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SECTION C

This document covers instant tea mixes packaged in envelopes or pouches 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-20183C TEA MIXES, INSTANT 

Varieties, styles, types, flavors, designs and packages

Variety I – Black tea 

Style A – Sweetened with nutritive sweeteners 

Type 1 – Regular (caffeinated) 

Flavor b – Lemon 

Design C – Envelope

 

Style B – Sweetened with non-nutritive sweeteners 

Type 1 – Regular (caffeinated) 

Flavor b – Lemon 

Flavor c – Raspberry 

Flavor d – Peach 

Design D – Lap or fin seal pouch

Variety II – White tea 

Style B – Sweetened with non-nutritive sweeteners

Type 1 – Regular (caffeinated) 

Flavor g – Blueberry 

Design D – Lap or fin seal pouch 

Packages. 

Package A – Meal, Cold Weather (MCW) 

Package B – Food Packet, Long Range Patrol (LRP) 

Package C – Meal, Ready-to-EatTM (MRETM) 

Package E – Unitized Group RationTM (UGR) - Heat & ServeTM 
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Package G – Food Packet Survival, General Purpose 

Package J – First Strike Ration® (FSR®) 

Package K – Unitized Group Ration - Express TM(UGR-ETM) 

C-2 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

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

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

inspections of Section E of the Packaging Requirements and Quality Assurance Provisions. 

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

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

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

comparable to the product standard, the contractor shall arrange for a new or alternate FA or 

PDM approval. In any event, all product produced must meet all requirements of this 

document including product standard comparability. 

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

36 months at 80oF. 

 C. Dry product. 

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

(2) Odor. The packaged product shall be free from foreign odors. 

(3) Texture. The instant tea mix shall be free flowing. 

 D. Rehydrated product. 

(1) Appearance. Variety I black tea shall be a light brown tea color and shall be 

sediment free. Variety II white tea shall be a translucent gold color and shall be sediment 

free. 

(2) Odor and flavor. The product shall be free from foreign odors and flavors. 

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

the approved product standard in palatability and overall appearance. 
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 F. Net weight. 

(1) Variety I, style A, type 1, flavor b. The net weight of one serving of product shall 

be not less than 14.0 grams. 

(2) Variety I, style B, type 1, flavors b, c and d. The net weight of one serving of 

product shall be not less than 2.5 grams. 

(3) Variety II, style B, type 1, flavor g. The net weight of one serving of product shall 

be not less than 2.1 grams. 

 G. Reconstitution. The product shall fully dissolve within 2 minutes in hot or cold water 

with constant stirring and show no evidence of undissolved floating particles. 

 H. Analyticals. For all types specified, the analytical requirements and procedures shall be 

in accordance with A-A-20183C. 

SECTION D

D-1 PACKAGING

 A. Packaging. 

(1) Envelope. A net weight of 14.0 grams of variety I, style A, type 1, flavor b 

product shall be filled into an envelope. The envelope shall be made from a heat-sealable, 

laminated material, one lamina of which shall be a minimum of 0.00035 inch thick aluminum 

foil. The envelope shall be heat sealed on all four edges or on three edges with the fourth 

edge being formed by folding the material on an anvil prior to filling. The filled and sealed 

envelope shall have dimensions of not more than 3-1/2 inches in length, 2-1/2 inches in 

width, and 1/8 inch in thickness. The seals shall be a minimum 1/8 inch in width. The closure 

seals shall be free of foldover wrinkles or entrapped material that reduces the effective 

closure seal width to less than 1/16 inch. A tear nick, notch or serrations shall be provided to 

facilitate opening of the filled and sealed pouch. The sealed envelope shall not leak when 

tested in accordance with E-6,B(1). 

(2) Lap or fin seal pouch. When specified, 2.5 grams of variety I, style B, type 1, 

flavors b, c or d product, or 2.1 grams of variety II, style B, type 1, flavor g product, shall be 

unit packed into a lap or fin-seal pouch. The lap or fin-seal pouch shall be a heat-sealable, 

laminated material, one lamina of which shall be a minimum of 0.00035 inch thick aluminum 
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foil. The pouch shall be heat sealed with a length-wise lap or fin seal and heat sealed at each 

end. The filled and sealed pouch shall have dimensions of not more than 4-3/4 inches in 

length, 7/8 inches in width, and 3/8 inch in thickness. All seals shall be a minimum of 1/8 

inch in width. A tear nick, notch or serrations shall be provided to facilitate opening of the 

filled and sealed pouch. The sealed pouch shall not leak when tested in accordance with E6,B(1). 

D-2 LABELING

 A. Labeling. Each envelope or 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. 

(1) The label shall contain the following information: 

 Name and flavor of product (letters not less than 1/8 inch high) 

 Ingredients 

 Date 1/ 

 Net weight 

 Name and address of packer 

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

 Act (NLEA) and all applicable FDA regulations. 

(2) Labeling shall also show the following applicable directions: 

 a. Directions for a 14.0 gram envelope: 

Add 1/4 canteen cup (6 ounces) of water to contents and stir. Allow water just 

chemically purified to stand 30 minutes before adding powder. 

 b. Directions for a lap or fin seal pouch: Add 20 ounces of cold water to contents 

and stir (about 1 canteen cup) Alternatively, add the contents of one pouch to a 20 

ounce bottle of water. Allow water just chemically purified to stand 30 minutes 

before adding powder. 

1/ Each envelope or 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 2010 would be coded as 0045. The Julian day code shall represent 

the day the product was packaged into the envelope or pouch. 
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D-3 PACKING

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

box constructed in accordance with style RSC-L of ASTM D 5118/D 5118M, Standard 

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

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

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

shall be closed in accordance with ASTM D 1974, Standard Practice for Methods of Closing, 

Sealing, and Reinforcing Fiberboard Boxes. 

D-5 MARKING

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

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

Semiperishable Subsistence. 

SECTION E INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

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

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

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

manufacturer shall provide the Certificate(s) of Conformance to the appropriate inspection 

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

 A. Definitions. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

standards having little bearing on the effective use or operation of the unit. 
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 B. Classification of inspections. The inspection requirements specified herein are classified 

as follows: 

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

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

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

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

article or product demonstration model shall be used as the product standard for periodic 

review evaluations. All food components that are inspected by the USDA shall be subject to 

periodic review sampling and evaluation. The USDA shall select sample units during 

production of contracts and submit them to the following address for evaluation: 

US Army Research, Development and Engineering Command 

Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center 

RDNS-CFF 

15 Kansas Street 

Natick, MA 01760-5018 

One lot shall be randomly selected during each calendar month of production. Three 

(3) sample units of each item produced shall be randomly selected from that one production 

lot. The three (3) sample units shall be shipped to Natick within five working days from the 

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

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

overall quality. 

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

examination and the methods of inspection cited in this section. 

E-5 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PRODUCT)

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

performance requirements specified in A-A-20183C and Section C of the 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 envelopes or pouches. 

The sample unit shall be the contents of one envelope or 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. 
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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 

Category Defect 

Major Minor

101 Product not variety or style or type or flavor or design as specified. 

Dry product 

Appearance

201 Variety I not a light brown color. 

202 Variety II not light to medium gold color. 

203 Product not a uniform distribution of ingredients. 

204 Product contains aggregates of individual ingredients or anti-caking 

agents. 

Odor

205 Product odor not variety or style or type or flavor of tea mix 

specified. 

Texture

206 Product not free flowing. 

TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ - Continued 

Category Defect 

Major Minor

207 Presence of hard lumps. 3/ 

Net weight
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208 Net weight of variety I, style A, type 1, flavor b less than 14.0 

grams. 

209 Net weight of variety I, style B, type 1, flavors b or c or d less than 

2.5 grams. 

210 Net weight of variety II, style B, type 1, flavor g less than 2.1 

grams. 

Rehydrated product 4/ 

Appearance 

102 Variety I not a light brown tea color. 

103 Variety II not a translucent gold color. 

104 Tea not sediment free. 

Odor and flavor

105 Variety I odor or flavor of tea not as specified. 

106 Variety II odor or flavor of tea not as specified. 

1/ Presence of any foreign materials such as, but not limited to dirt, insect parts, hair, glass, 

wood, or metal, or 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. Foreign flavor not 

applicable to dry product. 

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. Palatability not applicable to 

dry product. 

3/ Lumps that do not fall apart under light pressure between the fingers shall be scored as a 

defect. 
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4/ Prior to conducting the rehydrated product examination, the product shall be reconstituted 

per label instructions. Product that does not fully dissolve (shows evidence of undissolved 

floating particles) within 2 minutes with constant stirring shall be cause for the 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 hedonic scale 

to be considered acceptable. 

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

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

envelope or pouch. Results shall be reported to the nearest 0.1 gram.

E-6 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PACKAGING AND PACKING 

MATERIALS)

 A. Packaging and labeling. 

(1) Envelope or pouch material certification. Material, construction and sealing 

requirements shall be verified by Certificate of Conformance. 

(2) Filled and sealed envelope or pouch examination. The filled and sealed envelopes 

or pouches shall be examined for the defects listed in table II. The sample size shall be 

expressed in envelopes or pouches. The sample unit shall be one envelope or 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. 

TABLE II. Filled and sealed envelope or pouch defects 1/ 

Categor

y 

Defect 

Major Mino

r

101 Tear or hole or open seal. 
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201 Envelopes or pouches exceed maximum dimensions. 

102 Leakage. 2/ 

103 Seal separation or delamination. 2/ 

104 Unclean. 

105 Envelope or pouch has foreign odor. 

106 Not packaged as specified. 

107 Envelope or pouch not sealed with minimum 1/8 inch wide seals. 

202 Label missing or incorrect or illegible. 

203 Tear nick or notch or serrations missing or does not facilitate opening. 

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

2/ Examine envelopes or pouches after leakage test. 

 B. Methods of inspection. 

(1) Leakage test. For design C, filled and sealed envelopes shall be tested by placing 

them in a dry desiccator, or similar apparatus, and subjecting them to a vacuum of 26 inches 

of mercury (atmospheric pressure is 29.9 inches of mercury) for 30 seconds. For design D, 

filled and sealed lap or fin seal pouches shall be tested by placing them in a dry desiccator, or 

similar apparatus, and subjecting them to a vacuum of 15 inches of mercury (atmospheric 

pressure is 29.9 inches of mercury) for 30 seconds. Any envelope or pouch that does not 

swell to form a tightly distended package having at least one distorted edge during the test 

shall be recorded as a leaker. After vacuum testing, the envelopes or pouches shall be 

visually inspected for evidence of delamination and for seal separation. Any leakage, any 

delamination, or any seal separation of more than 1/16 inch from the product edge of any seal 

shall be recorded as a major defect. 

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

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

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

packed. The inspection level shall be S-3 and the AQL, expressed in terms of defects per 

hundred units, shall be 4.0 for major defects and 10.0 for total defects. 

TABLE III. Shipping container and marking defects

Category Defect 

Major Minor

101 Marking missing or incorrect or illegible. 

102 Inadequate workmanship. 1/ 

201 More than 40 pounds of product. 

1/ Inadequate workmanship is defined as, but not limited to, incomplete closure of container 

flaps, loose strapping, inadequate stapling, improper taping, or bulged or distorted container. 
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SECTION J REFERENCE DOCUMENTS

Unless otherwise specified, the issues of these documents are those active on the date of the 

solicitation or contract. 

DSCP FORMS 

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

Perishable and Semiperishable Subsistence 

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

D 1974 Standard Practice for Methods of Closing, Sealing, 

and Reinforcing Fiberboard Boxes 

D 4727/D 4727M Standard Specification for Corrugated and Solid 

Fiberboard Sheet Stock (Container Grade) and Cut Shapes 

D 5118/D 

5118M 

Standard Practice for Fabrication of Fiberboard 

Shipping Boxes