PCR-H-017

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SECTION C

This document covers shelf stable high energy beverage packaged in a flexible pouch for use 

by the Department of Defense as a component of operational rations.

C-1 ITEM DESCRIPTION

PCR-H-017, HIGH ENERGY BEVERAGE, PACKAGED IN A FLEXIBLE POUCH, 

SHELF STABLE

Flavor.

Flavor 1 - Cookies and cream

C-2 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

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

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

inspections of Section E of this Performance-based Contract Requirements (PCR) document. 

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

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

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

standard, the contractor shall submit a replacement FA or PDM for approval. In any event, all 

product produced must meet all requirements of this document including product standard 

comparability.

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

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

months at 80°F.

 D. Appearance.

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

(2) Flavor 1. The cookies and cream high energy beverage shall be a smooth, slightly 

thick liquid and shall be a golden tan to light brown color.

 E. Odor and flavor.

(1) General. The packaged food shall be free from foreign odors and flavors.
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(2) Flavor 1. The packaged food shall have a moderate, cooked sweet cream and

vanilla odor and flavor and a slight cocoa flavor.

 F. Texture.

(1) Flavor 1. The cookies and cream high energy beverage shall be smooth and 

slightly thick with a creamy mouthfeel.

 G. Net weight. The average net weight shall be not less than 5.2 ounces (147 grams). The 

net weight of an individual pouch shall be not less than 4.7 ounces (133 grams).

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

the approved product standard in palatability and overall appearance.

 I. Analytical requirements.

(1) Calories. The calories shall be not less than 280 per serving.

(2) Protein. The protein content shall be not less than 4.0 percent. 

(3) Fat. The fat content shall be not less than 8.0 percent and not greater than 12.0 

percent.

(4) pH. The pH shall be not less than 6.0 and not greater than 6.6.

SECTION D

D-1 PACKAGING

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

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

D-2 LABELING

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

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

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

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

thermal processing.
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(1) Product name (not less than 1/8 inch high). Commonly used abbreviations 

may be used.

(2) Pouch code includes: 1/

 Lot number

 Filling equipment identification number

 Company code

 Retort identification number and Retort cook number (Optional)

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

1/ Each pouch shall have the date of pack noted by using either a four-digit code or five-digit 

code. When using the four-digit code, begin with the final digit of the current year followed 

by the three-digit Julian code. For example, 14 February 2050 would be coded as 0045. 

When using the five-digit code, begin with the decade digit of the current year followed by 

the three-digit Julian code. For example, 14 February 2050 would be coded as 50045. The 

Julian code shall represent the day the product was packaged into the pouch.

The pouches or paperboard insert cards shall also be labeled with:

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

Ingredients 

Net weight

Name and address of packer

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

(NLEA) and all applicable FDA regulations

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

regulations and policies. The pouches or paperboard insert cards shall be labeled with the 

following product name:

Flavor Product name

1 HIGH ENERGY BEVERAGE, COOKIES AND CREAM

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 CF, class 

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

Specification for Corrugated and Solid Fiberboard Sheet Stock (Container Grade) and Cut
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Shapes. Each box shall be closed in accordance with ASTM D1974/D1974M, Standard 

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

D-5 MARKING

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

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

Perishable and Semiperishable Subsistence.

SECTION E INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

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

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

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

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

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

A. Definitions.

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

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

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

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

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

them to the following address for evaluation:

COMBAT CAPABILITIES DEVELOPMENT COMMAND (DEVCOM) SOLDIER CENTER

FCDD-SCD-SCR

10 GENERAL GREENE AVENUE

NATICK, MA 01760-5000

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

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

production lot. The three (3) sample units shall be shipped to DEVCOM Soldier Center

within five (5) working days from the end of the production month from which they are 

randomly selected and upon completion of all USDA inspection requirements. The sample 

units will be evaluated for overall quality against the current first article or product 

demonstration model.

(3) Conformance inspection. Conformance inspection shall include the 

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

E-5 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PRODUCT)

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

performance requirements specified in Section C of this Performance-based Contract 

Requirements document utilizing the double sampling plans indicated in ANSI/ASQ Z1.4. 

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 a high energy beverage or not flavor specified.

Appearance

201 Flavor 1 cookies and cream high energy beverage not smooth or 

not a slightly thick liquid or not a golden tan to light brown color.
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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ - Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

Odor and flavor

102 Flavor 1 packaged food does not have a moderate cooked or not a 

sweet cream or not a vanilla odor or flavor or not a slight cocoa 

flavor.

Texture

202 Flavor 1 cookies and cream high energy beverage not smooth or 

not slightly thick or not with a creamy mouthfeel.

Net weight

203 Net weight of an individual pouch less than 4.7 ounces (133 

grams). 3/

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/ Sample average net weight less than 5.2 ounces (147 grams) shall be cause for rejection of 

the lot.

 B. Methods of inspection.

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

FDA regulations.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(4) Analytical.

a. Calories. The calorie content shall be verified by the NLEA “Nutrition Facts” 

label. Product not conforming to the calorie content as specified in C-2, I(1) of this document 

shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

b. Protein, fat and pH. The sample to be analyzed shall be a composite of eight 

filled and sealed pouches which have been selected at random from one 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

Protein 930.29A, 984.13, or 992.15

Fat 932.06 or 2008.06

pH 981.12

Test results for protein and fat shall be reported to the nearest 0.1 percent. Test results for pH 

shall be reported to the nearest 0.1 pH. Government verification will be conducted through 

actual testing by a Government laboratory. Any result not conforming to the analytical

requirement shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

E-6 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PACKAGING AND PACKING 

MATERIALS)

 A. Packaging.

(1) Pouch material testing. The pouch material in accordance with the lot size, sample 

unit, and inspection level criteria shall be tested for the performance characteristics listed in 

table I of MIL-PRF-44073, Packaging of Food in Flexible Pouches for Type I. Any test 

failure shall be classified as a major defect and shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

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

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

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

pouch. The inspection level shall be I and the AQL, expressed in terms of defects per 

hundred units, shall be 0.65 for major A defects, 2.5 for major B defects, and 4.0 for minor 

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

critical defect shall be cause for rejection of the lot.
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(3) Paperboard insert card examination. The insert card shall be examined for the 

defects listed in table III of MIL-PRF-44073 for Type I. The lot size shall be expressed in 

units of insert cards. The sample unit shall be one insert card. The inspection level shall be S3 and the AQL, expressed in terms of defects per hundred units, shall be 0.65 for major 

defects and 2.5 for minor defects.

 B. Packing.

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

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

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

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

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

TABLE II. Shipping container and marking defects

Category Defect

Major Minor

101 Marking missing or incorrect or illegible.

102 Inadequate workmanship. 1/

201 More than 40 pounds of product. 

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

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

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

on the date of the solicitation or contract.

DLA Troop Support Form

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

Perishable and Semiperishable Subsistence

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SPECIFICATION

MIL-PRF-44073 Packaging of Food in Flexible Pouches

(Copies of this document are available online at https://quicksearch.dla.mil)

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

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

Reinforcing Fiberboard Boxes

D4727/D4727M Standard Specification for Corrugated and Solid 

Fiberboard Sheet Stock (Container Grade) and Cut Shapes

D5118/D5118M Standard Practice for Fabrication of Fiberboard Shipping 

Boxes

AOAC INTERNATIONAL www.aoac.org

Official Methods of Analysis (OMA) of AOAC International