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SECTION C

This document covers cornbread packaged in a flexible pouch for use by the Department of 

Defense as a component of operational rations.

C-1 ITEM DESCRIPTION

PCR-C-075, CORNBREAD, PACKAGED IN A FLEXIBLE POUCH, SHELF 

STABLE

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 non 

comparable to the Product Standard, the contractor shall arrange for a new or alternate FA or 

PDM 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 a cornbread. The cornbread shall be intact 

and fully baked. The packaged food shall be free from foreign materials.

(2) Cornbread. The cornbread shall have a golden to tan surface. The interior shall be 

golden yellow with an irregular shaped crumb. The cornbread shall show no evidence of 

compression streaks. The cornbread shall show no evidence of excessive baking (materially 

darkened or scorched). 

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

cornbread shall have a sweet, mild corn odor and flavor.
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E. Texture. The cornbread shall have a dense, tender, moist, fine grain texture with 

scattered air pockets.

 F. Net weight. The net weight of an individual pouch shall be not less than 2.5 ounces (71

grams).

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

the approved product standard in palatability and overall appearance.

 I. Analytical Requirements.

(1) Fat content. The fat content shall be not less than 10.0 percent. The trans fat 

content shall be not greater than 0 grams per serving.

(2) Water activity. The water activity (Aw) for the cornbread shall be not greater than 

0.850.

(3) Oxygen content. The oxygen content of the filled and sealed flexible pouch shall 

not exceed 0.30 percent.

C-3 MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

THE FOLLOWING INGREDIENTS ARE FOR INFORMATION ONLY. THIS IS NOT A 

MANDATORY REQUIREMENT.

 A. Ingredients. Enriched bleached wheat flour (bleached flour, malted barley flour, niacin, 

reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, sugar, egg, partially 

hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oils, yellow cornmeal, glycerol, soybean oil, contains

2 percent or less of: nonfat dry milk, salt, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium 

bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate), modified corn starch, xanthan gum, guar gum, 

potassium sorbate (preservative), artificial color (yellow 5 lake), natural and artificial flavor.

SECTION D

D-1 PACKAGING

 A. Packaging. One cornbread and one intact oxygen scavenger shall be packed in a 

preformed or form-fill-seal barrier pouch as described below.

(1) Preformed pouches.
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 a. Pouch material. The preformed 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 in the range of 20219, 

30219, 30227, 30279, 30313, 30324, or 30450 of FED-STD-595, Colors Used in 

Government Procurement.

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

maximum inside dimensions of 5-1/2 inches wide by 6-3/4 inches long. The pouch shall be 

made by heat sealing three edges with 3/8 inch (± 1/8 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 when 

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

specified in E-6,B,(1)c. 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. One unit of product and one oxygen scavenger shall be 

inserted into the pouch. The filled pouch shall be 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 when tested as specified in E-6,B,(1)b. 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 as specified in E-6,B,(1)c.

(2) Horizontal form-fill-seal pouches.

 a. Pouch material. The horizontal form-fill-seal pouch shall consist of a formed 

tray-shaped body with a flat sheet, heat sealable cover or a tray-shaped body with a trayshaped heat sealable cover. The tray-shaped body and the tray-shaped cover shall be 
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fabricated from a 3-ply flexible laminate barrier material consisting of, from outside to 

inside, 0.0009 inch thick oriented polypropylene bonded to 0.0007 inch thick aluminum foil 

with 10 pounds per ream pigmented polyethylene or adhesive and bonding the opposite side 

of the aluminum foil to 0.003 inch thick ionomer or a blend of not less than 50 percent linear 

low density polyethylene and polyethylene. The linear low density polyethylene portion of 

the blend shall be the copolymer of ethylene and octene-1 having a melt index range of 0.8 to 

1.2 g/10 minutes in accordance with ASTM D 1238, Standard Test Method for Flow Rates of 

Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer and a density range of 0.918 to 0.922 g/cc in 

accordance with ASTM D 1505, Standard Test Method for Density of Plastics by DensityGradient Technique. Alternatively, 0.0005 inch thick polyester may be used in place of the 

oriented polypropylene as the outer ply of the laminate. The flat sheet cover shall be made of 

the same 3-ply laminate as specified for the tray-shaped body except the aluminum foil 

thickness may be 0.00035 inch. 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 color 

requirements of the exterior of the pouch shall be as specified in D-1,A,(1)a. 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 any odor or flavor to the product.

 b. Pouch construction. The tray-shaped body and the tray-shaped cover shall be 

formed by drawing the flexible laminate material into an appropriately shaped cavity. The 

flat cover shall be in the form of a flat sheet of the barrier material taken from roll stock. One 

unit of product and one oxygen scavenger shall be placed into the tray-shaped body of the 

pouch. Pouch closure shall be effected by heat sealing together the cover and body along the 

entire pouch perimeter. The closure seal width shall be a minimum of 1/8 inch. The closure 

seal shall be free of entrapped material (bread crumbs, moisture, etc.) that reduces the 

effective closure seal to less than 1/16 inch wide. The closure seal 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 when tested as specified in E-6,B,(1)b. 

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 as specified in E-6,B,(1)c. The maximum 

outside dimensions of the sealed pouch shall be 6 inches wide by 6 inches long. A tear nick, 

notch or serrations shall be provided to facilitate opening of the filled and sealed pouch. The 

sealed pouch shall not show any evidence of material degradation, aluminum stress cracking, 

delamination or foreign odor. Seals shall be free of impression or design on the seal surface 

that would conceal or impair visual detection of seal defects.
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(3) Oxygen scavenger. The oxygen scavenger shall be constructed of materials that 

are safe for direct and indirect food contact, and shall be suitable for use with edible 

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

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 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 2008 would be coded as 8045. 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 D 5118/D 5118M, Standard 

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

CF, class D, variety SW, grade 200 of ASTM D 4727/D 4727M, Standard Specification for 

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

container shall be securely closed in accordance with ASTM D 1974, Standard Practice for 

Methods of Closing, Sealing, and Reinforcing Fiberboard Boxes.

D-5 MARKING

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

FORM 3556, Marking Instructions for Boxes, Sacks, and Unit Loads of Perishable and 

Semiperishable Subsistence.
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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. 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 overall 

appearance and palatability. Any failure to conform to the performance requirements or any 

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

AMSRD-NSR-CF-F

15 Kansas Street

Natick, MA 01760-5018
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One lot shall be randomly selected during each calendar month of production. Six (6) sample

units of each item produced shall be randomly selected from that one production lot. The six 

(6) sample units shall be shipped to Natick within five working days from the end of the 

production month and upon completion of all USDA inspection requirements. The sample 

units will be evaluated for the characteristics of appearance, odor, flavor, texture and overall

quality.

(2) Conformance inspection. Conformance inspection shall include the examinations

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 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. 

TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 3/

Category Defect

Major Minor

General 

101 Product not cornbread.

102 Product not fully baked.

103 Pouch does not contain one intact oxygen scavenger. 34/

201 Cornbread not intact. 

Appearance 

104 Evidence of excessive baking (materially darkened or scorched).

202 Surface color not golden to tan.
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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 3/ - Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

203 Interior not golden yellow with an irregular shaped crumb.

204 Evidence of compression streaks.

Odor and flavor

105 Product not sweet or not mild corn odor or flavor.

Texture

205 Cornbread not dense or not tender or not moist or not fine grain with 

scattered air pockets.

Weight

206 Net weight of individual pouch less than 2.5 ounces (71 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/ 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.

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

verified by Certificate of Conformance (CoC).

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

to be considered acceptable.

(2) Net weight. 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 and 

one oxygen scavenger. 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 eight filled and 

sealed pouches which have been selected at random from the lot. The composite sample shall 

be prepared and analyzed in accordance with the following Official Methods of Analysis 

(OMA) of AOAC International.

Test Method Number

Fat 922.06, 985.15 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 requirements shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

(4) Water activity (Aw). Eight filled and sealed pouches shall be selected at random 

from the lot regardless of lot size. Water activity (Aw) shall be determined not less than 4 

days but not more than 14 days after baking to allow moisture equilibration in the product. 

The product shall be individually tested for water activity in accordance with 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. The 

sample unit shall be a specimen from the center of the product. Government verification will 

be conducted through actual testing by a Government laboratory. The results of each Aw 

determination shall be reported to the nearest 0.001. Any nonconforming result shall be cause 

for rejection of the lot. 

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

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

accomplished after the filled and sealed pouches have been allowed to equilibrate at room 

temperature for not less than 48 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 cause for rejection of the lot.
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E-6 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PACKAGING AND PACKING 

MATERIALS)

 A. Packaging.

(1) Pouch material certification. A CoC may be accepted as evidence that the 

characteristics listed below conform to the specified requirements.

Requirement

Requirement

paragraph Test procedure

Thickness of films for 

laminated material

D-1,A,(1)a and 

D-1,A,(2)a

As specified in ASTM D 2103 1/

Aluminum foil thickness D-1,A,(1)a and 

D-1,A,(2)a

As specified in ASTM B 479 2/

Laminated material 

identification

and construction

D-1,A,(1)a and 

D-1,A,(2)a

Laboratory evaluation

Color of laminated

material 

D-1,A,(1)a and 

D-1,A,(2)a

Visual evaluation by FED-STD-595 3/

1/ ASTM D 2103 Standard Specification for Polyethylene Film and Sheeting

2/ ASTM B 479 Standard Specification for Annealed Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Foil 

For Flexible Barrier, Food Contact, and Other Applications.

3/ FED-STD-595 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 

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.
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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.

108 Presence of stress cracks in the aluminum foil. 6/ 7/

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 1/16 inch.

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).

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.
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6/ Applicable to form-fill-seal pouches only.

7/ The initial examination shall be a visual examination of the closed package. Any suspected 

visual evidence of stress cracks in the aluminum foil (streaks, breaks, or other disruptions in 

the laminated film) shall be verified by the following physical examination. To examine for 

stress cracks, the inside surface of both tray-shaped bodies shall be placed over a light source 

and the outside surface observed for the passage of light. Observation of light through the 

pouch material in the form of a curved or straight line greater than 2 mm in length shall be 

evidence of the presence of stress cracks. Observation of light through the pouch material in 

the form of a curved or straight line 2 mm in length or smaller or of a single pinpoint shall be 

considered a pinhole. Observation of ten or more pinholes per pouch shall be evidence of 

material degradation.

 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 F 88, 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 F 88. The lot size shall be expressed in pouches. The 

sample unit shall be one filled and sealed 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. For formfill-seal pouches, three adjacent specimens shall be cut from each side and each end of each 

pouch in the sample. The average seal strength of any side, end or closure shall be calculated 

by averaging the three specimens cut from that side, end or 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.
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 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 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 

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 and 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 below. 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.
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SECTION J REFERENCE DOCUMENTS

DSCP FORMS

DSCP FORM 3556 Marking Instructions for Boxes, Sacks, and

Unit Loads of Perishable and Semiperishable Subsistence

FEDERAL STANDARD

FED-STD-595 Colors Used in Government Procurement

NON-GOVERNMENTAL STANDARDS

AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR QUALITY CONTROL (ASQC) www.asq.org

ANSI/ASQ Z1.4-2003 Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection by 

Attributes

 ASTM INTERNATIONAL www.astm.org

 B 479-06 Standard Specification for Annealed Aluminum 

and Aluminum-Alloy Foil For Flexible Barrier, 

Food Contact, and Other Applications

 D 1238-04c Standard Test Method for Melt Flow Rates of 

Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer

 D 1505-03 Standard Test Method for Density of Plastics by 

Density-Gradient Technique

 D 1974-98 (2003) Standard Practice for Methods of Closing, Sealing, 

and Reinforcing Fiberboard Boxes

 D 2103-05 Standard Specification for Polyethylene Film and 

Sheeting

 D 4727/D 4727M-07 Standard Specification for Corrugated and

Solid Fiberboard Sheet Stock (Container

Grade) and Cut Shapes

 D 5118/D 5118M-05ae1 Standard Practice for Fabrication of Fiberboard 
PCR-C-075

18 September 2008

W/Change 02 4 Feb 16 ES16-022 (DSCP-SS-15-00433) 

16

Shipping Boxes 

 F 88-07a Standard Test Method for Seal Strength of Flexible 

Barrier Materials

 AOAC INTERNATIONAL www.aoac.org

 Official Methods of Analysis (OMA) of AOAC International 
PCR-C-075

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W/Change 02 4 Feb 16 ES16-022 (DSCP-SS-15-00433) 

17

For DLA Troop Support Website Posting

RDNS-SEC-EM 4 February 2016

TO: DLA Troop Support - Subsistence DSCP-FTRE

SUBJECT: ES16-022 (DSCP-SS-16-00433); Document change; USDA Proposal to add an 

additional Official Method of Analysis (OMA) of the Association of Official Analytical 

Chemists (AOAC) International Fat Test Method 2008.06 to four bakery documents

1. Natick received an Engineering Support Case (ES Case) from DLA - Troop Support 

stating the USDA Laboratory has made a proposal to add an additional method for fat testing 

to four bakery product specifications, resulting in a potential savings of thousands of dollars 

per year. The additional test method they proposed is Official Method of Analysis (OMA) of 

the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) International Fat Test Method 

2008.06.

2. USDA states that validation testing has already been performed for the brownie with 

comparable results. As other products are included, validation testing could be performed to 

establish reliability as compared to AOAC Fat Test Method 922.06. Using the AOAC OMA 

Fat Test Method 2008.06 will result in an estimated cost savings of $77.00 per exam with a 

yearly projected savings of $11,627 based upon last year's figures.

3. USDA is requesting that AOAC OMA Fat Test Method 2008.06 be added to PCR-C-007F 

Cakes, Brownies, Muffin Tops and Filled Cakes, Packaged in a Flexible Pouch, Shelf Stable 

and PCR-C-075 Cornbread, Packaged in a Flexible Pouch, Shelf Stable; for use in Meal, 

Ready-to-Eat (MRE); PCR-C-024D Cakes and Brownies, Packaged in a Polymeric Tray, 

Shelf Stable and PCR-C-071 Cornbread, Packaged in a Polymeric Tray, Shelf Stable; for use 

in Unitized Group Ration Heat and Serve (UGR – H&S).

4. Natick Research Chemists reviewed this request and concur with USDA’s proposal to add 

AOAC OMA Fat Test Method 2008.06 as an additional fat test method to the four subject 

documents.

5. Natick submits the following changes to subject documents for all current, pending, and 

future procurements until these documents are formally amended or revised:

a. In PCR-C-007F, Cakes, Brownies, Muffin Tops and Filled Cakes, Packaged in a 

Flexible Pouch, Shelf Stable, on Page 18, Paragraph B. (3), under column for Fat 

Test Method Number, insert “2008.06”. 
PCR-C-075

18 September 2008

W/Change 02 4 Feb 16 ES16-022 (DSCP-SS-15-00433) 

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b. In PCR-C-075, Cornbread, Packaged in a Flexible Pouch, Shelf Stable, on Page 9, 

Paragraph B. (3), under column for Fat Test Method Number, insert “2008.06”.

c. In PCR-C-024D, Cakes and Brownies, Packaged in a Polymeric Tray, Shelf 

Stable, on Page 28, Paragraph B. (3), under column for Fat Test Method Number, 

insert “2008.06”.

d. In PCR-C-071, Cornbread, Packaged in a Polymeric Tray, Shelf Stable, on Page 

8, Paragraph B. (3), under column for Fat Test Method Number, insert “2008.06”.

6. Attached is Change 01, PCR-C-007F, Cakes, Brownies, Muffin Tops and Filled Cakes, 

Packaged in a Flexible Pouch, Shelf Stable document dated 4 February 2016, with change 

highlighted.

7. Attached is Change 02, PCR-C-075, Cornbread, Packaged in a Flexible Pouch, Shelf 

Stable document dated 4 February 2016, with change highlighted.

8. Attached is Change 01, PCR-C-024D, Cakes and Brownies, Packaged in a Polymeric 

Tray, Shelf Stable document dated 4 February 2016, with change highlighted.

9. Attached is Change 01, PCR-C-071, Cornbread, Packaged in a Polymeric Tray, Shelf 

Stable document dated 4 February 2016, with change highlighted.