PKG & QAP 

A-A-20210B 

18 September 2007 

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SECTION C

This document covers salsa packaged in flexible pouches 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-20210B SALSA, TOMATO-BASED AND SALSA VERDE 

Types, preparation, pungencies, and styles. 

Type II – Salsa verde 

 Preparation A – Shelf stable (cooked) 

 Pungency 3 – Medium 

 Style a – Regular 

Package. 

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 this 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. Net weight. The net weight of one serving shall be not less than 28 grams. 
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 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. Analytical and microbiological tests. The pH, salt, titratable acidity, and soluble solids 

requirements, procedures, and testing shall be in accordance with A-A-20210B. 

SECTION D

D-1 PACKAGING

 A. Packaging. Twenty-eight grams of product shall be filled in a preformed barrier pouch 

as described below. 

 (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 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, 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 2-9/16 by 5-5/16 inches. 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,B(1)a. Alternatively, the pouch shall exhibit no rupture or seal 

separation greater than 1/16 inch or seal separation that reduces the effective seal width to 

less than 1/16 inch when tested for internal pressure resistance as specified in E-6,B(1)c. 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 inserted into the pouch and the 

filled pouch shall be sealed 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 
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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 when tested as specified in E-6,B(1)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,B(1)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) Product name (letters not less than 1/8 inch high) 

(2) Ingredients 

(3) Date 1/ 

(4) Net weight 

(5) Name and address of packer 

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

Education Act (NLEA) and all applicable 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 2007 would be coded as 7045. 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 in a fiberboard shipping container constructed in accordance with style RSCL, 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-5 MARKING

 A. Shipping containers. Shipping containers shall be marked in accordance with 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/ASQ Z1.4, Sampling Procedures 

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

Sampling Plans indicated in ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 will be utilized. When required, the 

manufacturer shall provide the Certificate(s) of Conformance to the appropriate inspection 

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

 A. Definitions. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

as follows: 

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

be inspected in accordance with the provisions of this document and evaluated for 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 Research, Development, and Engineering 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 examinations 

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 A-A-20210B 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/ 

Categor Defect 
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y 

Major Mino

r

General

101 Product not type or not preparation or not pungency or not style as 

specified. 

Appearance

201 Product not a green color with tomatillos or onions or peppers. 

202 Tomatillos or onions not discernible fine pieces. 

203 Peppers not discernible pieces. 

Odor and flavor

102 Product not a slightly acidic flavor. 

103 Product not the odor or flavor of tomatoes with spices and peppers. 

104 Product bitter or excessively hot flavor. 

Weight

204 Net weight of an individual pouch less than 28 grams. 

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

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

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

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

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

 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 examination. 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. 

E-6 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PACKAGING AND PACKING 

MATERIALS)

 A. Packaging. 

 (1) Pouch material certification. A Certificate of Conformance (CoC) may be 

accepted as evidence that the characteristics below conform to the specified requirements. 

Requirement Requirement 

paragraph

Test procedure

Thickness of films for laminated 

material 

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

Aluminum foil thickness D-1,A(1)a 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 FEDSTD-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 

 (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 
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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. 

TABLE II. Filled and sealed pouch defects 1/ 

Categor

y 

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 nick or notch or serrations 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. 
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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: 

 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. 
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 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. 

 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 F 88, 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 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 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 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 
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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 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 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

Categor

y 

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

DSCP FORMS 

DSCP FORM 3556 Marking Instructions for Boxes, Sacks, and Unit Loads 

of Perishable and Semiperishable Subsistence 
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FEDERAL STANDARD 

FED-STD-595 Colors Used in Government Procurement 

NON-GOVERNMENTAL STANDARDS 

AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR QUALITY (ASQ) 

ANSI/ASQ 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-05ae1 Standard Practice for Fabrication of Fiberboard 

Shipping Boxes 

F 88-07 Standard Test Method for Seal Strength of Flexible 

Barrier Materials