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SECTION C

This document covers thermostabilized beef burgundy packaged in polymeric trays for use 

by the Department of Defense as a component of operational rations.

C-1 ITEM DESCRIPTION

PCR-B-044, BURGUNDY BEEF STEW, PACKAGED IN A POLYMERIC TRAY, 

SHELF STABLE

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 Performance-based Contract Requirements (PCR) 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 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. Commercial sterility. The packaged product shall be processed until commercially 

sterile.

 C. Shelf life. The finished product shall meet the minimum shelf life requirement of 36 

months at 80°F.

 D. Appearance.

(1) General. The finished product shall be burgundy beef stew (cooked beef in 

burgundy gravy with vegetables). The finished product shall be free from foreign materials.

(2) Beef. The beef dices shall be produced from whole muscle beef cuts and shall be 

sizes typically produced by a 1 inch by 1 inch by 1/2 inch dicer setting and shall be 

practically free of bone or bone fragments, cartilage, coarse connective tissue, tendons or 

ligaments, and glandular material. The beef shall have a cooked beef color. 

(3) Vegetables. The vegetables shall be as follows:
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 a. Potatoes. Potatoes shall be dice sizes typically produced by a 1/2 inch by 1/2

inch by 1 inch dicer setting. The potatoes shall have a cooked potato color.

 b. Carrots. Carrots shall be slices of 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch thick by 7/8 inch to 1-1/4 

inch in diameter. The carrots shall have a cooked carrot color.

 c. Pearl onions. Pearl onions shall have a cooked onion color.

 d. Mushrooms. Mushrooms shall be slices of approximately 1/4 inch thick and 

shall have a cooked mushroom color.

 e. Celery. Celery shall be dice sizes typically produced by a 1/4 inch dicer setting. 

The celery shall have a cooked celery color influenced by the color of the gravy.

(4) Gravy. The gravy shall have a glossy, translucent, medium to dark reddish brown 

color with visible specks of spices.

 E. Odor and flavor. The packaged food shall have an odor and flavor of cooked beef with 

vegetables in a burgundy flavored gravy. The packaged food shall be free from foreign odors 

and flavors.

 F. Texture. 

(1) Beef. The beef shall be moist and tender.

(2) Vegetables. The vegetables shall be slightly soft to slightly firm.

(3) Gravy. The gravy shall be smooth and moderately thin to moderately thick.

 G. Net Weight. The average net weight shall be not less than 92 ounces. No individual 

polymeric tray shall have a net weight of less than 90 ounces.

 H. Drained weight. The average drained weight of shall be not less than 50.0 ounces. The 

drained weight of beef dices and vegetables (combined) in an individual polymeric tray shall 

be not less than 48.0 ounces.

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

the approved product standard in palatability and overall appearance.

 J. Analytical requirements.
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(1) Protein content. The protein content shall be not less than 8.5 percent.

(2) Fat content. The fat content shall be not greater than 4.0 percent.

(3) Salt content. The salt content shall be not less than 0.5 percent and not greater 

than 1.3 percent.

C-3 MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

THE FOLLOWING INGREDIENTS ARE FOR INFORMATION ONLY. THIS IS NOT A 

MANDATORY CONTRACT REQUIREMENT.

Ingredients. Seasoned Cooked Beef Pot Roast Chunks (beef, water, salt, dextrose, dehydrated 

onion and garlic, corn syrup solid, beef type flavor [natural flavor, maltodextrin, dried whey, 

dried cauliflower, sesame oil], hydrolyzed soy protein, sodium phosphates, autolyzed yeast, 

spice and spice extractives), Water, Carrots, Dehydrated Potatoes (potatoes, sodium acid 

pyrophosphate), Pearl Onions, Celery, Mushrooms (mushrooms, water, salt), Modified Food 

Starch, Burgundy Wine (Burgundy wine, salt, potassium meta bisulfite [preservative]), 

Tomato Paste, Beef Food Base [roasted beef including natural beef juices, autolyzed yeast 

extract, potato flour, maltodextrin (from corn), corn oil, natural flavorings, caramel color and 

paprika], Onion, Bacon (cured with water, salt, sugar, sodium phosphates, sodium 

erythorbate, sodium nitrite, smoke flavoring), Corn Oil, Vegetable Base (sauteed vegetables 

[carrot, onion, celery], sugar, salt, corn oil, potato flour and carrot powder), Salt, Enriched 

Flour, Worcestershire Sauce, Natural Roast Flavor (autolyzed yeast extract, natural flavor 

[contains soybeans, wheat], wheat bran, wheat, molasses, salt*), Sugar, Caramel Color, Soy 

Lecithin*, Beet Powder, Paprika, Garlic Powder, Spices.

*Contains: soy, wheat, MSG

NOTE: The product used was Beef Burgundy supplied by The Wornick Company, McAllen, 

TX. 

SECTION D

D-1 PACKAGING 

 A. Preservation. Product shall be filled into polymeric trays and the trays with protective 

sleeves shall conform to the requirements of section 3 of MIL-PRF-32004, Packaging of 

Food in Polymeric Trays. Verification testing and inspection of trays, lids and sleeves shall 

be in accordance with Section 4 of MIL-PRF-32004 and the Quality Assurance Provisions of 

Section E of this Performance-based Contract Requirements document.
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 B. Polymeric tray closure. The filled, sealed, and processed tray shall be securely closed.

D-2 LABELING

 A. Polymeric tray body. The polymeric tray body shall be clearly printed or stamped, in a 

manner that does not damage the tray, with permanent ink of any contrasting color, which is 

free of carcinogenic elements. One end of the polymeric tray (see figure 1 of MIL-PRF32004) shall be marked with the product name and number of portions. If the tray body end 

markings are not readily legible in low light conditions, a small, easily legible label shall be 

applied, but not over any existing tray markings. All other markings may be applied along 

the tray body side. To avoid erroneous marking of trays, the product name, lot number and 

filling equipment number shall be applied prior to processing. Additional tray marking may 

be applied before or after processing. 1/

Tray body markings shall include:

(1) Product name. Commonly used abbreviations may be used when 

authorized by the inspection agency.

(2) Tray code includes: 2/

 Lot Number

 Filling equipment identification number

 Retort identification number

 Retort cook number

 Official establishment number

1/ As an alternate method, tray body markings may be clearly printed or stamped onto the 

polymeric tray lid prior to processing, in a manner that does not damage the lid, with 

permanent ink of any contrasting color, which is free of carcinogenic elements, provided that 

the required markings are applied onto the tray body after processing.

2/ The lot number shall be expressed as a four digit Julian code. The first digit shall indicate 

the year of production and the next three digits shall indicate the day of the year (Example, 

2 May 2005 would be coded as 5122). The Julian code shall represent the day the product 

was packaged into the tray and processed. Sublotting (when used) shall be represented by an 

alpha character immediately following the four digit Julian code. Following the four digit 

Julian code and the alpha character (when used), the other required code information shall be 

printed in the sequence as listed above.

 B. Polymeric tray lid. The lid shall be clearly printed or stamped, in a manner that does not 

cause damage. Permanent ink of any contrasting color, which is free of carcinogenic 
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elements, shall be used. As an alternate labeling method, a pre-printed self-adhering 0.002 

inch thick clear polyester label printed with indelible contrasting color ink may be used.

Note: The font tested by Natick was Microsoft Helvetica. The font used shall be similarly 

clear/easy to read as Helvetica. The recommended font sizes are as follows: 22 for the 

product name, 14 for “yield” and “to heat in water.” If an additional note is required on the 

label, such as “fluff before serving,” it should also be in font size 14. All other information 

should be in font size 9. 

(1) Lid labeling shall include: 

 Product name

 Ingredients

 Net weight

 Name and address of packer

 Official inspection legend

 “Nutrition Facts” label in accordance with the Nutrition Labeling and

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

(2) Lid labeling shall also show the following statements:

YIELD: Serves 18 portions of approximately 2/3 cup each of Burgundy Beef 

Stew.

TO HEAT IN WATER: Submerge unopened tray in water. Bring water to a 

boil. Simmer gently 35-40 minutes. Avoid overheating (tray shows evidence of 

bulging).

WARNING: Do not heat tray in oven.

TO TRANSPORT AFTER HEATING: Insert tray back into protective sleeve to protect during transport. If sleeve is 

unavailable, stack trays lid-to-lid with fiberboard pads in between.

CAUTION: Use care when opening as pressure may have been generated within the tray.

TO OPEN: Using a clean knife, cut the lidding around the inside perimeter of the tray seals.

SUGGESTION: Cut lid along 3 sides and fold over uncut portion. Fold back to keep unused portions protected.

(3) The product shall be formulated and labeled in accordance with all USDA 

labeling regulations and policies. The lid shall be labeled with the following product name: 

BURGUNDY BEEF STEW
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D-3 PACKING

 A. Packing for shipment to ration assembler. Four filled, sealed, processed and sleeved 

polymeric trays shall be packed in a snug fitting fiberboard box conforming to style RSC-L, 

type CF, grade 275 of ASTM D 5118/D 5118M-04e1, Standard Practice for Fabrication of 

Fiberboard Shipping Boxes. The sleeved trays shall be placed flat with the first two trays 

placed with the lids together and the next two trays with the lids together. The box shall be 

closed in accordance with ASTM D 1974-98 (2003), Standard Practice for Methods of 

Closing, Sealing, and Reinforcing Fiberboard Boxes.

D-4 UNITIZATION

 A. Unit loads. Unit loads shall be as specified in DSCP FORM 3507, Loads, Unit: 

Preparation of Semiperishable Subsistence Items.

D-5 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.

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. 
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(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. Two (2) 

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

The two (2) 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 Section C of this Performance-based Contract 

Requirements document utilizing the double sampling plans indicated in ANSI/ASQC Z1.4 -

1993. The lot size shall be expressed in trays. The sample unit shall be the contents of one 

tray. The inspection level shall be S-3 and the acceptable quality level (AQL), expressed in 

terms of defects per hundred units, shall be 4.0 for major defects and 6.5 for minor defects. 

Defects and defect classifications are listed in table I below. The trays shall be heated in 

accordance with the heating instructions from the tray label prior to conducting any portion 
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of the product examination. The samples for drained weight inspection shall be selected 

using the same sampling criteria as above.

TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/

Category Defect

Major Minor

Appearance

101 Product not burgundy beef stew (cooked beef in burgundy gravy 

with vegetables).

102 Bone or bone fragment measuring more than 0.3 inch in any 

dimension. 

201 Total weight of cartilage, coarse connective tissue, tendons or 

ligaments, and glandular material more than 2.0 ounces.

202 Beef does not have a cooked beef color.

203 Potatoes do not have a cooked potato color.

204 Carrots do not have a cooked carrot color.

205 Pearl onions do not have a cooked onion color.

206 Mushrooms do not have a cooked mushroom color.

207 Celery does not have a cooked celery color. 5/

208 Gravy does not have a glossy or translucent or a medium to dark 

reddish brown color with visible specks of spices.

Odor and flavor

103 The packaged food does not have an odor or flavor of cooked beef 

with vegetables in burgundy flavored gravy.

Texture

209 Beef not moist or not tender.
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TABLE I. Product defects cont’d 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ - Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

210 Vegetables not slightly soft to slightly firm.

211 Gravy not smooth or not moderately thin to moderately thick.

Net weight

212 Net weight of an individual polymeric tray less than 90 ounces. 6/

Drained weight

213 Drained weight of beef dices and vegetables (combined) in an 

individual polymeric tray less than 48.0 ounces. 7/

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

glass, metal, or mold or the presence of 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/ Dicer size and the requirement for whole muscle beef cuts shall be verified by a Certificate 

of Conformance.

4/ Type and size requirements for potatoes, celery, onions, carrots, and mushrooms shall be 

verified by a Certificate of Conformance.

5/ Celery that absorbs the gravy color is acceptable.

6/ Sample average net weight less than 92 ounces shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

7/ Sample average drained weight less than 50.0 ounces shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

 B. Methods of inspection.

(1) Commercial sterility. Commercial sterility shall be verified in accordance with 

USDA/FSIS regulations. 

(2) 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 
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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.

(3) Net weight. The net weight of the filled and sealed polymeric tray shall be 

determined by weighing each sample unit on a suitable scale tared with a representative 

empty tray and lid. Results shall be reported to the nearest 1 ounce.

(4) Drained weight. To determine drained weight, contents shall be poured into a flat 

bottom container. A minimum of three times the polymeric tray's volume of not less than 

140°F water shall be added to the container so as to cover the contents. The contents and 

water shall be agitated so as to liquefy rendered fat and to remove the sauce without breaking 

the beef and vegetable pieces. The contents shall then be poured into the U.S. Standard #8

sieve in a manner that will distribute the product over the sieve without breaking the beef and 

vegetable pieces. Sieve area shall be such that the distributed product does not completely 

cover all the openings of the sieve. The sieve shall be tilted at such an angle to assure 

complete drainage of liquid from the product. Drain product for two minutes before 

determining the drained weight by subtracting the sieve tare weight from the gross weight. 

The drained weight shall be reported to the nearest 0.5 ounce. 

(5) Analytical. The sample to be analyzed shall be a one-pound composite of three 

filled and sealed polymeric trays that have been selected at random from one production lot. 

The composite sample shall be prepared and analyzed in accordance with the following 

Official Methods of Analysis (OMA) of AOAC International.

Test Method Number

Protein 992.15

Fat 985.15 or 2008.06

Salt 935.47 or 971.27

Test results shall be reported to the nearest 0.1 percent. Verification will be conducted 

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

analytical requirements shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

E-6 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PACKAGING AND PACKING 

MATERIALS, POLYMERIC TRAY)

 A. Packaging and labeling.

(1) Polymeric tray testing. For purposes of clarification, the polymeric tray
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without the lid will be referred to as the “tray” and the polymeric tray with the lid shall be 

referred to as the “container”. The polymeric tray with protective sleeve and polymeric tray 

material shall be examined for the characteristics listed in table I of MIL-PRF-32004, 

Packaging of Food in Polymeric Trays. The lot size, sample unit, and inspection level criteria 

are provided in table II below for each of the test characteristics. Any test failure shall be 

classified as a major defect and shall be cause for rejection of the lot. For rough handling 

survivability at frozen temperature, polymeric tray survival rate shall be at least 85 percent. 

TABLE II. Polymeric tray quality assurance criteria

Prior to processing

Characteristic Lot size expressed in Sample

unit

Inspection 

level

Tray configurations and dimensions Trays 1 tray S-1

Oxygen gas transmission rate of tray Trays 1 tray S-1

Oxygen gas transmission rate of lid Yards 1/2 yard S-1

Water vapor transmission rate of tray Trays 1 tray S-1

Water vapor transmission rate of lid Yards 1/2 yard S-1

Camouflage Containers 1 container S-1

After processing

Characteristic Lot size expressed in Sample 

unit

Inspection 

level

Processing Trays 1 tray S-2

Rough handling survivability Test containers 1 container S-2

Protective sleeve Containers 1 container S-1

Residual gas Containers 1 container S-1

Closure seal Containers 1 container S-1

Internal pressure Containers 1 container S-1

Lid opening Containers 1 container S-1
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(2) Examination of container. The container with protective sleeve removed shall be 

examined for the defects listed in table II of MIL-PRF-32004 and the labeling defects listed 

in table III below. The lot size shall be expressed in containers. The sample unit shall be one 

processed and labeled container. The inspection level shall be I and the AQL, expressed in 

terms of defects per hundred units, shall be 0.65 for major A defects, 2.5 for major B defects 

and 4.0 for minor defects. Two hundred sample units shall be examined for critical defects. 

The finding of any critical defect shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

TABLE III. Container labeling defects

Category Defect

Major A Minor

101 Polymeric tray lid or body labeling missing, incorrect or illegible.

201 When a pre-printed self adhering label is used, the label not 

adhering to tray lid (for example, label raised or peeled back 

from edge to corner) or presence of any areas of gaps along the 

perimeter of the label where the label is not properly adhered.

(3) Label adhesive examination. When self-adhering labels are used, the adhesive 

shall be tested in accordance with ASTM D 3330/D 3330M-04. In lieu of testing, a certificate 

of conformance (COC) shall be provided.

 B. Packing.

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

containers shall be examined for the defects listed in table IV 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 IV. Shipping container and marking defects

Category Defect

Major Minor

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

sequence or method of application.

102 Inadequate workmanship. 1/

201 Arrangement or number of polymeric trays not as specified.
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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.

 C. Unitization.

(1) Unit load examination. The unit load shall be examined in accordance with the 

requirements of DSCP FORM 3507, Loads, Unit: Preparation of Semiperishable Subsistence 

Items. Any nonconformance shall be classified as a major defect.

SECTION J REFERENCE DOCUMENTS

DSCP FORMS

DSCP FORM 3507 Loads, Unit: Preparation of Semiperishable Subsistence 

Items

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

Perishable and Semiperishable Subsistence

MILITARY SPECIFICATIONS

MIL-PRF-32004 Packaging of Food in Polymeric Trays

GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS

Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and regulations promulgated thereunder 

(21 CFR Parts 1-199) and (9 CFR Parts 1-391)

NON-GOVERNMENTAL STANDARDS

AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR QUALITY (ASQ)

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

Attributes

ASTM INTERNATIONAL

D 1974-98 Standard Practice for Methods of Closing, 

Sealing, and Reinforcing Fiberboard Boxes

D 3330/D 3330M-04 Standard Test Method for Peel Adhesion of 

Pressure-Sensitive Tape

D 5118/D 5118M-04e1 Standard Practice for Fabrication of Fiberboard 

Shipping Boxes 
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AOAC INTERNATIONAL

Official Methods of Analysis (OMA) of the AOAC International