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SECTION C

This document covers dry, non-dairy creamer 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-20043A, CREAMER, NON-DAIRY, DRY 

Packages. 

Package A – Meal, Cold Weather (MCW) 

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

Package C – Meal, Ready-To-Eat (MRE) 

C-2 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

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

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

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

The approved sample shall serve as the Product Standard. Should the contractor at any time 

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

methodologies from the approved Product Standard, which result in a product non 

comparable to the Product Standard, the contractor shall arrange for a new or alternate FA or 

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

document including Product Standard comparability. 

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

months at 80o

F. 

C. Net weight. The net weight of one serving of product shall be 4 grams. 

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

the approved product standard in palatability and overall appearance. 

E. Dispersability. The product shall readily dissolve in hot coffee in 15 seconds and show 

no evidence of curdling, feathering, or undissolved floating particles. 

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SECTION D

D-1 PACKAGING

A. Packaging. Not less than 4 grams of non-dairy creamer shall be filled into an envelope 

having maximum outside dimensions of 3-5/8 inches by 2-3/4 inches. The envelope shall be 

made from a heated sealable barrier material, one layer of which is a minimum of 0.00035 

inch thick aluminum foil. All four edges of the envelope shall be heat-sealed with seals not 

less than 1/8 inch wide. The sealed envelope shall not leak when examined in accordance 

with Section E-6, B. (1). There shall be no crushed, misshapen or unclean envelopes. 

B. Intermediate packaging. When specified, ten envelopes of non-dairy creamer, as 

specified above, shall be packed in a close fitting bag made from clear, food grade 

polyethylene film having a minimum thickness of 0.003 inches. Closure shall be by folding 

the open end down over the body of the bag and taping. 

D-2 LABELING

A. Labeling. Each envelope shall be clearly printed or stamped in a manner that does not 

damage the envelope, with permanent black ink or any other contrasting color, which is free 

of carcinogenic elements. The following information shall be printed on the envelope at 

random provided that the complete information appears at least once on the envelope: 

CREAMER, NON-DAIRY, DRY 

(letters not less than 1/8 inch high) 

FOR COFFEE OR TEA 

4 GRAMS NET WEIGHT 

Dissolve contents in 1/3 canteen cup (8 oz) of beverage 

Name and address of manufacturer 

D-3 PACKING

A. Packing for shipment to ration assembler. Not more than 40 pounds of pouched product 

shall be packed in a fiberboard shipping container constructed in accordance with style RSCL, class domestic, variety SW, grade 200 of ASTM D5118/D5118M-95(2001) Standard 

Practice for Fabrication of Fiberboard Shipping Boxes. Each container shall be securely 

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closed in accordance with ASTM D1974-98 Standard Practice for Methods of Closing, 

Sealing, and Reinforcing Fiberboard Boxes. 

D-4 MARKING

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

FORM 3556, Marking Instructions for Shipping Cases, Sacks and Palletized/Containerized 

Loads of Perishable and Semiperishable Subsistence. 

SECTION E INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

The following quality assurance criteria, utilizing ANSI/ASQC Z1.4-1993, Sampling 

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

Single Sampling Plans indicated in ANSI/ASQC Z1.4-1993 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 overall 

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

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

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

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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 Soldier & Biological Chemical Command 

Soldiers System Ctr., Natick Soldier Center 

Attn: AMSSB-RCF-F(N) 

15 Kansas Street 

Natick, MA 01760-5018 

One lot shall be randomly selected during each calendar month of production. Six (6) sample 

units of each item produced shall be randomly selected from that one production lot. The six 

(6) sample units shall be shipped to Natick within five working days from the end of the 

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

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

quality. 

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

examination and the methods of inspection cited in this section. 

E-5 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PRODUCT)

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

performance requirements specified in Section C of this Packaging Requirements and 

Quality Assurance Provisions document utilizing the double sampling plans indicated in 

ANSI/ASQC Z1.4 - 1993. The lot size shall be expressed in envelopes. The sample unit shall 

be the contents of one envelope. The inspection level shall be S-3 and the acceptable quality 

level (AQL), expressed in terms of defects per hundred units, shall be 1.5 for major defects 

and 4.0 for minor defects. Defects and defect classifications are listed in Table I. 

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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 

Category Defect

Major Minor

101 Product not dry, non-dairy creamer. 

102 Presence of any objectionable flavor or odor, such as, malty, 

tallowy, soapy, bitter, beany, or painty. 

103 Product does not dispense within 15 seconds or shows 

evidence of curdling, feathering or undissolved particles. 

104 Product does not impart a sweet, creamy flavor. 

201 Presence of lumps. 3/ 

202 Not a free flowing granular powder. 

203 Not white or light cream color. 

204 Net weight not as specified. 

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

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

rancid, sour, or stale 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/ Lumps that do not fall apart under light pressure between the fingers shall be scored as a 

defect. 

B. Methods of Inspection. 

(1) Shelf life. The contractor shall provide a certificate of conformance that the 

product has a 3 year shelf life when stored at 80°F. Government verification may include 

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

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

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

to be considered acceptable. 

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

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

Results shall be reported to the nearest 0.1 gram. 

(3) Dispersability test. To 8 ounces (227 ml) of potable water at 175°F to 180°F 

(79°C to 82°C) contained in a clean transparent glass vessel, add 2.5 grams of instant coffee. 

Add 4 grams of dry cream substitute and observe for product dissolving in 15 seconds, no 

evidence of curdling, feathering, or undissolved particles. After observing this, stir the coffee 

for 15 seconds. Observe the whitening power of the cream substitute, which shall be 

equivalent to the color rendered by addition of homogenized milk to coffee prepared in the 

same manner 1/. There shall be no sediment on the bottom of the vessel after one minute of 

standing following the stirring. The sample for inspection shall be a 4 gram composite drawn 

from the number of sample units called for by Table I. Nonconformance to one or more of 

the requirements shall be cause for rejection of the lot. 

1/ To a second 8 ounce (227 ml) portion of prepared coffee add 1 ounce (30 ml) of 

homogenized milk. 

(4) Salmonella and microbiological testing. The filled and sealed pouches shall be 

tested as specified in A-A-20043A, and this NOTE shall be applied to that testing process: 

“NOTE: The following conditions apply for salmonella and microbiological testing: 

(1) For prepackaged product received from a supplier and is not further 

processed, the contractor will furnish a Certificate of Analysis that the product 

represented is Salmonella Negative and meets all microbiological 

requirements. 

(2) For bulk product received, the contractor is responsible for providing a 

certificate of analysis stating that the bulk product is Salmonella negative and 

meets all microbiological requirements. USDA salmonella and additional 

microbiological testing is required for each end item lot and shall be the basis 

for lot acceptance with respect to Salmonella and other microbiological 

testing requirements.” 

E-6 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PACKAGING AND PACKING 

MATERIALS)

A. Packaging and labeling. 

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(1) Envelope material certification. Conformance to thickness of envelope laminate 

foil and polyethylene components and basis weight of paper component requirements shall 

be determined by certificate of conformance.

(2) Filled and sealed envelope examination. The filled and sealed envelopes shall be 

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

The sample unit shall be one envelope. The inspection level shall be I and the AQL, 

expressed in terms of defects per hundred units, shall be 0.65 for major defects and 2.5 for 

minor defects. 

TABLE II. Filled and sealed envelope defects 1/ 

Category Defect

Major Minor

101 Tear, hole, open seal, or sifter. 2/ 

102 Envelopes exceed maximum length and width (3-5/8 by 2-3/4 

inches). 

103 Crushed or misshapen resulting in two or more creases in the 

product area of the envelope. 

104 Leakage. 3/ 

105 Seal separation. 3/ 

106 Delamination. 3/ 

107 Envelope not heat sealed on all four edges with minimum 1/8 

inch wide seals. 

108 Unclean.

109 Envelope has foreign odor. 

201 Label is missing, incorrect, or illegible. 

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

2/ A sifter is an envelope which loses any amount of contents when shaken vigorously. 

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3/ Examine envelope after removal from leakage test apparatus. 

B. Methods of Inspection. 

(1) Leakage test. The filled and sealed envelopes shall be tested by placing them in a 

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

mercury (atmospheric pressure is 29.9 inches of mercury) for 30 seconds. Any envelope that 

does not swell to form a tightly distended package having at least one distorted edge during 

the test shall be recorded as a leaker. After vacuum testing, the envelopes shall be visually 

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

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

shall be recorded as a defect. 

C. Packing. 

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

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

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

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

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

TABLE III. Shipping container defects

Category Defect

Major Minor

101 Marking omitted, incorrect, illegible, or improper size, location 

sequence or method of application.. 

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

DSCP FORMS 

DSCP FORM 3556 Marking Instructions for Shipping Cases, Sacks and 

Palletized/ Containerized Loads of Perishable and 

Semiperishable Subsistence 

NON-GOVERNMENTAL STANDARDS 

AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR QUALITY (ASQ) 

ANSI/ASQCZ1.4-1993 Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection by 

Attributes 

ASTM International 

D1974-98 Standard Practice for Methods of 

Closing, Sealing, and Reinforcing 

Fiberboard Boxes 

D5118/D5118M-95 (2001) Standard Practice for Fabrication of 

Fiberboard Shipping Boxes 

AMSSB-RCF-FN (Valvano/4259) 14 August 2003 

TO: DSCP-HRAC (Lowry/7773) 

Subject: ES 03-094; DSCP-SS-03-03266; Document changes; inserting new verification 

conditions for microbiological and aflatoxin requirements 

Date recv’d: 3 Apr 03 

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Date due: 24 Apr 03 

Date extended: OPEN 

Date replied: 14 August 03 

Refs: 

 (a) Conference call (Natick/USDA/DSCP/User Services Reps/Vetcom), Feb 10, 2003, 

subject: Salmonella Testing, discuss issue from JSORF on salmonella testing of commercial 

vs. military products 

 (b) Follow up to ES02-189; dated 4 Mar 03, subject: Document changes, PCR-D-002 

Dairyshake Powder, Fortified with Calcium and Vitamin D, Packaged in a Flexible Pouch; 

A-A-20043A Creamer, Nondairy, Dry; PKGQAP for A-A-20336 Coffees, Flavored, Instant, 

Powdered; MIL-C-3031J Cocoa Beverage Powder, inserting new verification conditions for 

Salmonella negative requirements 

 (c) Govt meeting at R&DA May 29 03, subject: Discuss verification for Salmonella, 

aflatoxin, and microbiology requirements 

1. Based on the ref case, DSCP requested that Natick apply the same verification criteria for 

microbiological testing methods in the subject documents as well. Aerobic plate and standard 

plate and coliform counts and aflatoxin levels would be covered using this new verification 

process. The documents affected are as follows: 

PKG&QAP for A-A-20043A Creamer, Nondairy, Dry 

PKG&QAP for A-A-20336 Coffees, Flavored, Instant, Powdered 

MIL-C-3031J Cocoa Beverage Powder 

PCR-D-002 Dairyshake Powder, Fortified with Calcium and Vitamin D, Packaged in a 

Flexible Pouch 

PCR-N-002 Nut Raisin Mix 

PKG&QAP for A-A-20164B Nuts, Shelled 

PKG&QAP for A-A-20328 Peanut Butter and Peanut Spread 

2. In ref a and c, the discussion on Salmonella determined: 

 (a) Services restated the requirement that salmonella negative was a valid requirement; and 

 (b) Differences exist between product received in packets (and product not further 

processed except for overwrapping or placement in accessory or meal bag), and product 

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received in bulk and filled into packets for assembly, and whether a certificate of analysis 

(COA) is acceptable in lieu of testing. 

3. Based on a review of the subject case and ref a and c, it was decided to include 

MICROBIOLOGICAL VERIFICATION with the salmonella statement. Separate statements 

will also be added for those items needing AFLATOXIN NEGATIVE VERIFICATION 

testing. These will be additional verifications added to the documents, which may already 

include the salmonella version. 

4. Natick requests DSCP implement the changes cited below for the subject documents for 

all current, pending, and future procurements until the documents are formally amended or 

revised: 

 (a) In the documents (coffee flavored, cocoa beverage powder, nondairy creamer & 

dairyshake powder) section where the microbiological testing paragraph is specified, delete 

the current “salmonella statement” and insert the following statements at the end: 

Page 2 

ES03-094 

“NOTE: The following conditions apply for salmonella and microbiological testing: 

(3) For prepackaged product received from a supplier and is not further 

processed, the contractor will furnish a Certificate of Analysis that the product 

represented is Salmonella Negative and meets all microbiological 

requirements. 

(4) For bulk product received, the contractor is responsible for providing a 

certificate of analysis stating that the bulk product is Salmonella negative and 

meets all microbiological requirements. USDA salmonella and additional 

microbiological testing is required for each end item lot and shall be the basis 

for lot acceptance with respect to Salmonella and other microbiological 

testing requirements.” 

 (b) In the documents (nuts shelled & nut raisin mix & peanut butter spread) section where 

the aflatoxin testing paragraph is specified, insert the following statements at the end: 

 “NOTE: The following conditions apply for aflatoxin testing on nuts shelled: 

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(1) For prepackaged product received from a supplier and is not further processed, 

the contractor will furnish a Certificate of Analysis that the aflatoxin in the 

roasted peanuts (in the case of roasted peanuts end item) represented is not 

greater than 15 parts per billion (ppb). No additional testing is required. 

(2) For roasted peanuts received in bulk (to be used in roasted peanuts end item), the 

contractor shall have the bulk shipment sampled and tested by USDA. If (a) 

the bulk shipment is not more than 2 ppb for aflatoxin as evidenced by a 

USDA Certificate, (b) the end item lots are manufactured using that bulk 

product, and (c) both the bulk and end item lots’ identities have been 

preserved, then no further aflatoxin testing is required. 

(3) If roasted peanuts are received in bulk (to be used in roasted peanuts end item), 

and the conditions in (2) above are not met, each end-item lot must be 

sampled and tested by USDA. End item lots determined to be not greater than 

15 ppb in aflatoxin as evidenced by a USDA Certificate will be considered 

acceptable. Bulk roasted peanuts with aflatoxin greater than 15 ppb shall not 

be used as ingredients.” 

 “NOTE: The following conditions apply for aflatoxin testing on nut raisin mix: 

(1) For prepackaged product received from a supplier and is not further processed, 

the contractor will furnish a Certificate of Analysis that the aflatoxin in the 

roasted peanuts (in the case of roasted peanuts end item) represented is not 

greater than 15 parts per billion (ppb). No additional testing is required. 

(2) For roasted peanuts received in bulk (to be used in nut raisin mix end item), the 

contractor shall have the bulk shipment sampled and tested by USDA. If (a) 

the bulk shipment is not more than 2 ppb for aflatoxin as evidenced by a 

USDA Certificate, (b) the end item lots are manufactured using that bulk 

product, and (c) both the bulk and end item lots’ identities have been 

preserved, then no further aflatoxin testing is required. 

(3) If roasted peanuts are received in bulk (to be used in nut raisin mix end item), and 

the conditions in (2) above are not met, the bulk roasted peanut product may 

not be used as an ingredient. Rework or segregation of portions of the bulk 

lot, and further testing may be considered on a case by case basis.” 

Page 3 

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 “NOTE: The following conditions apply for aflatoxin testing on peanut butter spread: 

(1) For prepackaged peanut butter received from a supplier and is not further 

processed, the contractor will furnish a Certificate of Analysis that the 

product represented is not greater than 15 ppb for aflatoxin. 

(2) For bulk peanut butter received, the contractor is responsible for providing a 

USDA certificate of analysis stating that the bulk product is not greater than 

15 ppb in aflatoxin. When end item lots are manufactured using that bulk 

peanut butter and both the bulk and end item lots’ identities have been 

preserved, then no further aflatoxin testing is required. 

(3) If peanut butter is received in bulk, and the conditions in (2) above are not met, 

each end-item lot must be sampled and tested by USDA. End item lots 

determined to be not greater than 15 ppb in aflatoxin as evidenced by a USDA 

Certificate will be considered acceptable. Bulk peanut butter with aflatoxin 

greater than 15 ppb shall not be used as an ingredient. 

 (c) With regard to the MRE components using roasted peanuts, the following note should be 

included in those applicable DSCP contracts in order that the end item contain the most 

recent crop of product: 

“Note: A USDA certificate of analysis on roasted peanuts from the most recent 

crop year which have been kept in cold storage (between approximately 40-50 deg. F 

at low humidity) is acceptable. Contractor must attest to these storage conditions. If 

storage conditions for roasted peanuts are not established, a USDA certificate of 

analysis on roasted peanuts will be considered current if not more than 30 days have 

elapsed since the date of the analysis.” 

5. The changes will be made to the Natick prepared documents either in the item document 

or the PKGQAP supplement, as applicable. For DSCP prepared documents, the following 

notes apply: 

 (a) For A-A-20043A Creamer Nondairy Dry and A-A-20336 Cofees Flavored, Instant, the 

microbiological testing for standard plate and coliform counts is specified in the CID. 

Normally DSCP would need to make a change to the CID; however, in this case, Natick will 

insert the salmonella and microbiological verification in the PKGQAP for these items in the 

methods of inspection section. 

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 (b) For A-A-20164B Nuts, Shelled and A-A-20328 Peanut Butter, the aflatoxin testing is 

specified in the CID. Normally DSCP would need to make a change to the CID; however, in 

this case, Natick will insert aflatoxin verification in the PKGQAP for these items in the 

methods of inspection section. 

6. The updated applicable document files are attached with this message. 

7 attachments DONALD A. HAMLIN 

 Team Leader 

 Food Engineering Services Team

 Combat Feeding Directorate 

 R Valvano

CF: NSC: 

Aylward Trottier CF: DSCP & SVCs: 

Bennett Valvano Anthony Beward 

Friel Arcidiocona Arthur Malason 

Hamlin Ferrante Miller 

Hill Galligan Richardson H. 

Richards Kavanagh Salerno 

Sherman Lowry 

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