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SECTION C

This document covers cakes, brownies, muffin tops and filled cakes in a flexible pouch for 

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

C-1 ITEM DESCRIPTION

PCR-C-007F, CAKES, BROWNIES, MUFFIN TOPS AND FILLED CAKES,

PACKAGED IN A FLEXIBLE POUCH, SHELF STABLE

Types and flavors.

Type I – Pound cakes

Flavor 1 – Vanilla

Flavor 6 – Lemon poppy seed

Flavor 7 – Spice

Flavor 10 – Carrot

Flavor 11 – Marble

Flavor 12 – Applesauce 

Type II – Brownies

Flavor 1 – Fudge with chocolate drops

Flavor 2 – Dark chocolate fudge with chocolate drops

Type III – Muffin tops

Flavor 1 – Chocolate banana nut

Flavor 2 – Maple

Type IV – Filled pound cakes

Flavor 1 – Chocolate with chocolate filling

Styles.

Style 1 – Regular

Style 2 – Trans fat free 
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Packages.

Package A – Meal, Cold Weather (MCW)

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

Package C – Meal, Ready-to-EatTM (MRETM)

Package J – First Strike Ration® (FSRTM)

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 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 80oF.

 C. Appearance.

(1) General. The finished product shall be intact. The product shall show no signs of 

excessive heating (materially darkened or scorched). The product surface may have slightly 

browned edges. The product shall have a uniform cell (crumb) structure and shall show no 

evidence of compression streaks. The finished product shall be free from foreign materials. 

(2) Type I.

 a. Flavor 1. The vanilla pound cake shall have a light tan surface and a pale, offwhite crumb. 

 

 b. Flavor 6. The lemon poppy seed pound cake shall have a light golden surface 

and a yellow crumb with poppy seeds distributed throughout.
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 c. Flavor 7. The spice pound cake shall have a medium beige surface and a light 

beige crumb and may have flecks of spices.

 d. Flavor 10. The carrot pound cake shall have a medium brown to golden brown 

surface and a medium golden brown crumb with small pieces of orange carrot distributed 

throughout.

 e. Flavor 11. The marble pound cake shall have a light golden brown to dark brown

swirled surface and crumb.

 f. Flavor 12. The applesauce pound cake shall have a golden brown surface and a 

light to medium beige crumb with dark tan apple pieces distributed throughout.

(3) Type II.

 a. Flavor 1. The fudge brownie with chocolate drops shall have a medium to dark

brown surface and crumb and shall have chocolate drops distributed throughout.

 b. Flavor 2. The dark chocolate fudge brownie with chocolate drops shall have a 

dark brown surface and crumb and shall have chocolate drops distributed throughout.

(4) Type III. 

 a. Flavor 1. The chocolate banana nut muffin top shall be round and shall have a 

dark brown surface and crumb containing off-white to pale yellow banana flavored drops and 

walnut pieces distributed throughout.

 b. Flavor 2. The maple muffin top shall be round and shall have a light to medium 

golden brown surface and a pale yellow crumb. Muffin top may have pale yellow maple 

flecks on the surface. The crumb may contain air structure pockets. 

(5) Type IV, flavor 1. The chocolate filled pound cake with chocolate filling shall 

have a dark brown surface and crumb. The chocolate filling shall be a dark brown color. The 

pound cake shall not have any filling leaking through the cake portion of the product.

 D. Odor and flavor. The packaged food shall be free from foreign odors and flavors.
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(1) Type I.

 a. Flavor 1. The vanilla pound cake shall have a sweet vanilla odor and flavor.

 b. Flavor 6. The lemon poppy seed pound cake shall have a sweet, mild lemon and 

poppy seed odor and flavor.

 c. Flavor 7. The spice pound cake shall have a sweet spice odor and flavor.

 d. Flavor 10. The carrot pound cake shall have a sweet, caramelized spiced odor 

and flavor with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

 e. Flavor 11. The marble pound cake shall have a semi-sweet chocolate and sweet 

vanilla odor and flavor.

 f. Flavor 12. The applesauce pound cake shall have a sweet cooked apple and 

brown spice odor and flavor.

(2) Type II.

 a. Flavor 1. The fudge brownie with chocolate drops shall have a sweet chocolate 

odor and flavor.

 b. Flavor 2. The dark chocolate fudge brownie with chocolate drops shall have a 

sweet dark chocolate odor and a sweet, slightly bitter dark chocolate flavor.

(3) Type III. 

 a. Flavor 1. The chocolate banana nut muffin top shall have a sweet, mild cocoa 

with banana and walnut odor and flavor.

 b. Flavor 2. The maple muffin top shall have a sweet, maple odor and flavor.

(4) Type IV, flavor 1. The chocolate pound cake shall have a sweet, mild chocolate 

odor and flavor. The chocolate filling shall have a sweet, mild chocolate odor and flavor.

 E. Texture. 
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(1) Type I. 

 a. Flavors 1, 7, and 11. The vanilla, spice, and marble pound cakes shall have a 

dense, firm, tender, moist, fine grain crumb texture.

 b. Flavor 6. The lemon poppy seed pound cake shall have a dense, firm, tender, 

moist, fine grain crumb texture with slightly crunchy poppy seeds.

 c. Flavor 10. The carrot pound cake shall have a dense, firm, tender, moist, fine 

grain crumb texture with pieces of soft carrot.

 d. Flavor 12. The applesauce pound cake shall have a dense, firm, tender, moist, 

fine grain crumb texture with pieces of soft apple.

(2) Type II, flavors 1 and 2. The fudge brownie with chocolate drops and dark 

chocolate fudge brownie with chocolate drops shall have a very dense, firm, moist texture 

with chocolate drops.

(3) Type III. 

 a. Flavor 1. The chocolate banana nut muffin top shall have a tender, moist, fine

grain crumb texture with slightly firm banana drops and firm walnuts.

 b. Flavor 2. The maple muffin top shall have a tender, moist, fine grain crumb 

texture. Maple flecks may be slightly crunchy.

(4) Type IV, flavor 1. The chocolate pound cake with chocolate filling shall have a 

dense, firm, tender, moist, fine grain crumb texture with a thick, smooth pudding-like filling.

The filling shall not be excessively thin or runny.

 F. Percent filling. For type IV, the percent filling by weight shall be not less than 20.0 

percent.

 G. Dimensions. Types I and IV pound cakes and type II brownies shall be not greater than 

4-3/4 inches long and 3-1/4 inches in width for rectangular product or not greater than 4-1/4 
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inches in diameter for round product. Type III muffin tops shall be not greater than 4-1/4 

inches in diameter.

 H. Net weight.

(1) Type I. The average net weight of type I pound cakes shall be not less than 2.5 

ounces (71 grams). The net weight of an individual pouch shall be not less than 2.3 ounces

(65 grams).

(2) Type II. The average net weight of type II brownies shall be not less than 3.0 

ounces (85 grams). The net weight of an individual pouch shall be not less than 2.6 ounces

(74 grams).

(3) Type III. The average net weight of type III muffin tops shall be not less than 2.2 

ounces (62 grams). The net weight of an individual pouch shall be not less than 2.0 ounces

(57 grams).

(4) Type IV. The average net weight of type IV filled pound cakes shall be not less 

than 3.0 ounces (85 grams). The net weight of an individual pouch shall be not less than 2.6 

ounces (74 grams).

 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.

(1) Fat.

 a. For types I, II, and III, the fat content shall be not less than 18.0 percent.

 b. For type IV, the fat content shall be not less than 12.0 percent.

 c. For style 2, the trans fat content shall be not greater than 0 grams per serving.

(2) Moisture.

 a. The moisture content for type I pound cakes shall be not less than 13.0 percent. 
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 b. The moisture content for type II brownies shall be not less than 15.0 percent. 

 c. The moisture content for type III, flavor 1 chocolate banana nut muffin tops shall 

be not less than 10.0 percent. The moisture content for type III, flavor 2 maple muffin tops 

shall be not less than 13.0 percent.

 d. The moisture content for type IV filled pound cake shall be not less than 20.0 

percent.

(3) Water activity. The water activity (aw) shall be not greater than 0.85.

(4) Oxygen. The oxygen content of the filled and sealed pouch shall not exceed 0.30

percent.

SECTION D

D-1 PACKAGING

 A. Packaging. One unit of product and one oxygen scavenger shall be packaged in a 

preformed or form-fill-seal 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 and shall conform to 

number 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 5-1/2 inches wide by 6-3/4 inches long. The pouch shall be 
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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. One unit of product and one oxygen scavenger shall be 

inserted into the pouch. 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 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 pouches.

 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 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 DensityGradient Technique. Alternatively, 0.0005 inch thick polyester 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 
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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. One 

unit of product and one oxygen scavenger 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. The maximum outside dimensions of the 

sealed pouch shall be 6 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.

(3) Oxygen scavenger. The oxygen scavenger shall be constructed of materials that 

are safe for direct and indirect food contact, and shall be suitable for use with edible 

products. The oxygen scavenger shall be in compliance with all applicable FDA regulations.

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:
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(1) Name and flavor of product (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 2014 would be coded as 4045. The Julian day 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, burst grade 200 or ECT grade 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 

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

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

15 GENERAL GREENE AVENUE

NATICK, MA 01760-5056

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

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 
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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 Section C of this Performance-based Contract 

Requirements 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/

Category Defect

Major Minor

General 

101 Product not type or not flavor or not style as specified.

102 Evidence of excessive heating (materially darkened or scorched).

103 Pouch does not contain one intact oxygen scavenger. 4/

201 Product not intact.

202 Product does not have a uniform cell (crumb) structure.

203 Evidence of compression streaks.

204 Product not dimensions as specified.

205 Net weight of any individual type I pound cake less than 2.3 ounces (65 

grams). 5/
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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 3/ - Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

206 Net weight of any individual type II brownie less than 2.6 ounces (74 

grams). 6/

207 Net weight of any individual type III muffin top less than 2.0 ounces

(57 grams). 7/

208 Net weight of any individual type IV filled pound cake less than 2.6

ounces (74 grams). 8/

Type I – Pound cakes

Flavor 1 – Vanilla

104 Pound cake not a sweet vanilla odor or flavor.

209 Pound cake does not have a light tan surface or does not have a pale, 

off-white crumb.

210 Pound cake texture not dense or not firm or not tender or not moist or

not fine grain crumb.

Flavor 6 – Lemon poppy seed 

105 Pound cake not a sweet, mild lemon and poppy seed odor or flavor.

211 Pound cake does not have a light golden surface or does not have a 

yellow crumb with poppy seeds distributed throughout.

212 Pound cake texture not dense or not firm or not tender or not moist or 

not fine grain crumb or not with slightly crunchy poppy seeds.

Flavor 7 – Spice 

106 Pound cake not a sweet spice odor or flavor.

213 Pound cake does not have a medium beige surface or does not have a 

light beige crumb.
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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 3/ - Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

214 Pound cake texture not dense or not firm or not tender or not moist or

not fine grain crumb.

Flavor 10 – Carrot

107 Pound cake not a sweet, caramelized spiced odor or flavor with 

cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

215 Pound cake does not have a medium brown to golden brown surface or 

does not have a medium golden brown crumb with small pieces of 

orange carrot distributed throughout. 

216 Pound cake texture not dense or not firm or not tender or not moist or 

not fine grain crumb or not with pieces of soft carrot. 

Flavor 11 – Marble 

108 Pound cake not a semi-sweet chocolate and sweet vanilla odor or 

flavor.

217 Pound cake does not have a light golden brown to dark brown swirled 

surface and crumb.

218 Pound cake texture not dense or not firm or not tender or not moist or 

not fine grain crumb.

Flavor 12 – Applesauce 

109 Pound cake not a sweet cooked apple and brown spice odor or flavor.

219 Pound cake does not have a golden brown surface or does not have a 

light to medium beige crumb with dark tan apple pieces distributed 

throughout. 

220 Pound cake texture not dense or not firm or not tender or not moist or 

not fine grain crumb or not with pieces of soft apple. 
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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 3/ - Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

Type II – Brownies

Flavor 1 – Fudge with chocolate drops

110 Brownie not a sweet chocolate odor or flavor.

221 Brownie does not have a medium to dark brown surface and crumb 

with chocolate drops distributed throughout.

222 Brownie texture not very dense or not firm or not moist or not with 

chocolate drops.

Flavor 2 – Dark chocolate fudge with chocolate drops

111 Brownie not a sweet dark chocolate odor or not a sweet, slightly bitter, 

dark chocolate flavor.

223 Brownie does not have a dark brown surface and crumb with chocolate 

drops distributed throughout.

224 Brownie texture not very dense or not firm or not moist or not with 

chocolate drops.

Type III – Muffin tops

Flavor 1 – Chocolate banana nut

112 Muffin top not a sweet, mild cocoa with banana and walnut odor or 

flavor.

225 Muffin top not round or does not have a dark brown surface and crumb 

containing off-white to pale yellow banana flavored drops and walnut 

pieces distributed throughout.

226 Muffin top texture not tender or not moist or not fine grain crumb or 

not with slightly firm banana drops or not with firm walnuts.
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TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ 3/ - Continued

Category Defect

Major Minor

Flavor 2 – Maple

113 Muffin top not a sweet, maple odor or flavor.

227 Muffin top not round or does not have a light to medium golden brown 

surface or does not have a pale yellow crumb.

228 Muffin top texture not tender or not moist or not fine grain crumb.

Type IV – Filled pound cakes 9/

Flavor 1 – Chocolate with chocolate filling

114 Filled pound cake not a sweet, mild chocolate odor or flavor. 

115 Chocolate filling not a sweet, mild chocolate odor or flavor.

229 Filled pound cake does not have a dark brown surface and crumb.

230 Chocolate filling not a dark brown color.

231 Cake portion of the product not free of filling leakage.

232 Filled pound cake texture not dense or not firm or not tender or not 

moist or not fine grain crumb. 

233 Filled pound cake does not have a thick, smooth, pudding-like filling, 

or filling is excessively thin or runny.

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.
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3/ For style 2, the trans fat content shall be verified by the NLEA “Nutrition Facts” label. 

Product not conforming to the trans fat content as specified in Section C of this document 

shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

4/ Construction of the oxygen scavenger and compliance with FDA regulations will be 

verified by Certificate of Conformance (CoC).

5/ Type I, sample average net weight less than 2.5 ounces (71 grams) shall be cause for 

rejection of the lot.

6/ Type II, sample average net weight less than 3.0 ounces (85 grams) shall be cause for 

rejection of the lot.

7/ Type III, sample average net weight less than 2.2 ounces (62 grams) shall be cause for 

rejection of the lot.

8/ Type IV, sample average net weight less than 3.0 ounces (85 grams) shall be cause for 

rejection of the lot.

9/ For type IV, the percent filling shall be verified by CoC.

 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 80oF. 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 quality scale 

to be considered acceptable.

(2) Net weight. The net weight shall be determined by weighing each sample unit on 

a suitable scale tared with a representative empty pouch and an oxygen scavenger. Results

shall be reported to the nearest 0.1 ounce or to the nearest 1 gram. 

(3) Analytical. 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 composite sample shall 

be prepared and analyzed in accordance with the following methods of the Official Methods 
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of Analysis (OMA) of AOAC International or approved methods of the American 

Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC):

Test Method Number

Fat 922.06, 991.36 or AACC 30-10

Moisture 925.45A or 2008.06

Test results shall be reported to the nearest 0.1 percent. Government verification will be 

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

the analytical requirement shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

(4) Water activity (aw) testing. Eight filled and sealed pouches shall be randomly 

selected from one production lot and tested for aw in accordance with the latest edition of the 

Official Methods of Analysis (OMA) of AOAC International, method 978.18, using an 

electric hygrometer system self temperature controlled (at 25°C) or an equivalent instrument. 

Water activity shall be determined not less than 4 days but not more than 14 days after 

baking to allow moisture equilibration in the product. The sample unit shall be a specimen 

from the center of the product. Test results shall be reported to the nearest 0.01 aw. 

Government verification will be conducted through actual testing by a Government 

laboratory. Any nonconforming aw result shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

(5) Oxygen content testing. Eight filled and sealed pouches shall be randomly 

selected from one production lot and individually tested for oxygen content. Testing shall be 

accomplished after the filled and sealed pouches have been allowed to equilibrate at room 

temperature for not less than 48 hours from the time of sealing. Test results shall be reported 

to the nearest 0.01 percent. Government verification will be conducted through actual testing 

by a Government laboratory. Any individual result not conforming to the oxygen content 

requirement shall be classified as a major defect and shall be cause for rejection of the lot. 

E-6 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PACKAGING AND PACKING 

MATERIALS)

 A. Packaging.

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

characteristics. A Certificate of Conformance (CoC) may be accepted as evidence that the 

characteristics conform to the specified requirements.
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Characteristic Requirement paragraph Test procedure

Thickness of films for 

laminated material

D-1,A(1)a and D-1,A(2)a ASTM D2103 1/

Aluminum foil thickness D-1,A(1)a and D-1,A(2)a ASTM B479 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 FED-STD-595 3/

1/ Standard Specification for Polyethylene Film and Sheeting

2/ 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) 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.
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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.

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:
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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.

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 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 shall be cause for rejection 

of the lot.
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 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 formfill-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 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 and 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 

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

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

FEDERAL STANDARD 

FED-STD-595 Colors Used in Government Procurement

NON-GOVERNMENTAL STANDARDS

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

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

Attributes

ASTM INTERNATIONAL www.astm.org

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 Specification for Polyethylene Film and 

Sheeting
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D4727/D4727M 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

AOAC INTERNATIONAL www.aoac.org

Official Methods of Analysis (OMA) of AOAC International 

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF CEREAL CHEMISTS (AACC)

Approved Methods of the American Association of Cereal Chemists 

 (Application for copies should be addressed to: American Association of Cereal Chemists, 

3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121.)