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SECTION C

This document covers compressed bars packaged in a flexible pouch for use by the 

Department of Defense as a component of survival rations.

C-1 ITEM DESCRIPTION

PCR-C-084, COMPRESSED BARS, PACKAGED IN A FLEXIBLE POUCH, SHELF 

STABLE

Types.

Type I – Chocolate chip dessert bar

Type II – Shortbread bar

Type III – Granola bar

Type IV – Corn flakes cereal bar

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 60

months at 80°F.

 C. Appearance.

(1) General. The finished product shall be an intact bar and shall show no evidence of 

compression streaks or stains. The bar shall be dense and compact with a flat surface. The 

finished product shall be free from foreign materials.

(2) Type I. The chocolate chip dessert bar shall have a cream, brown, and tan mottled 

color. The bar shall have a shiny and smooth surface with chocolate chips throughout.
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(3) Type II. The shortbread bar shall have a dull, light tan, off-white, and goldenbrown mottled color.

(4) Type III. The granola bar shall have a golden-brown, tan, and cream mottled 

color. The bar shall have distinct oat flakes and a rough looking internal texture.

(5) Type IV. The corn flakes cereal bar shall have a light tan to golden-tan mottled 

color. The bar shall have a variable dull to shiny surface.

(6) Types III and IV. When rehydrated, the product shall be a milky, cream or tan 

colored liquid with small pieces of cereal or granola.

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

(1) Type I. The chocolate chip dessert bar shall have a semi-sweet chocolate, cocoa, 

sweet toasted grain and walnut odor and flavor. The bar shall also have a mild shortening

flavor, slight uncooked flour note and slight salt flavor.

(2) Type II. The shortbread bar shall have a sweet toasted wheat and shortening odor 

and flavor.

(3) Type III. The granola bar shall have a cooked flour odor and a sweet toasted oat 

grain with slight cinnamon spice odor and flavor.

(4) Type IV. The corn flakes cereal bar shall have a mild to moderate sweet toasted 

corn with a slight dairy odor and flavor. The bar shall have a slight salt flavor. 

E. Texture.

(1) Type I. The chocolate chip dessert bar shall be grainy and crunchy with soft 

chocolate chips. The bar shall be easy to bite and shall crumble in mouth.

(2) Type II. The shortbread bar shall be easy to bite, slightly brittle, slightly grainy, 

and crumbles in mouth.

(3) Type III. The granola bar shall be easy to bite, moderately firm, chewy, flaky, 

crunchy, and crumbles in mouth.
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(4) Type IV. The corn flakes cereal bar shall be easy to bite, moderately firm, crisp, 

crunchy, grainy, dry, with a slightly oily mouthfeel and crumbles in mouth.

 G. Size. The compressed bars dimensions shall be not greater than 3-1/4 inches long and 1-

1/4 inches wide and not greater than 1 inch thick at any single point.

H. Net weight.

(1) Type I. The net weight of an individual pouch shall be not less than 50 grams.

(2) Types II, III, and IV. The net weight of an individual pouch shall be not less than 

40 grams.

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

the approved product standard in palatability and overall appearance.

 J. Analytical requirements.

(1) Moisture. The moisture content shall be not greater than 5.0 percent.

 K. Microbiological requirements. 

(1) Aerobic plate count. For type I, chocolate chip dessert bar, the aerobic plate count 

shall be not greater than 75,000 Colony Forming Units (CFU) per gram in four of five 

samples and not greater than 150,000 CFU per gram in any individual sample.

(2) Escherichia coli (E. coli) count. For type I, chocolate chip dessert bar, E. coli shall 

have less than 10 CFU per gram or less than 3 Most Probable Number (MPN) per gram, 

where findings indicate zero CFU per plate or zero tubes producing gas for MPN.

C-3 MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

This document supersedes the following specifications: MIL-C-44389A, 24 September 1993; 

MIL-S-44463, 30 September 1992; MIL-O-44136C; 24 September 1993; MIL-D-44391, 29 

December 1989.

THE FOLLOWING IS INFORMATION ONLY TO PROVIDE THE BENEFIT OF PAST 

GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE. THIS IS NOT A MANDATORY CONTRACT 

REQUIREMENT.
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 A. Ingredients and formulation. Ingredients and formulation may be as follows:

 (1) Type I Chocolate chip dessert bar.

 Ingredients Percent by weight

Nuts, formulated, wheat-based, English-walnut flavored 33.00

Chocolate drops 31.00

Flour, wheat 17.30

Margarine 9.00

Sugar, white, granulated 7.56

Water 1.80

Salt 0.21

Imitation flavoring, vanilla 0.13

 (2) Type II Shortbread bar.

Ingredients Percent by weight

Flour, wheat 49.05

Sugar, powdered or confectioner’s 20.00

Margarine, cold 12.50

Shortening, vegetable 12.50

Water, cold 5.00

Salt 0.25

Imitation flavoring, vanilla 0.70
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 (3) Type III Granola bar.

Ingredients Percent by weight

Oats, rolled 45.0

Sugar, brown 12.0

Rice, crisped 11.0

Coconut fat 10.0

Water 8.0

Coconut, flaked, sweetened, dried 6.5

Honey 4.0

Glycerol 3.0

Flavoring, vanilla 0.3

Oleoresin, cinnamon, encapsulated 0.2

 (4) Type IV Corn flakes cereal bar.

Ingredients Percent by weight

Flour, wheat 33.60

Cereal, corn flakes 23.00

Margarine 21.50

Sugar, white, granulated 11.20

Water 8.00

Eggs, whole, dried, free-flowing 1.60

Lecithin, liquid 0.50

Sodium bicarbonate 0.35

Salt 0.25

SECTION D

D-1 PACKAGING

 A. Packaging. 

(1) Preformed pouch.

 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 
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foreign odor when heat sealed or fabricated into pouches. The material shall be suitably 

formulated for food packaging and shall not impart an odor or flavor to the product. The 

complete exterior surface of the pouch shall be uniformly colored and shall conform to 

number 20219, 30219, 30227, 30279, 30313, 30324, or 30450 of FED-STD-595, Colors 

Used in Government Procurement.

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

inside dimensions of 2-3/4 inches (±1/4 inch) wide by 5-1/4 inches (-1/18 inch) long. The 

pouch shall be made by heat sealing three edges with 3/8 inch (- 1/8 inch, + 3/16 inch) wide 

seals. The side and bottom seals shall have an average seal strength of not less than 6 pounds 

per inch of width and no individual specimen shall have a seal strength of less than 5 pounds 

per inch of width. Alternatively, the pouch shall exhibit no rupture or seal separation greater 

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

inch when tested for internal pressure resistance. A tear nick, notch or serrations shall be 

provided to facilitate opening of the filled and sealed pouch. A 1/8 inch (±1/16 inch) wide lip 

may be incorporated at the open end of the pouch. 

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

pouch shall be sealed under a vacuum of 25 to 28 inches of mercury with a minimum 1/8 

inch wide heat seal. The closure seal shall be free of foldover wrinkles or entrapped matter 

that reduces the effective closure seal width to less than 1/16 inch. Seals shall be free of 

impression or design on the seal surface that would conceal or impair visual detection of seal 

defects. The average seal strength shall be not less than 6 pounds per inch of width and no 

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

Alternatively, the filled and sealed pouch shall exhibit no rupture or seal separation greater 

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

inch when tested for internal pressure resistance.

(2) Horizontal form-fill-seal pouch.

 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 

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 D1238, Standard Test Method for Melt Flow 
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Rates of Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer and a density range of 0.918 to 0.922 g/cc 

in accordance with ASTM D1505, Standard Test Method for Density of Plastics by the

Density-Gradient 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 laminate 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. 

Product shall be placed into the tray-shaped body of the pouch. The pouch shall be sealed 

under a vacuum of 25 to 28 inches of mercury. 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 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 

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

The maximum outside dimensions of the sealed pouch shall be 3-5/8 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. Heat seals shall be free of 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.

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. 
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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) Optional: “Nutrition Facts” label in accordance with the Nutrition Labeling and 

Education Act (NLEA) and all applicable FDA regulations

(7) Directions for Types III and IV: MAY CRUMBLE BAR AND REHYDRATE 

WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER AND STIR TO MAKE CEREAL IF 

DESIRED.

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 2014 would be coded as 4045. 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 of ASTM D5118/D5118M, Standard Practice 

for Fabrication of Fiberboard Shipping Boxes. The fiberboard shall conform to type ECT 32

C/F, Kraft, Water Proof Adhesive Glue In. 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
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The following quality assurance criteria, utilizing ANSI/ASQ Z1.4, Sampling Procedures and 

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

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

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

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

 A. Definitions.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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
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One lot shall be randomly selected as 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.

(2) Conformance inspection. Conformance inspection shall include the 

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

E-5 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PRODUCT)

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

performance requirements specified in 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/

Category Defect

Major Minor

General

101 Product not type as specified.

201 Bar not intact. 3/

102 Evidence of compression streaks or stains.

202 Bar not dense or not compact or not with a flat surface.

.

Appearance 

203 Type I chocolate chip dessert bar not a cream, brown, tan mottled color.
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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ - Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

204 Type I chocolate chip dessert bar surface not shiny or not smooth.

205 Type I chocolate chip dessert bar not with chocolate chips 

throughout.

206 Type II shortbread bar not a dull, light tan, off-white, and goldenbrown mottled color.

207 Type III granola bar not a golden-brown, tan, and cream mottled 

color.

208 Type III granola bar does not have distinct oat flakes or does not 

have a rough looking internal texture.

209 Type IV corn flakes cereal bar does not have a light tan to golden-tan 

mottled color.

210 Type IV corn flakes cereal bar does not have a variable dull to shiny 

surface.

211 Types III and IV product, when rehydrated, not a milky, cream or tan 

colored liquid or not with small pieces of cereal or granola. 4/ 

Odor and flavor

103 Type I chocolate chip dessert bar does not have a semi-sweet 

chocolate, cocoa, sweet toasted grain, and walnut odor or flavor.
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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ - Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

104 Type I chocolate chip dessert bar does not have a mild shortening

flavor or does not have a slight uncooked flour note or does not have

a slight salt flavor.

105 Type II shortbread bar does not have a sweet toasted wheat and a 

shortening odor or flavor.

106 Type III granola bar does not have a cooked flour odor or does not 

have a sweet toasted oat grain with slight cinnamon spice odor or 

flavor.

107 Type IV corn flakes cereal bar does not have a mild to moderate 

sweet toasted corn with a slight dairy odor or flavor or does not have 

a slight salt flavor.

Texture

212 Type I chocolate chip dessert bar not grainy or not crunchy or not 

with soft chocolate chips. Bar not easy to bite or does not crumble in 

mouth.

213 Type II shortbread bar not easy to bite or not slightly brittle or not 

slightly grainy. Bar does not crumble in mouth.

214 Type III granola bar not easy to bite or not moderately firm or not 

chewy or not flaky or not crunchy. Bar does not crumble in mouth.
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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ - Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

215 Type IV corn flakes cereal bar not easy to bite or not moderately 

firm or not crisp or not crunchy or not grainy or not dry or not with a 

slightly oily mouthfeel. Bar does not crumble in mouth.

Size

216 Compressed bars dimensions greater than 3-1/4 inches long or 1-1/4 

inches wide or greater than 1 inch thick at any single point.

Net weight

217 Type I net weight of individual pouch less than 50 grams.

218 Types II, III, IV net weight of individual pouch less than 40 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/ A bar that is not intact is broken or crumbled into three or more pieces.

4/ The bar shall be crumbled by hand into pieces equal to or less than 1/2 inch in diameter 

and mixed into 50 mL of water and rehydrated within 15 to 45 seconds.

 B. Methods of inspection

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

product has a 60 month shelf life when stored at 80°F. Government verification may include 

storage for 4 weeks at 140°F or 60 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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(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. 

Results shall be reported 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 methods of the Official Methods 

of Analysis (OMA) of AOAC International.

Test Method Number

Moisture 925.45A, 985.14, 2008.06, or 925.09 

The product shall be dried for 16 

hours at 70°F.

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) Microbiological testing. Type I finished product shall be tested for aerobic plate 

count and E. coli. Six filled and sealed pouches shall be randomly selected from the lot 

regardless of lot size. The pouched product shall be individually tested in accordance with 

the Official Methods of Analysis (OMA) of AOAC International or the Food and Drug 

Administration (FDA) Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM). Any result not conforming 

to the microbiological requirements shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

Test Method Number

Aerobic plate count 966.23, 990.12, or BAM Ch. 3

E. coli 966.24, 992.30, 991.14, or BAM Ch. 4 sections C & F

E-6 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PACKAGING AND PACKING 

MATERIALS)

 A. Packaging.

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

characteristics. A Certificate of Conformance (CoC) may be accepted as evidence that the 

characteristics conform to the specified requirements.
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Characteristic Requirement paragraph Test procedure

Thickness of films for laminated 

material

D-1,A(1)a and D-1,A(2)a ASTM D2103 1/

Aluminum foil thickness D-1,A(1)a and D-1,A(2)a ASTM B479 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 FED-STD-595 3/

1/ Standard Specification for Polyethylene Film and Sheeting

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

Barrier, Food Contact, and Other Applications

3/ Colors Used in Government Procurement

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

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

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

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

(3) Pouch vacuum examination. The filled and sealed pouches shall be visually 

examined for conformance to the vacuum requirement not less than 96 hours after filling and 

sealing. The sealed pouch shall continue to exhibit tight adherence to the surface contours of 

the contents when a pulling force is applied at the center of each side seal. This force shall be 

applied by holding each side seal between thumb and forefinger of each hand, while

simultaneously exerting a slight pull with both hands. Any evidence of loss of vacuum shall 

be classified as a major defect. The lot size shall be expressed in pouches. The sample unit 

shall be one filled and sealed pouch. The inspection level shall be I and the AQL, expressed 

in terms of defects per hundred units, shall be 0.65.

(4) 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 or equal to 1/16 inch. 2/

204 Presence of delamination. 3/

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

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

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

pouch.

3/ Delamination defect classification:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

defect.

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

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

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

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

described above shall be classified as minor defects.

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

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

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

unclean:

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

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

with a clean dry cloth.

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

face (localized and aggregate).

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 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. 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. 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 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 

until 14 psig pressure is reached. The 14 psig pressure shall be held constant for 30 seconds 

and then released. The pouches shall then be examined for separation or yield of the heat 

seals. Any rupture of the pouch or evidence of seal separation greater than 1/16 inch in the 

pouch manufacturer’s seal shall be considered a test failure. Any seal separation that reduces 

the effective closure seal width to less than 1/16 inch (see table II, footnote 2/) shall be 

considered a test failure. Any test failure shall be classified as a major defect and shall be 

cause for rejection of the lot.

 C. Packing.

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

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

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

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

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

SECTION J REFERENCE DOCUMENTS

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

on the date of the solicitation or contract.

DLA Troop Support Form

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

Perishable and Semiperishable Subsistence

GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS

FEDERAL STANDARD

FED-STD-595 Colors Used in Government Procurement

FOOD AND DRUG 

ADMINISTRATION 

Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM)

http://www.fda.gov/Food/ScienceResearch/LaboratoryMeth

ods/BacteriologicalAnalyticalManualBAM/default.htm

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
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B479 Standard Specification for Annealed Aluminum and 

Aluminum-Alloy Foil for Flexible Barrier, Food Contact, 

and Other Applications

D1238 Standard Test Method for Melt Flow Rates of 

Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer

D1505 Standard Test Method for Density of Plastics by the 

Density-Gradient Technique

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

Reinforcing Fiberboard Boxes

D2103 Standard Specification for Polyethylene Film and Sheeting

D4727/D4727M Standard Specification for Corrugated and Solid Fiberboard 

Sheet Stock (Container Grade) and Cut Shapes

D5118/D5118M Standard Practice for Fabrication of Fiberboard Shipping 

Boxes 

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

Materials

AOAC INTERNATIONAL www.aoac.org

Official Methods of Analysis (OMA) of AOAC International