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SECTION C

This document covers cookies 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-20295C COOKIES, PACKAGED IN A FLEXIBLE POUCH, SHELF 

STABLE 

Class, type, bake types, styles, shape, and flavors.

Class 1 Individual serving package

 Type I - Regular

 Bake type a - Crisp

 Style A - Shortbread cookies

 Flavor 1 - Plain 

 Style D - Sugar cookies

 Shape (b) - Patriotic (American themes, such as, but not limited to; Uncle Sam, Bald 

Eagle, Torch of Liberty, letters “USA”, American flag, Statue of Liberty 

face, etc.)

 Style I - Oatmeal cookies

 Flavor 1 - Plain 

 Flavor 6 - Chocolate chunk

 Style J - Chocolate chip cookies (regular, chunk, or mini chips)

 Flavor 1 Plain

 Style K - Kreamsicle cookies

 Style L - Toffee crunch cookies

 Style Q - White chocolate chip cookies

 Flavor 1 - Raspberry 

 Bake type b - Soft and chewy

 Style P - Fig bar

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Packages.

Package A - Meal, Cold Weather (MCW)

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

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

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 80°F.

 C. Appearance.

(1) Class 1, type I, bake type a, style D, shape (b) – Sugar cookies, Patriotic. The 

patriotic sugar cookies shall have at least three different patriotic shapes in each package.

(2) Class 1, type I, bake type b, style p – Fig bar. The fig bar filling shall be a dark 

golden brown color.

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

(1) Class 1, type I, bake type a, style I, flavor 1 – Oatmeal cookies, Plain. The plain

oatmeal cookies shall have a distinct sweet baked oatmeal odor and flavor.

(2) Class 1, type I, bake type a, style J, flavor 1 – Chocolate chip cookies, Plain. The

plain chocolate chip cookies shall have a distinct chocolate odor.

(3) Class 1, type I, bake type a, style K – Kreamsicle cookies. The kreamsicle cookies 

shall have a sweet, buttery, mild orange odor.

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(4) Class 1, type I, bake type a, style L – Toffee crunch cookies. The toffee crunch 

cookies shall have a sweet, buttery, toffee/vanilla odor.

(5) Class 1, type I, bake type b, style P – Fig bar. The fig bar shall have a sweet, 

baked fig odor and flavor.

 E. Texture.

(1) Class 1, type I, bake type a, style A, flavor 1 – Shortbread cookies, plain. The 

plain shortbread cookies shall have a dense, tender texture.

 F. Net weight. The net weight of one serving shall be as follows:

Cookie type Net weight not less than

Class 1 – Individual serving package

 Type I - Regular

 Bake type a – Crisp

Style A, flavor 1, Shortbread cookies, Plain 43 grams

Style D, shape (b), Sugar cookies, Patriotic 56 grams

Style I, flavor 1, Oatmeal cookies, Plain 56 grams

Style I, flavor 6, Oatmeal cookies, Chocolate chunk 56 grams

Style J, flavor 1, Chocolate chip cookies, Plain 60 grams

Style K, Kreamsicle cookies 56 grams

Style L, Toffee crunch cookies 56 grams

Style Q, flavor 1, White chocolate chip cookies, Raspberry 56 grams

 Bake type b – Soft and chewy

Style P, Fig bar 54 grams

 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 requirements.

(1) Calories. The calorie content of one serving shall be as follows:

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Cookie type Calorie content not less than

Class 1 – Individual serving package

 Type I - Regular

 Bake type a – Crisp

Style A, flavor 1, Shortbread cookies, Plain 210 calories

Style D, shape (b), Sugar cookies, Patriotic 240 calories

Style I, flavor 1, Oatmeal cookies, Plain 280 calories

Style I, flavor 6, Oatmeal cookies, Chocolate chunk 280 calories

Style J, flavor 1, Chocolate chip cookies, Plain 280 calories

Style K, Kreamsicle cookies 250 calories

Style L, Toffee crunch cookies 250 calories

Style Q, flavor 1, White chocolate chip cookies, Raspberry 250 calories

 Bake type b- Soft and chewy

Style P, Fig bar 200 calories

(2) Oxygen (not applicable to vacuum packed pouches). The oxygen content of the 

filled and sealed pouch shall not exceed 0.30 percent.

(3) Moisture. The moisture content for cookies shall be as specified in A-A-20295C

unless listed below.

Cookie type Moisture content not greater than

Class 1, type I, bake type a, style D, shape (b), Sugar 

cookies, Patriotic

3.5 percent

Class 1, type I, bake type a, style J, flavor 1, Chocolate 

chip cookies, Plain

6.0 percent

(4) Trans fat. The trans fat content shall be not greater than 0 grams per serving.

SECTION D

D-1 PACKAGING

 A. Packaging. When specified, the cookie(s) with or without commercial wrapping and 

labeling shall be packed in a preformed or form-fill-seal barrier pouch as described below in 

accordance with the packaging conditions specified. 

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Packaging conditions

Cookie type Oxygen scavenger Vacuum packed

Class 1 – Individual serving package

 Type I – Regular

 Bake type a – Crisp

Style A, flavor 1, Shortbread cookies, Plain X

Style D, shape (b), Sugar cookies, Patriotic X

Style I, flavor 1, Oatmeal cookies, Plain X

Style I, flavor 6, Oatmeal cookies, Chocolate chunk X

Style J, flavor 1, Chocolate chip cookies, Plain X

Style K, Kreamsicle cookies X

Style L, Toffee crunch cookies X

Style Q, flavor 1, White chocolate chip cookies, 

Raspberry

X

 Bake type b – Soft and chewy

Style P, Fig bar 1/ X

1/ For the fig bars that are vacuum packed: one or more fig bars shall be inserted into the 

pouch in a two-high stack or positioned side by side prior to sealing. 

(1) Preformed pouches.

 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. Tolerances for thickness of 

plastic films shall be plus or minus 20 percent and tolerance for 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 surface of the pouch shall be uniformly colored in the range of 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 

maximum inside dimensions of 5 inches wide by 7 inches long. The pouch shall be made by 

heat sealing three edges with 3/8 inch (- 1/8, + 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 or 

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seal separation that reduces the effective closure seal width to less 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. When specified in D-1,A, product shall be inserted 

into the pouch and the filled pouch shall be sealed under a vacuum level of 8 to 12 inches of 

mercury with a minimum 1/8 inch wide heat seal. When specified in D-1,A, the 

commercially wrapped and labeled package of cookie(s) and one oxygen scavenger shall be 

inserted into the pouch. The filled pouch shall be sealed. 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 pouches.

 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 Melt 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 the 

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 foil layer shall be plus or minus 10 percent. The color 

requirements of the exterior of the pouch 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 

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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. 

When specified, the cookie(s) shall be placed in the tray-shaped body of the pouch. The filled 

pouch body shall be hermetically sealed with a vacuum level of 12 to 14 inches of mercury.

For pouches with three or more cookies, the filled pouch body shall be hermetically sealed 

with a vacuum level of 8 to 12 inches of mercury. When specified, the unit of commercially 

wrapped and labeled package of cookie(s) and one oxygen scavenger shall be placed into the 

tray-shaped body of the pouch. 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 be free of entrapped material (bread crumbs, moisture, 

etc.) that reduces the effective closure seal to less than 1/16 inch wide. 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 maximum outside dimensions of the sealed pouch shall 

be 6 inches wide by 8-5/8 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. 

Seals shall be free of impression or design on the seal surface that would conceal or impair 

visual detection of seal defects. 

 B. Oxygen scavenger. The oxygen scavenger shall be constructed of materials that are safe 

for direct and indirect food contact, and shall be suitable for use with edible products. The 

oxygen scavenger shall be in compliance with all applicable FDA regulations.

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/

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(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 FDA 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 2013 would be coded as 3045. The Julian day code shall represent the day the 

product was packaged into the pouch.

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 

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 

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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 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 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. 

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

and the methods of inspection cited in this section.

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E-5 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PRODUCT)

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

performance requirements in A-A-20295C and specified in 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/ 3/

Category Defect

Major Minor

101 Product not type or not bake type or not style or not shape or not 

flavor as specified.

102 Pouch does not contain one intact oxygen scavenger if specified.

3/ 4/ 5/

103 Crushed cookie(s). 56/

201 Broken cookie(s). 67/

Net weight

202 Net weight of an individual pouch not as specified.

Class 1, type I, bake type a, style A, flavor 1 – Shortbread 

cookies, plain

104 Not a sweet or not a buttery odor or flavor.

105 Not a dense or not a tender texture.

203 Surface color not light tan to medium brown.

204 Interior crumb not a lighter color than the surface.

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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 3/ – Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

Class 1, type I, bake type a, style D, shape (b) – Sugar cookies, 

Patriotic

106 Not sweet or not buttery or not mild vanilla odor or flavor.

107 Not crisp or not tender.

205 Not a uniform pale gold to tan color.

206 Patriotic sugar cookies package does not contain at least three 

different patriotic shapes.

Class 1, type I, bake type a, style I, flavor 1 – Oatmeal cookies, 

Plain

108 Not a distinct sweet baked oatmeal odor or flavor.

109 Not crispy or not crunchy or not slightly crumbly or not with a 

firm bite.

207 Exterior or interior crumb color not light tan to medium brown.

Class 1, type 1, bake type a, style I, flavor 6 – Oatmeal cookies, 

Chocolate chunk

110 Not a sweet baked oatmeal and chocolate odor or flavor.

111 Not crisp or not dense or not a slightly crumbly texture.

208 Exterior or interior crumb color not light tan to medium brown.

209 Do not have distinct chocolate chunks and oats distributed 

throughout the surface and interior.

112 Not a distinct chocolate odor or flavor.

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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 3/ – Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

Class 1, type I, bake type a, style J, flavor 1 – Chocolate chip 

cookies, Plain

113 Not crispy or not crunchy or not slightly crumbly or not with a 

firm bite.

210 Not tan to medium brown color.

211 Do not have a uniform distribution of chocolate chips.

Class 1, type I, bake type a, style K – Kreamsicle cookies

114 Not a sweet or not a buttery or not a mild orange odor or flavor 

cookie or not with orange flavored chips.

115 Not firm or not crisp.

212 Exterior color not uneven pale to medium golden brown or not 

with some surface cracking.

213 Interior crumb not pale gold with evenly distributed orange 

colored chips.

Class 1, type I, bake type a, style L – Toffee crunch cookies

116 Not sweet or not buttery or not toffee/vanilla odor or flavor with 

toffee chips.

117 Not firm or not crisp.

214 Not uneven pale to medium golden brown exterior or crumb not 

with evenly distributed pieces of melted toffee candy bits or not 

with some surface cracking.

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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 3/ – Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

Class 1, type I, bake type b, style P – Fig bar

118 Bakery covering not uniform or soggy.

119 Does not contain at least 50 percent, by weight, of fig filling. 78/

120 Not a sweet, baked fig odor or flavor.

215 Filling not uniform or not a dark golden brown color. 89/

216 Bakery covering not golden brown color.

217 Not soft.

Class 1, type I, bake type a, style Q, flavor 1 – White chocolate 

chip cookies, Raspberry 

121 Not sweet raspberry or not white chocolate odor or flavor.

122 Not crispy or not crunchy or not slightly crumbly or not with a 

firm bite.

218 Not a light tan to medium brown exterior or crumb.

219 White chocolate chips not a soft bite or not distributed throughout 

surface and interior.

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.

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3/ The trans fat content shall be verified by the NLEA “Nutrition Facts” label. Product not 

conforming to the trans fat content as specified in Section C of this document shall be cause 

for rejection of the lot.

34/ Construction of the oxygen scavenger and compliance with FDA regulations will be 

verified by Certificate of Conformance (CoC).

45/ The oxygen scavenger requirement is applicable to the following cookies:

Class 1, type I, bake type a, style A, flavor 1 – Shortbread cookies, Plain

Class 1, type I, bake type a, style D, shape (b) – Sugar cookies, Patriotic

Class 1, type I, bake type a, style Q, flavor 1 – White chocolate chip cookies, Raspberry

56/ Ten grams of cookie crumbs, i.e., not discernible pieces, per pouch. For fig bar cookie(s) 

more than 1/4 of cookie(s) is crushed.

67/ For a pouch with one or two cookies, more than three broken pieces per cookie. For 

pouches with three or more cookies, more than half of the cookies are broken into three or 

more pieces. For fig bar cookie(s), more than 1/4 of cookie(s) is broken.

78/ Weight of filling for the cookie shall be verified with a Certificate of Conformance 

(CoC). 

89/ Exposed fig filling that extends more than 1/4 the length of the cookie shall be scored a 

defect. A hairline crack that may or may not expose the fig filling shall not be scored a 

defect.

 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.

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 a. Commercially wrapped product with oxygen scavenger. The net weight shall be 

verified with the label on the commercial package. Product not conforming to the net weight 

requirement in Section C of this Packaging Requirements and Quality Assurance Provisions 

document shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

 b. Vacuum packed 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. Results shall be reported to the nearest 1 gram.

 c. Commercially wrapped vacuum packed product pouch. The net weight shall be 

verified with the label on the vacuum packed commercial package. Product not conforming 

to the net weight requirement in Section C of this Packaging Requirements and Quality 

Assurance Provisions document shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

 d. Filled pouch with oxygen scavenger. The net weight shall be determined by 

weighing each sample unit on a suitable scale tared with a representative empty pouch and an 

oxygen scavenger. Results shall be reported the nearest 1 gram. 

(3) Calorie content. The calorie content shall be verified by the NLEA “Nutrition 

Facts” label. Product not conforming to the calorie content as specified in Section C of this 

document shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

(4) Oxygen content testing (not applicable to vacuum packed pouches). Eight filled 

and sealed pouches shall be randomly selected from one production lot and individually 

tested for oxygen content. Testing shall be accomplished after the filled and sealed pouches 

have been allowed to equilibrate at room temperature for not less than 48 hours from the time 

of sealing. Test results shall be reported to the nearest 0.01 percent. Government verification 

will be conducted through actual testing by a Government laboratory. Any individual result 

not conforming to the oxygen content requirement shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

(5) Moisture content testing. Moisture content testing shall be in accordance with AA-20295C.

E-6 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PACKAGING AND PACKING 

MATERIALS)

 A. Packaging.

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(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.

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 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:

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 

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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.

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

(localized and aggregate).

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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 unfilled 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 for 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 

pouches. The sample unit shall be one filled and sealed 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 the form-fill-seal pouches, three adjacent specimens shall be cut from each side 

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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 bottom seals 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. 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 Forms

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

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 

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by Extrusion Plastometer

D1505 Standard Test Method for Density of Plastics by the DensityGradient Technique

D1974/D1974M 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 Shapes.

D5118/D5118M Standard Practice for Fabrication of Fiberboard Shipping 

Boxes 

F88/F88M Standard Test Method for Seal Strength of Flexible Barrier 

Materials

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For DLA Troop Support Website Posting

RDNS-SEC-F 23 January 2015

TO: DLA Troop Support - Subsistence

SUBJECT: ES15-020 (DSCP-SS-15-00447); Request change to Fat content requirements for 

Packaging Requirements and Quality Assurance Provisions (PKG&QAP) A-A-20295C, 

Cookies, Packaged in a Flexible Pouch, Shelf Stable, to incorporate a new Trans Fat Free 

requirement

1. Natick has initiated an Engineering Support change to incorporate a new requirement for 

Trans Fat Free in PKG&QAP A-A-20295C, Cookies, Packaged in a Flexible Pouch, Shelf 

Stable.

2. Research indicates that there may be a correlation between dietary intake of Trans Fatty 

Acid (TFA) and coronary heart disease (CHD), weight control, inflammatory response and 

immune dysfunction.

3. TFAs are formed when liquid oils are made into solid fats like shortening and hard 

margarine. However, a small amount of TFAs are found naturally, primarily in animal-based 

foods, including beef, butter and milk, although most TFAs in the diet come from partially 

hydrogenated oils.

4. TFAs have many functional benefits in food processing, particularly for baked products, 

including: increased oxidative stability; improved texture; and extended shelf life; all of 

which are extremely important to combat ration components. 

5. CFD initiated research to assess the occurrence and reduction of TFAs in combat ration 

components. Newly formulated TFA free products were produced and subjected to 

accelerated storage studies (6 months at 100°F) to determine the effect of the new 

formulation on quality, acceptability, and shelf life.

6. Samples for bakery items that had been stored for 6 months at 100o

F were evaluated by 

trained sensory panelists and results indicated the TFA free samples met shelf life 

performance requirements. 

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7. Based on these findings, Natick recommends the addition of a requirement for Cookies to 

have a trans fat content not greater than 0 grams per serving. The recommended change will 

not impact other standards related to product and performance, which will continue to be 

required to be met satisfactorily.

8. Natick submits the following changes to the subject document for all current, pending, 

and future procurements until the document is formally amended or revised.

a. page 4, Paragraph C-2, after “H(3)” insert the following new requirement “(4) Trans fat. 

The trans fat content shall be not greater than 0 grams per serving.”

b. page 10, Paragraph E-5, Table I Header, insert a new footnote “3/”. 

c. page 10, Paragraph E-5, Table I, major defect 102, delete footnote “3/”, after footnote 

“4/” insert footnote “5/”.

d. page 10, Paragraph E-5, Table I, major defect 103, delete footnote “5/” insert footnote 

“6/”.

e. page 10, Paragraph E-5, Table I, minor defect 201, delete footnote “6/” insert footnote 

“7/”.

f. page 13, Paragraph E-5, Table I, major defect 119, delete footnote “7/” insert footnote 

“8/”.

g. page 13, Paragraph E-5, Table I, minor defect 215, delete footnote “8/” insert footnote 

“9/”.

h. page 14, Paragraph E-5, Table I, Footnotes, after footnote 2/ insert the following new 

footnote “3/ The trans fat content shall be verified by the NLEA “Nutrition Facts” label. 

Product not conforming to the trans fat content as specified in Section C of this document 

shall be cause for rejection of the lot.” Renumber footnotes 3/ through 8/ accordingly.

9. Attached is Change 01, PKG&QAP A-A-20295C, Cookies, Packaged in a Flexible Pouch, 

Shelf Stable, dated 23 January 2015, with the changes highlighted.

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