors 1 and 3 to 20, sample average net weight less than 30.0 ounces (850.0 grams) 

shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

10/ Brownie flavor 1, sample average net weight less than 42.0 ounces (1191.0 grams) 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 80°F. Government verification may include 

storage for 6 months at 100°F or 36 months at 80°F. 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. 

 a. Types I and II. The net weight of the filled and sealed polymeric tray shall be 

determined by weighing each sample unit on a suitable scale tared with a representative 

empty tray, ovenable tray insert (if utilized), appropriate number of oxygen scavengers, and 

lid. Results shall be reported to the nearest 1 ounce or to the nearest 1 gram. 

 b. White icing or chocolate icing or maple flavored syrup or apple fruit topping or 

strawberry fruit topping or cherry fruit topping. The net weight of the filled and sealed pouch 

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 0.1 ounce or to the 

nearest 1 gram. 

(3) Analytical. The sample to be analyzed shall be a composite of three filled and 

sealed polymeric trays which have been selected at random from the lot. For type I, flavors 1 
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and 3 to 20 cakes and for type II, flavor 1 brownies, the sample to be analyzed shall not 

include the icing or syrup or fruit topping. For type I, flavors 1, 3 to 9, and 11 to 20 cakes and 

for type II, flavor 1 brownies, the sample to be analyzed shall not include the icing or syrup 

or fruit topping. The composite sample shall be prepared and analyzed in accordance with the 

following methods of the Official Methods of Analysis (OMA) of AOAC International or 

approved methods of the American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC): 

Test Method Number

Fat 922.06, 991.36, 2008.06 or AACC 30-10

Moisture 925.45A or 2008.06

Test results shall be reported to the nearest 0.1 percent. Government verification will be 

conducted through actual testing by a Government laboratory. Any result not conforming to 

the analytical requirement shall be cause for rejection of the lot. 

(4) Water activity (aw) testing. Eight filled and sealed polymeric trays shall be 

selected at random from one production lot and tested for aw in accordance with the latest 

edition of the Official Methods of Analysis (OMA) of AOAC International, method 978.18, 

using an electric hygrometer system self temperature controlled (at 25°C) or an equivalent 

instrument.. Water activity shall be determined not less than 4 days but not more than 14 

days after baking to allow moisture equilibration in the product. The sample unit shall be a 

specimen from the center of the product. The results shall be reported to the nearest 0.001 aw.

Government verification will be conducted through actual testing by a Government 

laboratory. Any nonconforming aw result shall be cause for rejection of the lot. For type I, 

flavors 1, and 3 to 20 cakes and for type II, flavor 1 brownies, the sample to be analyzed shall 

not include the icing or syrup or fruit topping. 

(5) Oxygen content testing. Eight filled and sealed polymeric trays shall be randomly 

selected from one production lot and individually tested for oxygen content. Testing shall be 

accomplished after the filled and sealed polymeric trays have been allowed to equilibrate at 

room temperature for not less than 72 hours from the time of sealing. Test results shall be 

reported to the nearest 0.01 percent. Government verification will be conducted through 

actual testing by a Government laboratory. Any individual result not conforming to the 

oxygen content requirement shall be classified as a major defect and shall be cause for 

rejection of the lot. 

E-6 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PACKAGING AND PACKING 

MATERIALS, POLYMERIC TRAY)

 A. Packaging and labeling. 
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(1) Polymeric tray testing. For purposes of clarification, the polymeric tray without 

the lid shall be referred to as the “tray” and the polymeric tray with the lid shall be referred to 

as the “container”. The container and container materials shall be examined for the 

characteristics listed in table I of MIL-PRF-32004, Packaging of Food in Polymeric Trays. 

The lot size, sample unit, and inspection level criteria are provided in table II for each of the 

test characteristics. Any test failure shall be classified as a major defect and shall be cause for 

rejection of the lot. For rough handling survivability at frozen temperature, polymeric tray 

survival rate shall be at least 85 percent.

TABLE II. Polymeric tray quality assurance criteria

Prior to processing

Characteristic Lot size 

expressed in

Sample unit Inspection level

Tray configurations and dimensions Trays 1 tray S-1

Oxygen gas transmission rate of tray Trays 1 tray S-1

Oxygen gas transmission rate of lid Yards 1/2 yard S-1

Water vapor transmission rate of tray Trays 1 tray S-1

Water vapor transmission rate of lid Yards 1/2 yard S-1

Camouflage Containers 1 container S-1

After processing

Characteristic Lot size

expressed in

Sample unit Inspection level

Processing Trays 1 tray S-2

Rough handling survivability Test containers 1 container S-2

Headspace (vacuum) 1/ Containers 1 container S-1

Closure seal Containers 1 container S-1
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Internal pressure Containers 1 container S-1

Lid opening Containers 1 container S-1

1/ Lack of visible gap between straight edge and lidding material along entire length of 

lidding and/or lack of tautness by the lidding shall not be scored as defects. 

(2) Examination of container. The container shall be examined for the defects listed in 

table II of MIL-PRF-32004 and the labeling defects listed in table III. The lot size shall be 

expressed in containers. The sample unit shall be one processed and labeled container. The 

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

be 0.65 for major A defects, 2.5 for major B defects and 4.0 for minor defects. Fifty sample 

units shall be examined for critical defects. The finding of any critical defect shall be cause 

for rejection of the lot.

TABLE III. Container labeling defects

Category Defect

Major A Minor

101 Polymeric tray lid or body labeling missing or incorrect or illegible.

201 When a pre-printed self-adhering label is used, the label not 

adhering to tray lid (for example, label raised or peeled back from 

edge to corner) or presence of any areas of gaps along the perimeter 

of the label where the label is not properly adhered.

(3) Label adhesive examination. When self-adhering labels are used, the adhesive 

shall be tested in accordance with ASTM D3330/D3330M, Standard Test Method for Peel 

Adhesion of Pressure-Sensitive Tape. In lieu of testing, a Certificate of Conformance (CoC) 

shall be provided. 

 B. Component. Inspection for icing, syrup and fruit topping pouch shall be as follows: 

(1) Unfilled preformed icing, syrup and fruit topping pouch certification. A CoC may 

be accepted as evidence that unfilled pouches conform to the requirements specified in D1,C(1)a. When deemed necessary by the USDA, testing of the unfilled preformed pouches 

for seal strength shall be as specified in E-6,C(1)a.
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(2) Filled and sealed icing, syrup and fruit topping pouch examination. The filled and 

sealed pouches shall be examined for the defects listed in table IV. The lot size shall be 

expressed in pouches. The sample unit shall be one pouch. 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 6.5 for minor defects. 

TABLE IV. Filled and sealed icing, syrup and fruit topping 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/ 

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:
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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 

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.

 C. Methods of inspection. 

(1) Seal testing. The icing, syrup and fruit topping pouch seals shall be tested for seal 

strength as required in a, b or c, as applicable.

 a. Unfilled preformed icing, syrup and fruit topping 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 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 for rejection of the lot.

 b. Icing, syrup and fruit topping 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. For the closure seal on preformed 

pouches, three adjacent specimens shall be cut from the closure seal of each pouch in the 

sample. The average seal strength shall be calculated by averaging the three specimens cut 

from the 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 bottom seals of the pouch. 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 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 
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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 IV, 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.

 D. Packing. 

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

containers shall be examined for the defects listed in table V. 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 V. Shipping container and marking defects

Category Defect

Major Minor

101 Marking missing or incorrect or illegible.

102 Inadequate workmanship. 1/

201 Arrangement or number of polymeric trays not as specified.

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. 

 E. Unitization. 

(1) Unit load examination. The unit load shall be examined in accordance with the 

requirements of DLA Troop Support Form 3507, Loads, Unit: Preparation of Semiperishable 

Subsistence Items. Any nonconformance shall be classified as a major defect.
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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 Forms 

Form 3507 Loads, Unit: Preparation of Semiperishable Subsistence Items 

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

Perishable and Semiperishable Subsistence 

MILITARY SPECIFICATIONS

MIL-PRF-32004 Packaging of Food in Polymeric Trays

GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS

Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and regulations promulgated thereunder 

(21 CFR Parts 1 - 199) and (9 CFR Parts 1 - 391)

NON-GOVERNMENTAL STANDARDS

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

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

ASTM INTERNATIONAL www.astm.org

D1974/D1974M Standard Practice for Methods of Closing, Sealing, and 

Reinforcing Fiberboard Boxes

D3330/D3330M Standard Test Method for Peel Adhesion of PressureSensitive Tape

D4727/D4727M Standard Specification for Corrugated and Solid Fiberboard 

Sheet Stock (Container Grade) and Cut Shapes
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D5118/D5118M Standard Practice for Fabrication of Fiberboard Shipping 

Boxes 

F88/F88M Standard Test Method for Seal Strength of Flexible Barrier 

Materials

AOAC INTERNATIONAL www.aoac.org

Official Methods of Analysis (OMA) of AOAC International

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF CEREAL CHEMISTS (AACC)

Approved Methods of the American Association of Cereal Chemists 

 (Application for copies should be addressed to: American Association of Cereal Chemists, 

3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121.)