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SECTION C

This document covers nuts 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-20164E NUTS, SHELLED, ROASTED

Types, size, styles, and agricultural practices.

Types, size, and styles.

Types, size, styles, package type, package sizes, agricultural practice, and packages. 

Type II - Peanuts, Virginia type or Runner type, dry roasted

 Style a - Salted

 Package type 1 - Individual serving pouch

 Package size b - 28.4 g (1.0 oz)

Type III - Cashews

 Size 2 - Halves (splits)

 Style c - Flavored (jalapeño)

 Package type 1 - Individual serving pouch

 Package size c - 38.0 g (1.3 oz)

 Package size g - Other

Type VI - Almonds (unblanched)

 Style c - Flavored (smoke)

 Package type 1 - Individual serving pouch

 Package size c - 38.0 g (1.3 oz)

 Package size g - Other

Agricultural practice.

Agricultural practice (1) - Conventional
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Packages.

Package A - Meal, Cold Weather

Package C - Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE)

Package E - Unitized Group Ration-Heat & Serve (UGR-H&S)

Package J - First Strike Ration® (FSR)

Package K - Unitized Group Ration-Express (UGR-E)

Package L - Food Packet, Modular Operational Ration Enhancement (MORE)

Package M - Close Combat Assault Ration (CCAR)

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. Type II, style a, agricultural practices (1). The dry roasted peanuts shall be a light to 

medium tan external and internal color.

 D. Net weight. The net weight of one serving of type II, style a shall be not less than 28 

grams. The net weight of one serving of type III, size 2, style c (jalapeño flavored) and type 

VI, style c (smoke flavored) shall be not less than 19 grams.

(1) Type II, style a, package type 1, package size b, package C. The net weight of one 

serving shall be not less than 28 grams. 

(2) Type III, size 2, style c, package type 1, package size c, packages C and M. The 

net weight of one serving shall be not less than 38 grams.
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(3) Type III, size 2, style c, package type 1, package size g, packages E and K. The 

net weight of one serving shall not be less than 19 grams. 

(4) Type VI, style c, package type 1, package size c, packages C and M. The net 

weight of one serving shall be not less than 38 grams.” 

(5) Type VI, style c, package type 1, package size g, packages A, J, and L. The net 

weight of one serving shall be not less than 19 grams. 

 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. Analytical and microbiological requirements. Analytical and microbiological 

requirements, procedures, and testing for salt, sodium, moisture, and aflatoxin shall be in 

accordance with A-A-20164E. 

SECTION D

D-1 PACKAGING

 A. Packaging. The nuts shall be packed in a preformed or form-fill-seal barrier pouch. 

(1) Preformed pouch. 

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

ionomer or polyethylene film laminated or extrusion coated to 0.00035 inch thick aluminum 

foil which is then laminated to 0.0005 inch thick polyester. 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 and shall conform to 

number 30219, 30227, 30279, 30313, 30324, or 30450 of SAE AMS-STD-595, Colors Used 

in Government Procurement. 

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

maximum inside dimensions of 3-3/4 inches wide by 5 inches long. For packages C (type II 

only), A, E, J, K, and L, the pouch shall be a flat style preformed pouch having maximum 
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inside dimensions of 3-3/4 inches wide by 5 inches long. For packages C and M (type III and 

type VI only), the pouch shall be a flat style preformed pouch having maximum inside 

dimensions of 4-3/4 inches wide by 6 inches long. The pouch shall be made by heat sealing 

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

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

specimen shall have a seal strength of less than 5 pounds per inch of width. 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. A tear nick, notch or serrations shall be provided to facilitate 

opening of the filled and sealed pouch. A 1/8 inch wide lip may be incorporated at the open 

end of the pouch. 

 c. Pouch filling and sealing. The product shall be filled into the pouch. The filled

pouch shall be sealed under a vacuum of not less than 25 inches of mercury with a minimum 

1/8 inch wide heat seal. The closure seal shall be free of foldover wrinkles or entrapped 

matter that reduces the effective closure seal width to less than 1/16 inch. Seals shall be free 

of impression or design on the seal surface that would conceal or impair visual detection of 

seal defects. The average seal strength shall be not less than 6 pounds per inch of width and 

no individual specimen shall have a seal strength of less than 5 pounds per inch of width. 

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 pouch. 

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

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

fabricated from a minimum of 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 
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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 the foil layer shall be plus or minus 

10 percent. The color requirements of the exterior (oriented polypropylene or polyester side) 

of the laminate shall be as specified in D-1,A(1)a. The material shall show no evidence of 

delamination, degradation, or foreign odor when heat sealed or fabricated into pouches. The 

material shall be suitably formulated for food packaging and shall not impart any odor or 

flavor to the product. 

 b. Pouch construction. The tray-shaped body and the tray-shaped cover shall be 

formed by drawing the flexible laminate material into an appropriately shaped cavity. The 

flat cover shall be in the form of a flat sheet of the barrier material taken from roll stock. The 

product 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 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. TheFor packages C (type II only), A, E, J, K, and L, maximum 

outside dimensions of the sealed pouch shall be 5 inches wide by 5-1/4 inches long. For 

packages C and M (type III and type VI only), maximum outside dimensions of the sealed 

pouch shall be 5-1/2 inches wide by 6 inches long. A tear nick, notch or serrations shall be 

provided to facilitate opening of the filled and sealed pouch. The sealed pouch shall not show 

any evidence of material degradation, aluminum stress cracking, delamination or foreign 

odor. Heat seals shall be free of entrapped matter that reduces the effective closure 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.

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
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(3) Date 1/

(4) Net weight

(5) Name and address of packer

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

 and Education Act (NLEA) and all applicable 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 2030 would be coded as 0045. The Julian day code shall represent the day the 

product was packaged into the pouch.Each pouch shall have the date of pack noted by using 

either a four-digit code or five-digit code. When using the four-digit code, begin with the 

final digit of the current year followed by the three-digit Julian code. For example, 14 

February 2050 would be coded as 0045. When using the five-digit code, begin with the 

decade digit of the current year followed by the three-digit Julian code. For example, 14 

February 2050 would be coded as 50045. The Julian code shall represent the day the product 

was packaged into the pouch. 

D-3 PACKING

 A. Packing. Not more than 40 pounds of product shall be packed in a fiberboard shipping 

box constructed in accordance with style RSC-L of ASTM D5118/D5118M, Standard 

Practice for Fabrication of Fiberboard Shipping Boxes. The fiberboard shall conform to type 

CF, class D, variety SW, minimum burst grade 200 or ECT 32 of ASTM D4727/D4727M, 

Standard Specification for Corrugated and Solid Fiberboard Sheet Stock (Container Grade) 

and Cut Shapes. Each box shall be closed in accordance with ASTM D1974/D1974M, 

Standard Practice for Methods of Closing, Sealing, and Reinforcing Fiberboard Boxes.

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 
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provide the Certificate(s) of Conformance to the appropriate inspection activity.

Certificate(s) of Conformance not provided shall be cause for rejection of the lot. 

 A. Definitions. 

(1) Critical defect. A critical defect is a defect that judgment and experience indicate 

would result in hazardous or unsafe conditions for individuals using, maintaining, or 

depending on the item; or a defect that judgment and experience indicate is likely to prevent 

the performance of the major end item, i.e., the consumption of the ration.

(2) Major defect. A major defect is a defect, other than critical, that is likely to result 

in failure, or to reduce materially the usability of the unit of product for its intended purpose. 

(3) Minor defect. A minor defect is a defect that is not likely to reduce materially the 

usability of the unit of product for its intended purpose, or is a departure from established 

standards having little bearing on the effective use or operation of the unit.

 B. Classification of inspections. The inspection requirements specified herein are classified 

as follows:

(1) Product standard inspection. The first article or product demonstration model shall 

be inspected in accordance with the provisions of this document and evaluated for 

appearance, odor, flavor, and texture. Any failure to conform to the performance 

requirements or any appearance or palatability failure shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

(2) Periodic review evaluation. The approved first article or product demonstration 

model shall be used as the product standard for periodic review evaluations. All food 

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: 

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

FCDD-SCC-EMR

COMBAT CAPABILITIES DEVELOPMENT COMMAND-SOLDIER CENTER

10 GENERAL GREENE AVENUE

NATICK, MA 01760-5056 

One lot shall be randomly selected during each calendar month of production or as otherwise 
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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. 

 (3) Conformance inspection. Conformance inspection shall include the 

examinations/tests and methods of inspection cited in this section. 

E-5 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PRODUCT)

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

performance requirements specified in A-A-20164E and Section C of the 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/ 4/ 5/ 6/ 7/

Category Defect

Major Minor

General

101 Product not type or not size or not style or not flavor or not 

package type or not package size or not agricultural practice as 

specified.

201 Surface of roasted shelled nuts do not have an evenly distributed

coating of salt or fine seasoning dust, as applicable, or shows 

excessive caking of salt.

202 Roasted shelled nuts excessively coated with oil.

203 Nuts do not have a firm or not a crisp bite or not a chew or do not 

have a fresh nut texture or are excessively hard.
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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 6/ 7/- Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

Type II, style a, agricultural practice (1)

Peanuts, Virginia type or Runner type, dry roasted, salted, 

conventional 

204 Peanuts not a light to medium tan external or internal color.

205 Type II, package C pouch contains less than 28 grams of product.

Type III, size 2, style c, agricultural practice (1)

Cashews, halves (splits), jalapeño flavored, conventional 

102 Cashews not a fresh roasted cashew odor or flavor or not with a 

distinct jalapeño odor or flavor. 

206 Type III, packages C and M pouch contains less than 38 grams of 

product. 

2067 Type III, packages E and K pouch contains less than 19 grams of 

product. 

Type VI, style c, agricultural practice (1)

Almonds (unblanched), smoke flavored, conventional 

2078 Almonds not whole or skin not cinnamon-brown or skin not intact.

103 Almonds not a fresh roasted odor or flavor or not with a distinct 

smoke odor or flavor.

209 Type VI, packages C and M pouch contains less than 38 grams of 

product. 

20810 Type VI, packages A, J, and L pouch contains less than 19 grams 

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

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

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

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

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

3/ Grade or quality requirements or class requirements of UNECE (type III only) for nuts as 

specified in A-A-20164E shall be verified by Certificate of Conformance (CoC). 

4/ The sodium content requirements shall be verified by the nut supplier’s Certificate of 

Analysis (CoA). The salt coating or seasoning requirements, as applicable, shall be verified 

by CoC. 

5/ The requirement for composition of single variety nuts shall be as specified in table III of 

A-A-20164E and shall be verified by the nut supplier's CoC. 

6/ The requirement for percent splits and small pieces by weight for Type II (peanuts) and 

Type III (cashews), not more than 25.0 percent splits and not more than 4.0 percent and 10.0 

percent respectively small pieces, and for Type VI (almonds), not more than 10.0 percent 

splits and not more than 4.0 percent small pieces as specified in A-A-20164E shall be 

verified by USDA upon the first production lot and each subsequent replenishment PDM 

during a contract cycle. A CoC for percent splits and small pieces shall be provided on all 

lots produced between PDM replenishments. 

7/ The producer shall provide a CoC from the supplier for each incoming lot indicating that

the nuts supplied and used meet all the requirements for the latest season’s crop at the time of 

issue. The CoC shall be dated, state the harvest period for the lot(s) (for example – Harvested 

during October 2020 through January 2021 crop season), and identify the lot(s) covered by 

the CoC. Any nonconformance to this requirement shall be cause for rejection of any 

component lot(s) or any involved product. 

 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 
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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. 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. Product not conforming to the net weight 

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

(3) Aflatoxin. The sample to be analyzed shall be a composite of eight filled and 

sealed pouches which have been selected at random from the lot. The composited sample 

shall be prepared and analyzed in accordance with the AOAC International Official Methods 

of Analysis (OMA) method 998.03 or 991.31 A-F, H, with preparation of the sample 

performed according to AOAC International OMA method 977.16. Test results shall be 

reported to the nearest whole number. Government verification will be conducted through 

actual testing by a Government laboratory. Any result not conforming to the requirement 

shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

NOTE: The following conditions apply for aflatoxin testing:

 a. For prepackaged nuts received from a supplier that are not further 

processed, the contractor will furnish a CoA that the aflatoxin in the nut ingredients is 

not greater than 15 ppb. No additional testing is required. Results shall be reported to 

the nearest whole number. 

b. For nuts received in bulk, the contractor can accept a USDA certificate that 

the aflatoxin in the bulk lot is below 15 ppb. If a USDA certificate does not 

accompany the bulk lot, the following alternate method of inspection may be used. 

The contractor shall have the bulk shipment sampled and tested by USDA. (Sampling 

shall take place at the contractor location where the finished product will be placed 

into the pouch.) 

 (i) Three sets of representative, independently-drawn samples shall be 

submitted to the laboratory for testing – the number of sampling points and quantity 

of roasted peanuts, almonds and cashews per sampling point to be determined using 

USDA procedures. Each of the three sets of samples shall be composited and 

respectively designated as test sample 1, test sample 2, and test sample 3.
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 (ii) Lots will be reported as negative for aflatoxin if test sample 1 has 

an aflatoxin level at or below 5 ppb. If test sample 1 is at or above 25 ppb the lot fails. 

 (iii) If the aflatoxin level for test sample 1 is above 5 ppb and less than 

25 ppb, test sample 2 may be analyzed. Test results for test sample 1 and 2 will be 

averaged. If the average aflatoxin level for test samples 1 and 2 is 10 ppb or less the 

lot will be reported as negative for aflatoxin, but fails if the aflatoxin level is at or 

above 20 ppb. 

 (iv) If the average value for test samples 1 and 2 is above 10 ppb but 

less than 20 ppb, test sample 3 may be analyzed. The results of test samples 1, 2 and 3 

will be averaged. If the average aflatoxin level for test samples 1, 2, and 3 is 15 ppb 

or less the lot will be reported as negative for aflatoxin. If the average aflatoxin level 

for test samples 1, 2, and 3 is above 15 ppb the lot fails.

 (v) Bulk lots determined to be conforming for aflatoxin as evidenced 

by a USDA certificate, in accordance with the above procedures will be considered 

acceptable for use as ingredients. Results shall be reported to the nearest whole 

number. No additional finished product aflatoxin testing is required if the end item 

lots are manufactured using that bulk product and both the bulk and end item lots’ 

identities have been preserved. Bulk nuts with aflatoxin greater than 15 ppb shall not 

be used as ingredients. 

 c. If nuts are received in bulk, and the conditions in (b) above are not met, 

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

determined to have not greater than 15 ppb in aflatoxin in the roasted peanuts, 

almonds, and cashews as evidenced by a USDA Certificate will be considered 

acceptable.

NOTE: A USDA CoA on nuts from the most recent crop year which have been kept 

in cold storage (between approximately 40°F to 50°F at low humidity) is acceptable. 

Contractor must attest to these storage conditions. If storage conditions for the nuts are not 

established, a USDA CoA for aflatoxin on the nuts will be considered current if not more 

than 30 days have elapsed since the date of the analysis.

E-6 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PACKAGING AND PACKING 

MATERIALS)
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 A. Packaging. 

(1) Pouch material certification. The pouch material shall be tested for these 

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

specified requirements.

Characteristic Requirement paragraph Test procedure

Thickness of films for laminated 

material

D-1,A(1)a and D-1,A(2)a ASTM D 2103 1/

Aluminum foil thickness D-1,A(1)a and D-1,A(2)a ASTM B 479 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 SAE-AMS-STD-595 3/

1/ ASTM D2103 Standard Specification for Polyethylene Film and Sheeting 

2/ ASTM B479 Standard Specification for Annealed Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Foil 

for Flexible Barrier, Food Contact, and Other Applications 

3/ Colors Used in Government Procurement

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

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

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

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

(3) Pouch vacuum examination. When applicable, the filled and sealed pouches shall 

be visually examined for conformance to the vacuum requirement not less than 96 hours after 

filling and sealing. The sealed pouch shall continue to exhibit tight adherence to the surface 

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

force shall be applied by holding each side seal between thumb and forefinger of each hand, 

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

shall be classified as a major defect. The lot size shall be expressed in pouches. The sample 

unit shall be one filled and sealed pouch. The inspection level shall be I and the AQL, 

expressed in terms of defects per hundred units, shall be 0.65. 
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(4) Filled and sealed pouch examination. The filled and sealed pouches shall be 

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

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

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

TABLE II. Filled and sealed pouch defects 1/

Category Defect

Major Minor

101 Tear or hole or open seal.

102 Seal width less than 1/16 inch. 2/

103 Presence of delamination. 3/

104 Unclean pouch. 4/

105 Pouch has foreign odor.

106 Any impression or design on the heat seal surfaces which 

conceals or impairs visual detection of seal defects. 5/ 

107 Not packaged as specified.

108 Presence of stress cracks in the aluminum foil. 6/ 7/

201 Label missing or incorrect or illegible.

202 Tear nick or notch or serrations missing or does not facilitate 

opening. 

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.
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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 

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

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

with a clean dry cloth. 

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

face (localized and aggregate).

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

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

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

6/ Applicable to form-fill-seal pouches only. 

7/ The initial examination shall be a visual examination of the closed package. Any suspected 

visual evidence of stress cracks in the aluminum foil (streaks, breaks, or other disruptions in 

the laminated film) shall be verified by the following physical examination. To examine for 

stress cracks, the inside surface of both tray-shaped bodies shall be placed over a light source 

and the outside surface observed for the passage of light. Observation of light through the 

pouch material in the form of a curved or straight line greater than 2 mm in length shall be 

evidence of the presence of stress cracks. Observation of light through the pouch material in 

the form of a curved or straight line 2 mm in length or smaller or of a single pinpoint shall be 

considered a pinhole. Observation of ten or more pinholes per pouch shall be evidence of 

material degradation.

 B. Methods of inspection. 

(1) 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 
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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 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 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 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 
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in shipping containers. The sample unit shall be one shipping container fully packed. The 

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

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

TABLE III. Shipping container and marking defects

Category Defect

Major Minor

101 Marking missing or incorrect or illegible.

102 Inadequate workmanship. 1/

201 More than 40 pounds of product.

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

flaps, loose strapping, inadequate stapling, improper taping, or bulged or distorted container. 

SECTION J REFERENCE DOCUMENTS

Unless otherwise specified, the applicable version of these documents is that which is active 

on the date of the solicitation or contract.

DLA Troop Support Form

Form 3556 Marking Instructions for Boxes, Sacks, and Unit Loads of 

Perishable and Semiperishable Subsistence

NON-GOVERNMENTAL STANDARDS

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

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

Attributes

AOAC INTERNATIONAL www.aoac.org

Official Methods of Analysis (OMA) of AOAC International 

ASTM International www.astm.org
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B479 Standard Specification for Annealed 

Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Foil for 

Flexible Barrier, Food Contact, and Other 

Applications 

D1238 Standard Test Method for Melt Flow Rates of 

Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer

D1505 Standard Test Method for Density of Plastics 

by the Density-Gradient Technique

D1974/D1974M Standard Practice for Methods of Closing, 

Sealing, and Reinforcing Fiberboard Boxes 

D2103 Standard Specifications for Polyethylene Film 

and Sheeting 

D4727/D4724M 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

SAE INTERNATIONAL www.sae.org

SAE AMS-STD-595 Colors Used in Government Procurement 

UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE (UNECE) 

www.unece.org

UNECE STANDARD DDP 17 Cashew Kernels