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SECTION C

This document covers chewing gum 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-20175D, CHEWING GUM

Types, sizes, styles, flavors, classes, and packages.

Type I - Tablet

Size B - Regular

Style (1) - Without caffeine

Flavor a - Peppermint

Flavor c - Cinnamon

Class 3 - With xylitol as primary sweetener (In accordance with 5.3.3 of A-A-20175D)

Package A - Meal, Cold Weather (MCW)

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

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

Package J - First Strike Ration® (FSRTM)

Type I - Tablet

Size C - Large

Style (2) - With caffeine (Applicable to Types I and VII)

Flavor a - Peppermint

Flavor c - Cinnamon

Class 1 - Regular

Package J - First Strike Ration® (FSRTM)

Type VII - Disk

Size B - Regular

Style (2) - With caffeine (Applicable to Types I and VII)

Flavor a - Peppermint

Flavor c - Cinnamon

Class 1 - Regular

Package J - First Strike Ration® (FSRTM)
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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. For all package types, the packaged product shall meet the minimum shelf life 

requirement of 36 months at 80°F.

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

the approved product standard in palatability and overall appearance.

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

 E. Analytical requirements. For all types specified, the water insoluble base and xylitol 

content requirements, procedures, and testing shall be in accordance with A-A-20175D.

 (1) Caffeine release. Ninety percent of the total caffeine content of one piece of gum for 

Type I, Size C, Style (2), Flavor a or c, Class 1, and Type VII, Size B, Style (2), Flavor a or

c, Class 1 shall be released from the gum by chewing.

C-3 MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

THE FOLLOWING IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. THIS IS NOT A MANDATORY 

CONTRACT REQUIREMENT.

A. Ingredients.

(1) Type I, Size B, Style (1), Flavor a, Class 3. Ingredients may be as follows: xylitol, 

sorbitol, gum base, mannitol, maltitol syrup, natural and artificial flavors, soy lecithin, gum 

arabic, titanium dioxide color, aspartame (contains phenylalanine), acesulfame K, beeswax, 

shellac, carnauba wax, BHT (to preserve freshness).
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(2) Type I, Size B, Style (1), Flavor c, Class 3. Ingredients may be as follows: xylitol, 

sorbitol, gum base, mannitol, maltitol syrup, natural and artificial flavors, soy lecithin, gum 

arabic, titanium dioxide color, aspartame (contains phenylalanine), acesulfame K, red #40, 

beeswax, shellac, carnauba wax, BHT (to preserve freshness).

(3) Type I, Size C, Style (2), Flavor a, Class 1 and Type VII, Size B, Style (2), Flavor a,

Class 1. Ingredients may be as follows: dextrose with maltodextrin, sugar, gum base, natural 

and artificial flavors, caffeine, vegetable fibers, corn starch, magnesium stearate, aspartame, 

sucralose, glycerine, corn syrup, silicon dioxide, tapioca dextrin, carnuba wax, confectioners 

glaze, Blue Lake #1, and titanium dioxide.

(4) Type I, Size C, Style (2), Flavor c, Class 1 and Type VII, Size B, Style (2), Flavor 

c, Class 1. Ingredients may be as follows: dextrose with maltodextrin, sugar, gum base, 

natural and artificial flavors, caffeine, vegetable fibers, corn starch, magnesium stearate, 

aspartame, sucralose, glycerine, corn syrup, silicon dioxide, tapioca, dextrin, carnauba wax, 

confectioners glaze, and titanium dioxide.

SECTION D

D-1 PACKAGING

 A. Packaging. For Type I, Size B, Style (1), Flavor a or c, Class 3, two tablets shall be 

packaged in a plastic wrapper or a paperboard box in accordance with good commercial 

practice. For Type I, Size C, Style (2), Flavor a or c, Class 1 and Type VII, Size B, Style (2), 

Flavor a or c, Class 1, five pieces shall be packaged in a fin-seal style pouch. The fin-seal 

pouch shall be constructed of a heat-sealable barrier material consisting of 0.0010-0.0020

inch thick polyethylene base layer, a 0.00025 inch thick aluminum foil layer, and an outer 

layer of paper, polyester or other protective material. The maximum outside dimensions of 

the pouch shall be 2-1/2 inches in width by 4-1/2 inches in length.

D-2 LABELING

 A. Type I, Size B, Style (1), Flavor a or c, Class 3. Labeling of product shall be in 

accordance with good commercial practice.

 B. Type I, Size C, Style (2), Flavor a or c, Class 1 and Type VII, Size B, Style (2), Flavor a 

or c, Class 1. Each package shall be correctly and legibly labeled. Printed 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 (letters not less than 1/8 inch high)

(2) Ingredients

(3) Date 1/ 

(4) Piece count or 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 FDA regulations

(7) (a) Instructions: 

• Chew 1 piece for 5 minutes

• If not alert within 15 minutes, chew a second piece

• DO NOT EXCEED 2 PIECES IN 3 HOURS OR MORE THAN 10 

PIECES IN 24 HOURS

(8) Caffeine content per piece in milligrams

1/ Each package 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 2013 would be coded as 3045. The Julian day code shall represent the day the 

product was packaged into the pouch or envelope.

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, burst grade 200 or ECT grade 32 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 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 
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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. 

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

One lot shall be randomly selected during each calendar month of production. Twelve (12) 

sample units of each item produced shall be randomly selected from that one production lot. 
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The twelve (12) 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 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-20175D 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 packages. The sample 

unit shall be the contents of one package. 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

General

101 Product not type, or not size, or not style, or not class, or not flavor as 

specified.

102 Product not fresh.

Appearance

201 Candy coating does not cover the centers completely.

202 Candy coating not free from pits, or cracks, or the appearance of 

discoloration.

Flavor

103 Flavor not as specified.

Texture

104 Texture sticky, or grainy, or flabby, or stringy.

Dimension

203 Product dimension not as specified.

Weight

204 Net weight less than label statement.

205 Piece weight less than specified.

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.
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(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) Piece weight examination. The piece weight shall be determined by weighing 

each piece of chewing gum on a suitable scale. Results shall be reported to the nearest 0.1 

gram (or to the nearest 0.01 ounce). Product not conforming to the piece weight requirement 

as specified in A-A-20175D shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

(3) Piece count or net weight examination. The piece count or net weight shall be

verified with a Certificate of Conformance (CoC). Product not conforming to the net weight 

requirement as specified in A-A-20175D shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

(4) Analytical. The sample to be analyzed shall be a composite of eight filled and 

sealed packages which have been selected at random from the lot. The composite sample

shall be prepared and analyzed in accordance with the following Official Methods of 

Analysis of AOAC International (OMA).

Test Method Number

Caffeine 1/ 980.14

Caffeine release 2/

Xylitol 3/

1/ Caffeine content of Type I, Size C, Style (2), Flavor a or c, Class 1 and Type VII, Size B, 

Style (2), Flavor a or c, Class 1 gum shall be verified by a producer’s Certificate of Analysis

(CoA). 

2/ Caffeine release shall be verified with a producer’s CoA.

3/ Xylitol content of Type I, Size B, Style (1), Flavor a or c, Class 3 gum shall be verified 

with a producer’s CoA.

Test results shall be reported to the nearest 1 milligram. Government verification will be 

conducted through actual testing by a Government laboratory. Any result not conforming to 

the analytical requirements shall be cause for rejection of the lot.
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 (5) Caffeine release for Type I, Size C, Style (2), Flavor a or c, Class 1 and Type VII, 

Size B, Style (2), Flavor a or c, Class 1. Sample preparation methodology shall be submitted 

to the applicable Government inspection agency and Natick for approval. Caffeine analysis 

shall be performed as required in E-5,B(4).

E-6 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PACKAGING AND PACKING 

MATERIALS)

 A. Packaging.

(1) Package certification. A CoC may be accepted as evidence that the packages 

conform to the requirements specified in D-1,A.

(2) Filled and sealed package examination. The filled and sealed packages shall be 

examined for the defects listed in table II. The sample size shall be expressed in packages. 

The sample unit shall be one package. 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 package defects 1/

Category Defect

Major Minor

101 Tear or hole or open seal. 

102 Not two tablets of gum per package for Type I, Size B, Style (1), 

Class 3.

103 Not five pieces of gum per package for Type I, Size C, Style (2), 

Class 1 or Type VII, Size B, Style (2), Class 1.

104 Type I, Size B, Style (1), Class 3 gum not packaged in plastic 

wrapper or a paperboard box.

105 Type I, Size C, Style (2), Class 1 or Type VII, Size B, Style (2), 

Class 1 gum not packaged in a fin-seal style pouch.

106 Unclean package. 2/

107 Package has foreign odor.

201 Label missing or incorrect or illegible.

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

2/ 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).

 B. 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. 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 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 otherwised specified, the applicable version of these documents is that which is active 

on the date of the solicitation or contract.

DLA Troop Support Forms

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

AOAC INTERNATIONAL www.aoac.org

Official Methods of Analysis (OMA) of AOAC International