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SECTION C

This document covers fruit puree squeeze in a flexible pouch for use by the Department of 

Defense as a component of operational rations.

C-1 ITEM DESCRIPTION

PCR-F-004 FRUIT PUREE SQUEEZE, PACKAGED IN A FLEXIBLE POUCH, 

SHELF STABLE

Flavors.

Flavor I - Apple, strawberry, and carrot

Flavor II - Banana and pumpkin

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. Commercial sterility. The packaged food shall be processed until commercially sterile.

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

months at 80°F.

 D. Appearance.

(1) General. The finished product shall be free from foreign materials.

(2) Flavor I. The apple, strawberry, and carrot fruit puree squeeze shall contain apple, 

strawberry, and carrot purees. The puree shall have a uniform fine pulp, glossy sheen and 

minimal free liquid. The puree shall be a golden orange-tan color with a slight pink hue.
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(3) Flavor II. The banana pumpkin fruit puree squeeze shall be a puree and shall 

contain banana and pumpkin purees. The puree shall be smooth, glossy and a golden orange 

color. The puree may have flecks from the banana seeds. 

E. Odor and flavor.

(1) General. The packaged food shall be free from foreign odors and flavors.

(2) Flavor I. The puree shall have a moderate apple and strawberry with a slight carrot 

odor and flavor. The puree shall be free from astringent flavor.

(3) Flavor II. The puree shall have a moderate ripe banana, a slightly fruity sour and a 

slightly fruity sweet, and a slight to moderate pumpkin odor and flavor.

 F. Texture.

(1) Flavor I. The puree shall be a uniform fine pulp, moderately to very thick with no 

undissolved particles.

(2) Flavor II. The puree shall be smooth, slightly thin and shall have a creamy 

mouthfeel.

 G. Net weight. The average net weight shall be not less than 5.0 ounces (142 grams). The 

net weight of an individual pouch shall be not less than 4.5 ounces (128 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) Carbohydrate. The total carbohydrate content shall be not less than 18.0 grams per

100 grams.

(2) pH. For flavor I the pH shall be not less than 3.6 and not greater than 4.0. For 

flavor II the pH shall be not less than 4.0 and not greater than 4.4.

(3) Brix. The Brix measurement shall be not less than 18° and not more than 22° Brix.
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SECTION D

D-1 PACKAGING

Product shall be filled into pouches and sealed in accordance with MIL-PRF-44073, 

Packaging of Food in Flexible Pouches, Type I, Style 2 or 3.

D-2 LABELING

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

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

Prior to thermal processing of the pouches, the product name, lot number, filling equipment 

number and time stamp shall be applied. All other marking may be applied before or after 

thermal processing. 

(1) Product name (not less than 1/8 inch 

high).

Commonly used abbreviations may 

be used.

(2) Pouch code includes: 1/

 Lot number

 Filling equipment identification number

 Company code

 Retort identification number and Retort cook number (Optional)

 Time stamp (Hour and minute of filling/sealing operation)

1/ 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 2030 would be coded as 0045). The Julian code shall represent the day the 

product was packaged into the pouch and processed. Following the four digit Julian code, the 

other required code information shall be printed in the sequence as listed above.

The pouches or paperboard sleeves or paperboard insert cards shall also be labeled 

with:

Product name (7/32 to 9/32 inch block letters)

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
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(3) The product shall be formulated and labeled in accordance with all FDA labeling 

regulations and policies. The pouches or paperboard sleeves or paperboard insert cards shall 

be labeled with the following product name, as applicable:

Flavor Product Name 

I APPLE, STRAWBERRY, AND CARROT FRUIT PUREE SQUEEZE

II BANANA AND PUMPKIN FRUIT PUREE SQUEEZE

D-3 PACKING

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

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

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

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

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

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

Standard Practice for Methods of Closing, Sealing, and Reinforcing Fiberboard Boxes.

D-5 MARKING

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

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

Perishable and Semiperishable Subsistence.

SECTION E INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

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

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

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

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

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

A. Definitions.

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

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

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

the performance of the major end item, i.e., the consumption of the ration.
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(2) Major defect. A major defect is a defect, other than critical, that is likely to result 

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

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

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

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

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

as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

components that are inspected by the USDA shall be subject to periodic review sampling and 

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

them to the following address for evaluation:

COMBAT CAPABILITIES DEVELOPMENT COMMAND (DEVCOM) SOLDIER CENTER

FCDD-SCD-SCR

10 GENERAL GREENE AVENUE

NATICK, MA 01760-5000

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

specified in the contract. Three (3) sample units shall be randomly selected from that one 

production lot. The three (3) sample units shall be shipped to Natick within five (5) working 

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

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

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

(3) Conformance inspection. Conformance inspection shall include the 

examinations/tests and methods of inspection cited in this section and in section 4 of MILPRF-44073.

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. 
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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/ 

Category Defect

Major Minor

General

101 Product not flavor as specified.

Appearance

102 Flavor I fruit puree squeeze does not contain apple or not

strawberry or not carrot purees. 3/

201 Flavor I puree not a uniform fine pulp or not a glossy sheen or not 

with minimal free liquid.

202 Flavor I puree not a golden orange-tan color or not with a slight 

pink hue.

103 Flavor II fruit puree squeeze does not contain banana or not 

pumpkin purees. 3/

203 Flavor II puree not smooth or not glossy or not a golden orange 

color. 

Odor and flavor

104 Flavor I puree does not have a moderate apple or not a moderate 

strawberry or not a slight carrot odor or flavor.

105 Flavor I puree not free from astringent flavor.

106 Flavor II puree does not have a moderate ripe banana or not a 

slightly fruity sour or not a slightly fruity sweet or not a slight to 

moderate pumpkin odor or flavor.
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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ - Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

Texture

204 Flavor I puree not a uniform fine pulp or not moderately to very 

thick or with undissolved particles.

205 Flavor II puree not smooth or not slightly thin or not with a 

creamy mouthfeel.

Net weight

206 Net weight of an individual pouch less than 4.5 ounces (128 

grams). 4/

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 inclusion of fruits and vegetables fruit purees shall be verified with the statement of 

ingredients on the pouch or paperboard insert card.

4/ Sample average net weight less than 5.0 ounces (142 grams) shall be cause for rejection of 

the lot.

 B. Methods of inspection.

(1) Commercial sterility. Commercial sterility shall be verified in accordance with 

FDA regulations.

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

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

Results shall be reported to the nearest 0.1 ounce or to the nearest 1 gram.

(4) Carbohydrate. The carbohydrate content shall be verified by tests conducted by 

the contractor for carbohydrate content on the first production lot and USDA will perform 

verification testing and verify the formula. A Certificate of Conformance (CoC) will be 

provided on all future lots. If the formula is changed or a new contract starts, then another set 

of tests shall be conducted, a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) will be provided and USDA will 

verify the formula. Any result not conforming to the analytical requirement shall be cause for 

rejection of the lot.

(5) pH testing. Three filled and sealed pouches shall be randomly selected from one 

production lot and prepared and analyzed in accordance with the following method of the 

Official Methods of Analysis (OMA) of AOAC International:

Test Method Number

pH 981.12

Test results shall be reported to the nearest 0.1 pH. 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.

(6) Brix testing. Three filled and sealed pouches shall be randomly selected from one 

production lot and prepared and analyzed for density of the liquid packing media (degrees 

Brix) in accordance with the Official Methods of Analysis (OMA) of AOAC International:

Test Method Number

Brix 925.48, 932.12, or 932.14

Test results shall be reported to the nearest whole number. 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.

E-6 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PACKAGING AND PACKING 

MATERIALS)

 A. Packaging.

(1) Pouch material testing. The pouch material, pouch and sleeve, as applicable, in 

accordance with the lot size, sample unit, and inspection level criteria shall be tested for the 
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performance characteristics listed in table I of MIL-PRF-44073, Packaging of Food in 

Flexible Pouches for Type I. Any test failure shall be classified as a major defect and shall be 

cause for rejection of the lot.

(2) Filled and sealed pouch examination. The filled and sealed commercially sterile 

pouches shall be examined for the defects listed in table II of MIL-PRF-44073 for Type I. 

The lot size shall be expressed in pouches. The sample unit shall be one thermal processed 

pouch. 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. Two hundred sample units shall be examined for critical defects. The finding of any 

critical defect shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

(3) Paperboard sleeve or paperboard insert card examination. The sleeve or insert 

card (as applicable) shall be examined for the defects listed in table III of MIL-PRF-44073 

for Type I. The lot size shall be expressed in units of sleeves or insert cards. The sample unit 

shall be one sleeve or one insert card. The inspection level shall be S-3 and the AQL, 

expressed in terms of defects per hundred units, shall be 0.65 for major defects and 2.5 for 

minor defects.

 B. Packing.

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

containers shall be examined for the defects listed in table II. 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 II. 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

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

on the date of the solicitation or contract.

DLA Troop Support Form

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

Perishable and Semiperishable Subsistence

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SPECIFICATION

MIL-PRF-44073 Packaging of Food in Flexible Pouches

NON-GOVERNMENTAL STANDARDS

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

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

Attributes

AOAC INTERNATIONAL www.aoac.org

Official Methods of Analysis (OMA) of AOAC International 

ASTM INTERNATIONAL www.astm.org

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

Reinforcing Fiberboard Boxes

 D4727/D4727M Standard Specification for Corrugated and Solid 

Fiberboard Sheet Stock (Container Grade) and Cut Shapes

 D5118/D5118M Standard Practice for Fabrication of Fiberboard Shipping 

Boxes