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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

Variety, types, style, classes and flavors.

Variety A - Beef

Type II - Moist cured/kippered

Style a - Chopped and formed

Class 5 - Bites

Flavor (a) - Smoked

Type IV - Fermented

Style a - Chopped and formed 

Class 2 - Sticks

Flavor (b) - Teriyaki

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.
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 C. Appearance. 

 (1) Variety A, type II, style a, class 5, flavor (a). The beef bites shall be a dark 

reddish-brown color with a slightly wrinkled exterior surface. At least fifty percent by weight 

of the beef bites shall be not less than 1/2 inch in any one dimension. 

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

beef sticks shall be 4 to 5-1/4 inches in length by 1/2 to 7/8 inch in diameter.

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

(1) Variety A, type II, style a, class 5, flavor (a). The packaged food shall have a dried 

beef, salty, cured, and smoky odor and flavor. 

 (2) Variety A, type IV, style a, class 2, flavor (b). The teriyaki beef sticks shall have a 

dried beef, salty, cured, teriyaki odor and flavor.

 E. Texture. 

(1) Variety A, type II, style a, class 5. The beef bites shall be tender to bite and shall 

be fibrous. The beef bites shall not be excessively dry and shall not be excessively mealy. 

 (2) Variety A, type IV, style a, 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.

 F. Net weight. 

(1) Variety A, type II, style a, class 5. The net weight of one serving shall be not less 

than 43 grams. 

 (2) Variety A, type IV, style a, class 2. The net weight of one serving shall be not less 

than 27 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. The following identifies the analytical and 

microbiological requirements for the cured meat and poultry snacks in accordance with the 

AOAC or test methods specified in A-A-20298C and inspection methods in Section E-5,B of 

this document. 

Analytical and microbiological requirements

Variety A, type II Variety A, type IV

Protein (percent by weight) Not less than 37.0 1/

Fat (percent by weight) Not greater than 10.0 1/

Sodium (mg/100g) Not greater than 2600 Not greater than 2000

pH Not greater than 6.2 1/

Water activity Not greater than 0.88 1/

Aerobic plate count 1/ 1/

E. coli 1/ 1/

1/ Requirements shall be in accordance with CID A-A-20298C. 

SECTION D

D-1 PACKAGING

 A. Packaging. The product or commercially packaged product shall be packaged in a 

preformed or form-fill-seal barrier pouch. For type II, class 5, the pouch shall contain one 

oxygen scavenger. 

(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.

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

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

Procurement. 

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

maximum inside dimensions of 6 inches wide by 6 inches long. The pouch shall be made by 

heat sealing three edges with 3/8 inch (-1/8 inch, +3/16 inch) wide seals. The side and bottom 

seals shall have an average seal strength of not less than 6 pounds per inch of width and no 

individual specimen shall have a seal strength of less than 5 pounds per inch of width. 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 product or commercially packaged product and 

one oxygen scavenger (if applicable) shall be inserted into the pouch. The filled pouch shall 

be sealed under a vacuum of not less than 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. 

(2) Horizontal form-fill-seal pouch. 

 a. Pouch material. The horizontal form-fill-seal pouch shall consist of a formed 

tray-shaped body with a flat sheet, heat sealable cover or a tray-shaped body with a trayshaped heat sealable cover. The tray-shaped body and the tray-shaped cover shall be 

fabricated from a 3-ply flexible laminate barrier material consisting of, from outside to 

inside, 0.0009 inch thick oriented polypropylene bonded to 0.0007 inch thick aluminum foil 

with 10 pounds per ream pigmented polyethylene or adhesive and bonding the opposite side 

of the aluminum foil to 0.003 inch thick ionomer or a blend of not less than 50 percent linear 

low density polyethylene and polyethylene. The linear low density polyethylene portion of 

the blend shall be the copolymer of ethylene and octene-1 having a melt index range of 0.8 to 

1.2 g/10 minutes in accordance with ASTM D1238, Standard Test Method for Flow Rates of 

Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer and a density range of 0.918 to 0.922 g/cc in 

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

product or commercially packaged product and one oxygen scavenger (if applicable) shall be 

placed into the tray-shaped body of the pouch. The filled pouch body shall be sealed under a 

vacuum of not less than 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. For variety A, type II, style a, class 5, the maximum outside 

dimensions of the sealed pouches shall be 6 inches wide by 6 inches long. For Variety A, 

type IV, style a, class 2, the maximum outside dimensions of the sealed pouches shall be 3.5 

inches wide by 8.25 inches long or 5.0 inches wide by 7.25 inches long. A tear nick, notch, or 

serrations shall be provided to facilitate opening of the filled and sealed pouch. The sealed 

pouch shall not show any evidence of material degradation, aluminum stress cracking, 

delamination, or foreign odor. Heat seals shall be free of entrapped matter that reduces the 

effective closure seals 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.

(3) Oxygen scavenger (Type II, Class 5 only). The oxygen scavenger shall be 

constructed of materials that are safe for direct food contact. The oxygen scavenger shall be 

in compliance with all applicable Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations.
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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:

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

(2) Ingredients 

(3) Date 1/

(4) Net weight

(5) Name and address of packer

(6) “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 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. 

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, minimum burst grade 200 or ECT 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. 
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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 
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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: 

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.

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.
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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/

Category Defect

Critical Major Minor

General

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

not flavor 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 5, flavor (a)

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

smoked 

1 Pouch does not contain one intact oxygen scavenger. 3/

202 Beef bites not a dark reddish-brown color or not with a 

slightly wrinkled or not a slightly glossy exterior surface.

203 Beef bites not dimensions as specified. 4/

102 Beef bites odor or flavor not dried beef or not salty or not 

cured or not smoky. 

204 Beef bites texture not tender to bite or not fibrous.

205 Beef bites texture are excessively dry or are excessively 

mealy.

206 Net weight of an individual pouch less than 43 grams.

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

Beef, fermented, chopped and formed, sticks, teriyaki 

207 Beef sticks do not have a dark reddish-brown to brown 

exterior casing color or not with a slightly wrinkled or not 

a slightly glossy exterior surface. 
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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ - Continued

Category Defect

Critical Major Minor

208 Beef sticks do not have a slightly lighter reddish-brown 

interior matrix color. 

209 Beef sticks not 4 to 5-1/4 inches in length or not 1/2 to 7/8 

inch in diameter.

103 Beef sticks odor or flavor not dried beef or not salty or not 

cured or not teriyaki.

210 Beef sticks casing texture does not have a slightly firm 

initial bite.

211 Beef sticks interior matrix texture not tender to bite.

212 Beef sticks interior matrix texture is excessively dry or 

excessively mealy.

213 Net weight of an individual pouch less than 27 grams.

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

wood, or metal, or any foreign odors or flavors such as, but not limited to burnt, scorched, 

rancid, sour, stale, musty or moldy shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

2/ Finished product not equal to or better than the approved product standard in palatability 

and overall appearance shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

3/ Applicable to type II, class 5 only. Construction of the oxygen scavenger and compliance 

with FDA regulations shall be verified by a Certificate of Conformance (CoC).

4/ Verification that at least fifty percent by weight of the beef bites are greater than 1/2 inch 

in any one dimension shall be measured by the applicable Government Quality Assurance 

Representative (GQAR) on the first production lot of a contract cycle and annual PDM 

replenishment or if a new beef bites supplier is obtained. A visual examination for 

comparability to the PDM shall be conducted on all future lots produced using the same beef 

bites supplier between PDM replenishments. If the visual examination is noncomparable to 

the PDM, then the GQAR shall measure the beef bites.
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 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. 

 a. Commercially wrapped product in pouch. The net weight shall be verified with 

the label on the commercial package. Product not conforming to the net weight requirement, 

as specified, shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

 b. Noncommercially wrapped product in pouch. 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 oxygen scavenger, and commercial wrap, as 

applicable. Results shall be reported to the nearest 1 gram. Product not conforming to the net 

weight requirement, as specified, shall be cause for the rejection of the lot.

(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.
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 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 CoC may be accepted as evidence that the characteristics conform to the 

specified requirements.

Characteristic Requirement paragraph Test procedure

Thickness of films for laminated 

material

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

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

Laminated material 

identification and construction 

D-1,A(1)a and D-1,A(2)a Laboratory evaluation

Color of laminated material D-1,A(1)a SAE AMS-STD-595 3/

1/ Standard Specification for Polyethylene Film and Sheeting 

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

Barrier, Food Contact and Other Applications 

3/ Colors Used in Government Procurement

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

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

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

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

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

examined for conformance to the vacuum requirement not less than 96 hours after filling and 
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sealing. The sealed pouch shall continue to exhibit tight adherence to the surface contours of 

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

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

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

be classified as a major defect for type IV, class 2 or shall be classified as a critical defect for 

type II, class 5. The lot size shall be expressed in pouches. The sample unit shall be one filled 

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

per hundred units, shall be 0.65. 

(4) Filled and sealed pouch examination. The filled and sealed pouches shall be 

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

sample unit shall be one pouch. The inspection level shall be I and the AQL, expressed in 

terms of defects per hundred units, shall be 0.65 for major defects and 2.5 for minor defects.

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.
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203 Seal width less than 1/8 inch but greater than or equal to 1/16 inch.

204 Presence of delamination. 3/

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

2/ Effective seals are defined as any uncontaminated, fusion bonded, continuous path, 

minimum 1/16 inch wide, that produces a hermetically sealed pouch. 

3/ Delamination defect classification:

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

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

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

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 in the body of the pouch 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 - 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.
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4/ Outer packaging shall be free from foreign matter which is unwholesome, has the potential 

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

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

unclean:

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

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

with a clean dry cloth. 

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

(localized and aggregate). 

 

5/ If doubt exists as to whether or not the sealing equipment leaves an impression or design 

on the closure seal surface that could conceal or impair visual detection of seal defects, 

samples shall be furnished to the contracting officer for a determination as to acceptability.

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) Pouch integrity testing. The pouch integrity shall be tested as required in a, b, or c, 

as applicable. The lot 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. 

 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. Three adjacent specimens shall be cut from 
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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. Filled and sealed pouch seal testing. The side, bottom, and closure seals of the 

pouches shall be tested for seal strength in accordance with ASTM F88/F88M. For the 

closure seal on preformed pouches, three adjacent specimens shall be cut from the closure 

seal of each pouch in the sample. For form-fill-seal pouches, two adjacent specimens from 

the two side and bottom seals and three adjacent specimens shall be cut from the side, 

bottom, and closure seal of each pouch in the sample. The average seal strength of the seals 

shall be calculated by averaging the three specimens cut from that 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. If a three-seal 

tester (one that pressurizes the pouch through an open end) is used, the closure seal shall be 

cut off for testing the side and bottom of the pouch and the distance between the restraining 

plates shall be 1/2 inch. 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 material degradation and separation or 

yield of the heat seals. Any rupture of the pouch material exposing the product content area 

to contamination or allowing for leakage or evidence of seal separation greater than 1/16 inch 

in the pouch seals shall be considered a test failure. Any seal separation that reduces the 

effective closure seal width to less than 1/16 inch 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.
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 C. Packing. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

NON-GOVERNMENTAL STANDARDS

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

ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection by 

Attributes

 AOAC INTERNATIONAL www.aoac.org
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Official Methods of Analysis (OMA) of AOAC International

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

SAE INTERNATIONAL www.sae.org

SAE AMS-STD-595 Colors Used in Government Procurement