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SECTION C

This document covers cured meat and poultry snacks packaged in a flexible pouch for use by 

the Department of Defense as a component of operational rations.

C-1 ITEM DESCRIPTION

PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS AND QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS FOR 

CID A-A-20298C MEAT AND POULTRY SNACKS, CURED

Varieties, types, styles, classes and flavors.

Variety A – Beef

Type II – Moist cured/kippered

Style a – Chopped and formed

Class 1 – Strips

Flavor (a) – Smoked

Flavor (b) – Teriyaki

Flavor (c) – Barbeque

Type III – Moist cured/lactate

Style b – Natural style

Class 4 – Nuggets

Flavor (g) – Cranberry

Type IV - Fermented

Style a – Chopped and formed 

Class 2 – Sticks

Flavor (b) – Teriyaki

Variety B – Turkey

Type III – Moist cured/lactate

Style b – Natural style

Class 4 – Nuggets

Flavor (a) – Smoked
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Packages.

Package C – Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE)

Package J – First Strike Ration® (FSR)

Package L – Food Packet, Modular Operational Ration Enhancement (MORE)

C-2 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

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

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

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

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

any time plan to or actually produce the product using different raw material or process 

methodologies from the approved product standard, which result in a product noncomparable 

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

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

product standard comparability.

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

months at 80oF.

 C. Appearance.

(1) Variety A, type II, style a, class 1. The beef strips shall be 3 to 5-1/2 inches in 

length by 1 to 1-1/4 inch in width. The beef strips shall have a dark reddish-brown to dark 

brown surface color with a slightly lighter reddish-brown interior color. The beef strips shall 

have a slightly uneven, fibrous and leathery exterior surface.

(2) Variety A, type III, style b, class 4. The beef nuggets shall be 3/4 to 1-1/4 inch in 

length by 1/2 to 1 inch in width by 1/2 to 1 inch in height. The beef nuggets shall have a dark 

reddish-brown to dark brown surface color with a slightly lighter reddish-brown interior

color. The beef nuggets shall have a dried, slightly wrinkled, slightly glossy exterior surface

and have a whole muscle appearance.
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(3) Variety A, type IV, style a, class 2. The beef sticks shall be 4-1/2 to 5-1/4 inches 

in length by 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter. The beef sticks shall have a dark reddish-brown to 

brown exterior casing color with a slightly wrinkled exterior surface. The beef sticks shall 

have a slightly lighter reddish-brown interior matrix color. The beef sticks may have small 

visible fat pieces uniformly distributed throughout the interior matrix.

(3) Variety A, type IV, style a, class 2. The beef sticks shall be 4 to 5-1/4 inches in length by 

1/2 to 3/4 (+1/16) inch in diameter. The beef sticks shall have a dark reddish-brown to brown 

exterior casing color with a slightly wrinkled exterior surface. The beef sticks shall have a 

slightly lighter reddish-brown interior matrix color. The beef sticks may have small visible 

fat pieces uniformly distributed throughout the interior matrix.

(4) Variety B, type III, style b, class 4. The turkey nuggets shall be 3/4 to 1-1/4 inch

in length by 1/2 to 1 inch in width by 1/2 to 1 inch in height. The turkey nuggets shall have a 

medium reddish-brown surface color with a slightly lighter pinkish-brown interior color. The 

turkey nuggets shall have a dried, slightly wrinkled, slightly glossy or oily exterior surface

and have a whole muscle appearance. 

 D. Odor and flavor.

(1) Variety A, type II, style a, class 1.

 a. Flavor (a) smoked beef strips shall have a dried beef, salty, cured and smoky 

odor and flavor.

 b. Flavor (b) teriyaki beef strips shall have a dried beef, salty, cured, teriyaki, Asian

seasoning and ginger odor and flavor.

 c. Flavor (c) barbeque beef strips shall have a dried beef, salty, cured, barbeque 

spice and smoky odor and flavor.

(2) Variety A, type III, style b, class 4.

 a. Flavor (g) cranberry beef nuggets shall have a dried beef, slightly sweet, slightly 

salty, slightly tart, cured, slightly smoky, fruity and cranberry odor and flavor.

(3) Variety A, type IV, style a, class 2.
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 a. Flavor (b) teriyaki beef sticks shall have a dried beef, salty, cured, teriyaki odor 

and flavor.

(4) Variety B, type III, style b, class 4.

 a. Flavor (a) smoked turkey nuggets shall have a dried poultry, slightly salty, 

slightly oily, cured and smoky odor and flavor.

 E. Texture.

(1) Variety A, type II, style a, class 1. The beef strips shall be tender to bite and shall 

be fibrous and leathery.

(2) Variety A, type III, style b, class 4. The beef nuggets shall be tender to bite and 

shall be fibrous and cohesive. The beef nuggets shall not be excessively dry and shall not be 

excessively mealy.

(3) Variety A, type IV, style b, class 2. The beef sticks casing shall have a slightly 

firm initial bite. The beef sticks interior matrix shall be tender to bite and shall not be 

excessively dry and shall not be excessively mealy.

(4) Variety B, type III, style b, class 4. The turkey nuggets shall be tender to bite and 

shall be dense and cohesive. The turkey nuggets shall not be excessively dry and shall not be 

excessively mealy.

 F. Net weight.

(1) Package C and L, variety A, type II, style a, class 1. The net weight of the 

packaged product shall be not less than 22 grams.

(2) Package C, variety A, type IV, style a, class 2. The net weight of the packaged 

product shall be not less than 27 grams.

(3) Package J, variety A, type II, style a, class 1. The net weight of the packaged 

product shall be not less than 51 grams.

(4) Package J, varieties A and B, type III, style b, class 4. The net weight of the 

packaged product shall be not less than 43 grams.
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 G. Palatability and overall appearance. The finished product shall be equal to or better than 

the approved product standard in palatability and overall appearance.

 H. Analytical and microbiological tests. The following identifies the analytical and 

microbiological tests to be performed on the cured meat and poultry snacks in accordance 

with the AOAC or test methods specified in A-A-20298C. The inspection methods are 

specified in Sec E-5,B of this document. Type III meat and poultry snacks shall contain 

potassium lactate which will be verified by the ingredient statement.

Analytical and Microbiological Tests

Meat and poultry 

snacks variety and 

type

Protein Fat Sodium pH Water 

Activity

Aerobic 

plate count

E. coli

Variety A, type II X X X X X X

Variety A, type IV X X X 1/ X X X X

Variety A and B, 

type III

X X X X X X X

1/ Variety A, type IV sodium content shall be not greater than 2000 mg per 100 grams.

SECTION D

D-1 PACKAGING

 A. Packaging. The meat and poultry snacks shall be packaged in a barrier pouch as 

described below. For package J, one commercially wrapped and labeled package variety A, 

type II, style a, class 1, flavor (b) beef strip and one commercially wrapped and labeled 

package variety A, type II, style a, class 1, flavor (c) beef strip shall be packaged in a 

preformed or form-fill-seal barrier pouch.

(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. The three plies shall be laminated 

with the polyester on the exterior of the pouch. 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.
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The material shall show no evidence of delamination, degradation, or foreign odor when heat 

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

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

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

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

Procurement. 

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

dimensions that accommodate the product and/or commercially wrapped package of meat or 

poultry snack(s). 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 when tested for internal pressure resistance. 

A tear nick, notch or serrations shall be provided to facilitate opening of the filled and sealed 

pouch. A 1/8 inch wide lip may be incorporated at the open end of the pouch.

 c. Pouch filling and sealing. The filled pouch shall be vacuum-sealed under a 

vacuum level of 17 to 20 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 
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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, Flow Rates of Thermoplastics by 

Extrusion Plastometer and a density range of 0.918 to 0.922 g/cc in accordance with ASTM 

D1505, Density of Plastics by 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 (oriented polypropylene or 

polyester side) 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. 

The filled pouch body shall be sealed with a vacuum level of 17 to 20 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 dimensions of the pouches shall 

accommodate the product and/or commercially packaged meat or poultry snack(s). A tear 

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

The sealed pouches shall not show any evidence of material degradation, aluminum stress 

cracking, delamination or foreign odor. Heat seals shall be free of occluded matter. 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. 

The label shall contain the following information:
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(1) Name and flavor of product(s) (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 USDA 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 2017 would be coded as 7045. The Julian day code shall represent the day the 

product was packaged into the pouch.

NOTE: For commercially packaged items that are overwrapped, the above information shall 

be printed on either the inner or outer package or both. The product name and date shall be 

printed on the outer package.

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, burst grade 200 or ECT grade 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 
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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:

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

RDNS-SEC-EMR

NATICK SOLDIER SYSTEMS CENTER

10 GENERAL GREENE AVENUE

NATICK, MA 01760

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

E-5 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PRODUCT)

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

performance requirements specified in A-A-20298C and Section C of this Packaging 

Requirements and Quality Assurance Provisions document utilizing the double sampling 

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

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

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

defects and 4.0 for minor defects. Defects and defect classifications are listed in table I.

TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/

Category Defect

Major Minor

General

101 Product not variety or not type or not style or not class or not flavor or 

not quantity as specified.

201 Presence of bone, cartilage, coarse connective tissue, sections of 

tendons or ligaments or glandular material.

Variety A, type II, style a, class 1

Beef, moist cured/kippered, chopped and formed, strips

202 Beef strips not 3 to 5-1/2 inches in length or not 1 to 1-1/4 inch in width.

203 Beef strips do not have a dark reddish-brown to dark brown surface

color or do not have a slightly lighter reddish-brown interior color.
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204 Beef strips exterior surface not slightly uneven or not slightly glossy or 

not fibrous or not leathery.

205 Beef strips texture not firm or not chewy. 

206 Beef strips texture not tender to bite or not fibrous or not leathery.
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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ - Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

 Flavor (a) – Smoked

102 Beef strips odor or flavor not dried beef or not salty or not cured or not 

smoky.

 Flavor (b) – Teriyaki

103 Beef strips odor or flavor not dried beef or not salty or not cured.

104 Beef strips odor or flavor not teriyaki or not Asian seasoning or not 

ginger.

 Flavor (c) – Barbeque

105 Beef strips odor or flavor not dried beef or not salty or not cured.

106 Beef strips odor or flavor not barbeque spice or not smoky.

Variety A, type III, style b, class 4, flavor (g)

Beef, moist cured/lactate, natural style, nuggets, cranberry

207 Beef nuggets not 3/4 to 1-1/4 inch in length or not 1/2 to 1 inch in 

width or not 1/2 to 1 inch in height.

208 Beef nuggets do not have a dark reddish-brown to dark brown surface 

color or do not have a slightly lighter reddish-brown interior color.

209 Beef nuggets exterior surface not dried or not slightly wrinkled or not 

slightly glossy.

210 Beef nuggets not a whole muscle appearance. 
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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ - Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

107 Beef nuggets odor or flavor not dried beef or not slightly sweet or not 

slightly salty or not slightly tart or not cured.

108 Beef nuggets odor or flavor not slightly smoky or not fruity or not 

cranberry.

211 Beef nuggets texture not tender to bite.

212 Beef nuggets texture not firm or not chewy or not fibrous or not 

cohesive.

213 Beef nuggets texture excessively dry or excessively mealy.

Variety A, type IV, style a, class 2, flavor (b)

Beef, fermented, chopped and formed, sticks, teriyaki

214 Beef sticks not 4-1/2 4 to 5-1/4 inches in length or not 1/2 to 3/4 

(+1/16) inch in diameter. 

215 Beef sticks do not have a dark reddish-brown to brown exterior casing

color.

216 Beef sticks do not have a slightly wrinkled or do not have a slightly 

glossy exterior surface.

217 Beef sticks do not have a slightly lighter reddish-brown interior matrix 

color. 

109 Beef sticks odor or flavor not dried beef or not salty or not cured or 

not teriyaki.

218 Beef sticks casing texture does not have a slightly firm initial bite.

219 Beef sticks interior matrix texture not tender to bite.
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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ - Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

220 Beef sticks interior matrix texture excessively dry or excessively mealy.

Variety B, type III, style b, class 4, flavor (a)

Turkey, moist cured/lactate, natural style, nuggets, smoked

221 Turkey nuggets not 3/4 to 1-1/4 inch in length or not 1/2 to 1 inch in 

width or not 1/2 to 1 inch in height.

222 Turkey nuggets do not have a medium reddish-brown surface color or 

do not have a slightly lighter pinkish-brown interior color.

223 Turkey nuggets exterior surface not dried or not slightly wrinkled or not 

slightly glossy or not oily.

224 Turkey nuggets not a whole muscle appearance.

110 Turkey nuggets odor or flavor not dried poultry or not slightly salty or 

not slightly oily.

111 Turkey nuggets odor or flavor not cured or not smoky.

225 Turkey nuggets texture not firm or not chewy.

226 Turkey nuggets texture not tender to bite or not dense or not cohesive.

227 Turkey nuggets texture excessively dry or excessively mealy.

Net weight

228 For Package C and Package L, variety A, type II, style a, class 1 

MRE and MORE, beef, moist cured/kippered, chopped and formed,

strips, net weight of an individual pouch less than 22 grams.
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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ - Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

229 For Package C, variety A, type IV, style a, class 2

MRE, beef, fermented, chopped and formed, sticks, net weight of an

individual pouch less than 27 grams.

230 For Package J, variety A, type II, style a, class 1

FSR®, beef, moist cured/kippered, chopped and formed, strips, net 

weight of an individual pouch less than 51 grams.

231 For Package J, variety A, type III, style b, class 4

FSR®, beef, moist cured/lactate, natural style, nuggets

and variety B, type III, style b, class 4, turkey, moist cured/lactate, 

natural style, nuggets, net weight of an individual pouch less than 43

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.

 B. Methods of inspection.

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

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

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

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

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

to be considered acceptable. 

(2) Net weight examination. 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 and commercial wrap, as applicable. Results shall be reported to the nearest 1

gram.
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(3) Analytical and microbiological tests. The following conditions apply for 

analytical and microbiological testing:

 a. For prepackaged product received from a supplier that is not further processed,

the contractor will furnish a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) providing test results 

showing that the product meets all analytical and microbiological requirements. No 

additional testing is required.

 b. For bulk product received that is to be repackaged, the contractor will furnish a

CoA providing test results showing that the bulk product received meets all analytical and 

microbiological requirements. For protein, fat, sodium, pH, water activity, aerobic plate 

count, and E. coli testing, if the bulk and end item lot identities have been preserved, then 

skip lot testing may be implemented once an acceptable quality history, as determined by the 

contracting officer, has been established.

 c. If the cured meat or poultry snacks are received in bulk and the conditions in (b) 

above are not met, each end item lot must be sampled and tested by the USDA and 

skip lot is not applicable. 

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 D 2103 1/

Aluminum foil thickness D-1,A(1)a and D-1,A(2)a 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 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) 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:
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Major - Delamination of the outer ply in the pouch seal area that can be propagated to 

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

delaminated area. To flex, the delaminated area shall be held between the thumb and 

forefinger of each hand with both thumbs and forefingers touching each other. The 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

defect.

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

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

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

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

described above shall be classified as minor defects.

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

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

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

unclean:

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

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

with a clean dry cloth.
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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.

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 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 
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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.

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

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

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

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

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

testing the side and end of the pouch. 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. 

Utilizing the single sampling plans indicated in ANSI/ASQ Z1.4, 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

FEDERAL STANDARD 

FED-STD-595 Colors Used in Government Procurement

NON-GOVERNMENTAL STANDARDS

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

ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection by Attributes
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ASTM INTERNATIONAL www.astm.org

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

D1974/1974M 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 

Shape

D5118/D511M 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