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SECTION C

This document covers fruit butters 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-20348, FRUIT BUTTERS 

Type and flavor. 

Type I - Regular 

Flavor A - Apple 

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 80°F. 

 C. Appearance. The regular apple fruit butter shall be thick, fine grained and smooth and 

shall have a reddish brown to dark brown color. 

 D. Odor and flavor. The regular apple fruit butter shall have the odor and flavor of sweet, 

spiced cooked apples. 

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

the approved product standard in palatability and overall appearance. 

 F. Net weight. The net weight shall be not less than 1.0 ounce. 
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 G. Analytical requirements. For the regular apple fruit butter, the pH and soluble solids 

requirements, procedures, and testing shall be in accordance with A-A-20348. 

SECTION D

D-1 PACKAGING

 A. Packaging. One ounce of product shall be filled into a preformed barrier pouch as 

described below. 

(1) Preformed pouch. 

 a. Pouch material. The preformed pouches shall be fabricated from 0.002 inch thick 

polyolefin 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. The polyolefin layer of bag material shall be suitably 

formulated for hot fill or post-fill processing. 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 

surface of the pouch shall be uniformly colored in the range of 20219, 30219, 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 2-7/8 inches wide by 5-3/8 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 when tested as specified in E-6, A,(4),a. 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 

as specified in E-6, A,(4),c. A tear notch shall be provided on one outside edge or two 

opposite outside edges of the pouch to facilitate easy 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. One ounce of fruit butter shall be filled into the pouch 

and the filled pouch shall be sealed. 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 
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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 when tested as specified in E-6,A,(4),b. 

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 as specified in E-6,A,(4),c. 

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) Contractor's name and address 

(6) “Nutrition Facts” label in accordance with the Nutrition Labeling and 

Education Act (NLEA) and all applicable FDA/USDA 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, 

15 August 2006 would be coded as 6227. The Julian day code shall represent the day the 

product was packaged into the pouch. 

D-3 PACKING

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

shall be packed flat in layers in a fiberboard shipping container constructed in accordance 

with style RSC-L, class domestic, variety SW, grade 200 of ASTM D 5118/D 5118M 

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

securely closed in accordance with ASTM D 1974 Standard Practice for Methods of Closing, 

Sealing, and Reinforcing Fiberboard Boxes. 

D-4 MARKING

 A. Shipping containers and unit loads. Marking of shipping containers and unit loads shall 

be as specified in DSCP FORM 3556 Marking Instructions for Boxes, Sacks, and Unit Loads 

of Perishable and Semiperishable Subsistence. 
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SECTION E INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

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

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

Sampling Plans indicated in ANSI/ASQC 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 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 

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 Center 

AMSRD-NSC-CF-F 

15 Kansas Street 

Natick, MA 01760-5018 

One lot shall be randomly selected during each calendar month of production. Six (6) sample 
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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 in A-A-20348 and specified in Section C of this Packaging 

Requirements and Quality Assurance Provisions document utilizing the double sampling 

plans indicated in ANSI/ASQC 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/ 3/ 

Category Defect 

Major Minor

101 Product not type and flavor specified. 

Appearance

 

102 Product not thick or not fine grained or not smooth. 

201 Product does not have a glossy or uniform or reddish brown to 

dark brown color. 

Odor and flavor

103 Product does not have the odor or flavor of sweet, spiced cooked 

apples. 

Texture

202 Product not thick or not fine grained. 

203 Product not smooth or not easily spreadable. 

Net weight

204 Net weight of an individual pouch less than 1.0 ounce. 

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

glass, metal or mold, or any foreign odors or 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/ Failure to meet the grade requirement shall be cause for rejection of the lot. 

 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 
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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. 

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

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

Results shall be reported to the nearest 0.1 ounce. 

E-6 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PACKAGING AND PACKING 

MATERIALS)

 A. Packaging. 

(1) Pouch material certification. Material listed below may be accepted on the basis 

of a contractor's Certificate of Conformance (CoC) to the indicated requirements. In addition, 

compliance to the requirements for inside pouch dimensions and dimensions of 

manufacturer's seals may be verified by CoC. 

Requirement

Requirement 

 paragraph 

 

Test procedure

Thickness of films for 

laminated material 

D-1,A,(1),a As specified in ASTM D 2103 1/ 

Aluminum foil thickness D-1,A,(1),a As specified in ASTM B 479 2/ 

Laminated material 

identification 

and construction 

D-1,A,(1),a 

 

Laboratory evaluation 

Color of laminated 

material 

D-1,A,(1),a Visual evaluation by FED-STD-595 3/ 

1/ ASTM D 2103 Standard Specification for Polyethylene Film and Sheeting 

2/ ASTM B 479 Standard Specification for Annealed Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Foil 

for Flexible Barrier, Food Contact, and Other Applications 

3/ FED-STD-595 Colors Used in Government Procurement 
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(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,A,(4),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. 

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. 

201 Label missing or incorrect or illegible. 

202 Tear notch missing or does not facilitate opening. 

203 Seal width less than 1/8 inch but greater than 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/ 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. 
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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 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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 c. Water spots. 

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. 

 (4) 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 F 88 Standard Test Method for 

Seal Strength of Flexible Barrier Materials. The lot size shall be expressed in pouches. 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 F 88. The lot size shall be expressed in pouches. 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. 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 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 
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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 cause for rejection of the lot. 

 B. 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 and marking defects

Category Defect 

Major Minor

101 Marking missing or incorrect or illegible. 

102 Inadequate workmanship. 1/ 

201 More than 40 pounds of product. 

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

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

DSCP FORMS 

DSCP 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) 

ANSI/ASQC Z1.4-2003 Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection by 

Attributes 

ASTM INTERNATIONAL 

B 479-06 Standard Specification for Annealed 

Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Foil 

for Flexible Barrier, Food Contact, 

and Other Applications 

D 1974-98 (2003) Standard Practice for Methods of 

Closing, Sealing, and Reinforcing 

Fiberboard Boxes 

D 2103-05 Standard Specification for 

Polyethylene Film and Sheeting 

D 5118/D 5118M-05a Standard Practice for Fabrication of 

Fiberboard Shipping Boxes 

F 88-06 Standard Test Method for Seal 

Strength of Flexible Barrier Materials 

AOAC INTERNATIONAL 

Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists 

International