Halal_Tech_Data_18.docx

TECHNICAL DATA FOR

MEAL, RELIGIOUS, READY-TO-EAT, INDIVIDUAL, HALAL

18 May 2018

Technical Data Package for Meal, Religious, Ready-to-Eat, Individual, Halal

The purpose of this ration is to feed those individuals in the Military Services who maintain a strict religious diet. Each meal consists of one halal certified entrée and corresponding religiously-certified or religiously-acceptable complementary items.

Like the MRE, each meal is self-contained; however, it may or may not be combined into a flexible meal bag. Each case of religious rations contains twelve substantially different meals, at least eight meat entrées and at most four vegetarian entrées, and complimentary components/accessory items to fulfill the salient characteristics listed below.

SECTION C

DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATION

FOR MEAL, RELIGIOUS, READY-TO-EAT, INDIVIDUAL, HALAL

C-1 Description

8970-01-424-1998 MEAL, RELIGIOUS, READY-TO-EAT, INDIVIDUAL, HALAL. Unit of Issue: Box

C-2 Salient Characteristics

A. All food components shall be ready-to-eat (no preparation necessary), unless specifically permitted by this document. The entire contents of each meal shall be certified as halal. Entrées and complementary items which require halal certification in order to be labeled as such shall be certified in accordance with the requirements as stated in section C-3 of this document and with such other requirements as may be deemed necessary by the religious certification authorities.

B. Each meal shall consist of one halal religiously-certified entrée; religiously-certified or religiously-acceptable complementary items; and an accessory packet.

1. The Entrée and complementary items together shall be sufficient to provide the nutritional requirements set forth in paragraphs C-2, D and E. A variety of dry beverage base powders shall be included.

2. Entrée net weight shall be not less than 8.0 oz per package. The percentage of total calories from protein shall be not less than 20% for non-vegetarian entrees and shall be not less than 17% for vegetarian entrees. The Contracting Officer reserves the right to allow entrées that fall below these requirements if the entrée forms part of a cohesive meal and the meal meets all other requirements of this solicitation.

3. The complimentary items in each case shall constitute a sufficient variety, such that no individual item shall be used more than three times in an individual case. Any deviation of this requirement shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer with a detailed explanation for the requested exception.

4. The accessory packet shall include condiments/seasoning, dining kit (salt, pepper and sugar), spoon (7340-01-508-2742), matches, toilet tissue, moist towelette, napkin, and a Flameless Ration Heater (FRH) (8970-01-321-9153) for each meal. Each accessory pack shall either contain an insert card certifying that all components are halal, or the pack itself may be marked to attest to religious certification.

5. Single-serve packets (e.g., sugar, salt) that are not labeled halal, but that are certified as halal by the certifying authority may be combined into one overwrap pouch. The pouch may then be labeled as halal, in accordance with the certifying authority. The labeled overwrap pouch may then be inserted into the complementary item pack or meal bag, as applicable.

C. Each meal shall provide a minimum of 1200 Calories. Calories from fat, protein, and carbohydrate shall be present in the range of percentage values of the total calories as follows:

D. The minimum average nutrient levels of each meal are listed below:

1This value does not include the salt packet.

E. Entrée Characteristics: Entrées and complementary items shall be highly palatable and create cohesive meals.

a. Finished Product shall be a uniform mixture characteristic of the federal standard of identity for food products, when applicable. The product shall be free from foreign materials and show no evidence of excessive heating (materially darkened or scorched.)

b. Appearance shall be characteristic of the type of entrée with no foreign color. Entrées may contain visible flecks of herbs and spices and should contain recognizable portions of meats, vegetables, grains, or noodles, when applicable.

c. Odor and Flavor shall be characteristic of the type of entrée with no evidence of rancidity. There shall be no foreign odors or flavors such as, but not limited to burnt, scorched, moldy, rancid, sour, or stale.

d. Texture shall be characteristic of the type of entrée. Meat pieces shall be moist and tender, not dry, rubbery, or mushy. Sauce shall not be excessively thin, thick, or pasty. Vegetables shall be firm, not hard, fibrous, mushy or tough. Grains or noodles shall be moist and slightly firm and tender.

F. The minimum shelf-life of the meal, including the shelf-life of all components of the meal, shall be twenty four months at 80°F from the date of pack. The contractor shall not ship any meal with less than eighteen months remaining shelf-life.

C-3 CONTRACTOR’S RESPONSIBILITY FOR RELIGIOUS CERTIFICATION:

A. The contractor and/or subcontractor shall be responsible for obtaining the services of a recognized halal supervision agency that is prepared to meet the requirements for halal certification. The contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that appropriate halal guidelines are followed for all meal components.

B. The contractor shall ensure that the halal inspectors are fully familiar with all relevant aspects of the production. Certificates of compliance testifying that all ingredients meet halal requirements must be provided. The halal inspectors may provide a list of ingredients not requiring certification. Items requiring halal inspection shall not be used prior to approval.

C. Materials and packaging may, at the discretion of the halal inspectors, require controlled storage and may need to be released for each day’s production by the halal inspectors. Only equipment that has been approved by halal inspectors may be used. These procedures shall be documented by the contractor in conjunction with the halal inspectors.

D. All packaging/transportation of foods shall be in packages, containers, vessels, or vehicles that have been properly prepared religiously (halal).

E. Packaging and labeling materials shall be controlled and segregated in such a way that only the halal inspectors can release that material for the day’s production.

F. Halal inspectors shall have access to all parts of production and storage facilities at all times.

G. Records of attendance (dates and times) of the halal inspectors at the production facility, or at any supplier’s facility, shall be maintained and available upon request.

C-4 MISCELLANEOUS REQUIREMENTS:

A. Compliance With Applicable Regulations

1. The Contractor shall comply with 21 CFR §110 “Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packaging, or Holding Human Food” and/or 21 CFR §117 “Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food”, and other applicable regulations. The Contractor shall ensure all sub-contractors comply with all applicable regulations. In addition, the contractor is required to comply with all applicable parts of the Code of Federal Regulations.

2. All products shall comply with all applicable Federal and State mandatory requirements and regulations relating to the preparation, processing, thermoprocessing, packaging, labeling, packing, storage, and distribution of those products.

3. A representative Nutrition Facts label for each component shall be submitted by the Offeror with the offer. Such submission shall not relieve successful Offerors from complying with any of the provisions of these requirements.

B. Product Sanitarily Approved Source Requirements

1. As required by 48 CFR §246. 408-70, Subsistence; AR 40-657 / NAVSUP 4355.4H / MCO P10110.31H, Veterinary/Medical Food Safety, Quality Assurance, and Laboratory Service; DLAR 4155.3, Inspection of Subsistence Supplies and Services; Provision 52.246-9044, Sanitary Conditions; and as clarified by the Armed Forces Food Risk Evaluation Committee, all Operational Ration Food Components shall originate from establishments sanitarily approved for supplying the specific food item.

2. Sanitary approval is established by:

a. Listing in the Worldwide Directory of Sanitarily Approved Food Establishments for Armed Forces Procurement (Worldwide Directory) as established by the U.S. Army Public Health Center (USAPHC) or

b. An establishment specifically exempted from listing in the Worldwide Directory by AR 40-657 / NAVSUP 4355.4H / MCO P10110.31H paragraph 2-15a(2)(a) through (i).

3. Requests for inspection and Worldwide Directory listing by USAPHC will be routed through DLA Troop Support-FTR for coordination and action. Situations involving sole sources of supply, proprietary supply sources, and commercial Brand Name items will be evaluated directly by the Chief, DLA Troop Support-FTR, in coordination with the Chief, Approved Sources Division, USAPHC.

4. This requirement applies to all Operational Rations and all Government Furnished Materiel (GFM) and CFM Operational Ration food components.

5. Requests for inspection and Worldwide Directory listing by USAPHC will be routed through DLA Troop Support-FTR for coordination and action. Situations involving sole sources of supply, proprietary supply sources, and commercial Brand Name items will be evaluated directly by the Chief, DLA Troop Support-FTR, in coordination with the Chief, Approved Sources Division, USAPHC.

6. In addition to the above, all producers of food components shall be listed in the Worldwide Directory, as determined by USAPHC.

C. Food Defense

1. The submission and implementation of a Food Defense Plan is required for this DLA Troop Support Subsistence contract. A Food Defense Plan shall be in existence prior to start of production. The plan shall address those areas of concern listed in the DLA Troop Support Food Defense Checklist applicable to the contractor’s facility/operation. To download a copy of the DLA Troop Support Food Defense Checklist, http://www.dla.mil/TroopSupport/Subsistence/FoodSafety/FoodQuality.aspx or contact the applicable DLA Troop Support Contracting Officer or the Quality Audits & Food Defense Branch (DLA Troop Support-FTSB). Submit Food Defense Plans to the applicable DLA Troop Support Contracting Officer. The Quality Audits & Food Defense Branch (DLA Troop Support-FTSB) is the only DLA Troop Support office authorized to review and approve Food Defense Plans. All Food Defense Plans are maintained and secured by FTSB.

D. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program Requirements

1. The “Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program Requirements for Operational Rations” of April 2011 is applicable to this DLA Troop Support Subsistence contract, except as specifically exempted in Section E of this solicitation/contract. The IPM program shall be in existence prior to contract award. The IPM plan shall be submitted to DLA Troop Support. The associated pesticide labels and MSDS documents are not to be submitted to DLA Troop Support, unless specifically requested by the Contracting Officer. The contractor shall have these documents available for on-site review during a Pest Management Audit, Quality Systems Management Visit (QSMV), or Quality Systems Compliance Audit. Evidence of any insect, rodent or pest infestation discovered in contact with materials or equipment used in the production of or found in an end-item component or assembly lot shall be cause for rejection of the involved lot. DLA Troop Support shall be notified within 24 hours when such pest activity has been found and informed of the corrective actions taken. IPM program requirements are found on the DLA Troop Support website at: http://www.dla.mil/TroopSupport/Subsistence/FoodSafety/FoodQuality.aspx

E. Contractor Sanitation Program

1. The “Contractor Sanitation Program – Operational Rations,” of November 2015 is applicable to this DLA Troop Support Subsistence contract, except as specifically exempted in Section E of this solicitation/contract. The Contractor Sanitation Program shall be in existence prior to contract award. The program is not to be submitted to DLA Troop Support unless specifically requested by the applicable DLA Troop Support Contracting Officer. The contractor shall have the program available for on-site review during a QSMV or Quality Systems Compliance Audit. Evidence of any insect, rodent or pest infestation; foreign material; or contamination discovered in contact with an end-item component or assembly lot shall be cause for rejection of the involved lot. Contractor Sanitation Program requirements are found on the DLA Troop Support website at: http://www.dla.mil/TroopSupport/Subsistence/FoodSafety/FoodQuality.aspx

F. Additional Requirements.

1. Approval or acceptance of a Product Demonstration Model (PDM) shall not constitute a waiver of any specification requirement unless specifically stated by the Contracting Officer.

2. Components shall be utilized in assembly operation on oldest-date-of-pack basis. Contractor shall be solely responsible for the proper care and storage of all components.

3. All entrées shall be commercially sterile, as defined in 21 CFR §113.3.

4. All items thermostabilized by retorting shall be sealed and in the retort process within two hours of filling.

5. Maximum stacking height of assembled ration unit loads shall not be greater than four high.

6. AGE OF INGREDIENTS: Contractors formulating and producing end-item operational rations food items, and for each item that is manufactured, shall maintain a list of ingredients (generic name, brand name, producer name, or supplier name in case of bulk packed plant or animal ingredients, country of origin) and the time and temperature serviceability limitations the contractor will impose on each ingredient. Each ingredient’s time limitation is to be calculable using its date of pack as the starting point. A copy of this list will be made available to the DLA Troop Support Contracting Officer upon request. This paragraph does not modify time and/or temperature limitations specified for ingredients elsewhere in this solicitation/contract, including its technical data package and product specifications.

7. INGREDIENTS FROM FOREIGN SOURCES: When ingredients are from a foreign country, the contractor shall have that ingredient listed on their “Master List of Ingredients from Foreign Sources”. For each ingredient, the Master List shall list the ingredient, the country of origin, and the product(s) in which the ingredient is used. The Master List shall be updated as necessary. The Master List shall be provided to the DLA Troop Support Contracting Officer upon request.

G. Traceability Requirement.

1. The ration assembler shall maintain records identifying the menu components used in packing and assembling each end item lot. These records shall maintain traceability of components to the extent that a component manufacturer’s production lot identity can be traced to an assembled end item lot.

2. The system should also enable the assembler to list component manufacturer’s production lot identities within a particular end item lot.

3. The assembled end item lot, usually one day’s production, shall be clearly identified on the exterior of each case.

4. In addition, the ration assembler shall maintain records of when and where assembled end item lots for a particularly contract have been shipped.

5. The following non-food items are exempt from traceability requirements: hand cleaner, matches, spoon, toilet tissue.

SECTION D

PACKAGING/LABELING/PACKING/MARKING/UNITIZATION

D-1 PACKAGING:

A. Commercial packaging is acceptable, provided that such packaging will provide the required twenty four month shelf-life.

B. Entrées shall be in thermostabilized pouches. Glass, plastic, or metal cans are not acceptable.

C. Meals shall be packed either:

1. As twelve self-contained meal packages, similar to the MRE, or

2. The twelve entrées in one carton, plus twelve packs containing complementary items and Accessory Packs in another carton, with both cartons packed together into one master shipper.

D. Accessory packs and complimentary components shall be overwrapped in a manner that a shelf life of twenty four months is achieved. Alternative methods to achieve the twenty four month shelf-life shall be approved by the Contracting Officer. The bag shall be either marked to certify that all the components are halal, in accordance with the certifying agency, or the bag shall contain an insert card certifying that all components are halal, in accordance with the certifying agency.

E. The meal bag shall be made of food-grade, low density polyethylene (LDPE) with a minimum thickness of 4 mil. The seal shall be a minimum of 1/8 inch wide, continuous and peelable, forming a hermetic closure.

F. A tear nick, notch, or serrations shall be provided to facilitate opening of filled and sealed pouches that are not peelable.

G. The sealed entrées, overwrapped complimentary components/accessory packs shall not show any evidence of foreign odor.

H. The master shipper shall have the halal symbol/names displayed with the appropriate certification checked off.

I. Alternative meal packaging may be used provided that the alternative method can be demonstrated to meet or exceed the requirements of this document, military abuse testing, and controlled pest testing. Samples may be submitted to the Contracting Officer to be qualified on a case-by-case basis.

D-2 LABELING:

A. All labeling shall be in accordance with all applicable regulations including nutritional facts labeling in accordance with the Nutritional Labeling and Education Act (NLEA). If thermally processed pouches are placed into cartons with NLEA-compliant markings, the pouch shall have the product name, lot number, filling equipment number, and retort batch number printed with permanent, contrasting ink.

B. The date of pack may be a four-digit Julian date or in the clear. The date of pack shall be the date the product was placed in the primary meal or accessory package.

C. Individual packages and shipping containers for all products produced for this procurement shall have the appropriate halal certification symbol(s) (a “trademark” symbol or the name of the halal organization shall be used).

D-3 PACKING:

A. Shipping containers shall comply with the requirements of the National Motor Freight Classification or Uniform Freight Classification, as applicable.

D-4 UNITIZATION:

A. Shipments destined for government inventory control points shall not have kosher and halal shipping containers intermingled on the pallets. When shipments are destined for direct vendor delivery to consuming organizations and the shipment includes less than a full unit load, the shipping containers may be intermingled, provided that the unit load is clearly marked to indicate the quantities of each type of meal.

B. Unit loads shall be arranged in accordance with the requirements of Type III, Class G – Commercial Loads, Palletized, of DLA Troop Support Form 3507, Loads, Unit: Preparation of Semiperishable Subsistence Items 1/.

C. The unit load height shall be not greater than 44 inches.

D-5 MARKING:

A. Shipping Containers.

1. 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 and as specified in the contract with the following exceptions:

1/ Pallets shall conform to requirements cited in the General Requirement section of DLA Troop Support Form 3507

a. The following identification markings shall be applied to the shipping case end panel:8970-01-424-1998

MEAL, RELIGIOUS, READY-TO-EAT, INDIVIDUAL, HALAL

12 MEALS

WT. _______CU. _______

CONTRACT NO. _________________

NAME, ADDRESS, AND ZIP CODE OF ASSEMBLY CONTRACTOR (e.g. TEFCO, INC., BROOMALL, PA 19101

DATE OF PACK/LOT NUMBER__________________

U.S. GOVERNMENT PROPERTY – COMMERCIAL RESALE IS UNLAWFUL

2. To be in compliance with OSHA requirements, when the shipping container contains Flameless Ration Heater (FRHs), the following information must appear on a major flap of the shipping case closure immediately to the right of the marked end panel. The upper case letters shall not be more than ¼ inch high. The lower case letters shall not be less than 3/16 inch high. Note: WATER ACTIVATED Flameless Ration Heater, NSN 9870-01-321-9153, supplied in each menu bag.

3. Additional commercial markings of the shipping container is authorized.

B. Unit Loads2/.

1. Unit loads shall be marked in accordance with DLA Troop Support Form 3556 except that the “marking and special markings” information required for the marking for palletized/containerized shipments (DLA Troop Support Form 3556, F.1) shall be as follows:

GROSS WEIGHT AND CUBE

NUMBER OF SHIPPING CONTAINERS PER LOAD (E.G., 48 CS)

CONTRACT NUMBER

JULIAN DATE OF PACK/LOT NUMBER

2. Marking may be accomplished by stenciling, printing or by pressure-sensitive labels and shall be positioned on two adjacent sides of the load. Size of lettering shall not be less ½ inch and shall be black. Markings shall be legible, non-fading and durable.

2/ Gross weight and cube shall include the weight and dimensions of the pallet base. The gross weight and cube may be determined by weighting and measuring five or more fully-unitized loads (or weighing components separately) for determining the average weight and cube of the unit load.

C.

SECTION E

INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

NOTE: Government source inspection is not required, however we do reserve the right to conduct inspections. The Contractor is responsible for the following requirements and the Government reserves the right to request inspection and production records at any time from the Contractor.

E-1 HALAL ASSEMBLED RATION AND COMPONENT QUALITY ASSURANCE REQUIREMENTS:

The Contractor is responsible for performing or having performed all inspections and tests necessary to substantiate that the supplies or services furnished under this contract conform to contract requirements, including all inspections and tests contained in the Contractor’s inspection system.

I. THERMALLY PROCESSED COMPONENT INSPECTION

The following quality assurance criteria, utilizing ANSI/ASQ Z1.4, Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection by Attributes, are required for the inspection of thermally processed components of the Halal ration. 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: Conformance inspection shall include the examinations cited in the following QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PRODUCT) and QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PACKAGING).

II. QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PRODUCT)

A. Commercial sterility. Commercial sterility shall be verified in accordance with USDA/FSIS regulations.

B. Product examination. The finished product of each manufacturer’s production lot that is used in the assembly of the Halal ration shall be examined for compliance with Table I utilizing the double sampling plans indicated in ANSI/ASQ Z1.4. The lot size shall be expressed in pouches. The sample unit shall be one filled and sealed pouch. 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 minor defects. Defects and defect classifications are listed in table I.

TABLE I. Product defects 1/ 2/ Category Minor Defects

1/ Presence of any foreign materials such as, but not limited to dirt, insect parts, hair, glass, wood, or metal, or any foreign odor s or flavors such as, but not limited to burnt, scorched, rancid, sour, stale, oxidized milk powder, musty or moldy shall be cause for rejection of the lot. Foreign flavors not applicable to powdered product. Open package inspection, or an alternative method of inspection approved by the Contracting Officer, is required to determine conformance with product quality assurance provisions.

2/ The net weight of the filled and sealed pouches shall be determined by weighing each sample on a suitable scale tared with a representative empty pouch. Results shall be reported to the nearest 0.1 ounce or to the nearest 1 gram.

II. QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PACKAGING)

A. Examination of pouch. After thermal processing, the pouches of each manufacturer’s production lot that is used in the assembly of the Halal ration shall be visually examined for conformance. Defects and defect classifications are listed in table II. The lot size shall be expressed in pouches. The sample unit shall be one thermal processed pouch. 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 II. Filled, sealed and thermally processed pouch defects.

Category

Defects

Swollen pouch.

Tear, cut, hole, or if a multi-layered laminate is used, abrasion through one or more layers in the pouch material or leakage through any seal.

Foldover wrinkle extending into the seal such that the closure seal is reduced to less than 1/16 inch for heat seals or less than 1.0 mm for ultrasonic seals. 4/

Presence of entrapped matter (for example, product, moisture, grease, etc.)

that reduces the closure seal to less than 1/16 inch for heat seals or less than 1.0 mm for ultrasonic seals. 4/

Presence of delamination when a multi -layered laminate is used. 1/

Closure seal less than 1/16 inch for heat seals or less than 1.0 mm for ultrasonic seals at any location along its continuous path. 4/

Unclean pouch. 2/

Any impression or design on the seal surfaces which conceals or impairs visual detection of seal defects. 3/

Labeling missing or incorrect or illegible.

Presence of delamination when a multi

For heat seals, closure seal width less than 1/8 inch but greater than or equal to 1/16 inch.

1/ Delamination defect classification:

Critical - Evidence of outer ply delamination such that the adjacent ply in the pouch body is exposed or evidence of two ply delamination such that the food contact layer is exposed.

Major B - Delamination of the outer ply in the pouch seal area that can be propagated to expose the adjacent ply 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-counter clockwise 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 scored as a Major B 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 B defect. To determine if the delaminated area is a defect, use the following procedure: Mark the outside edges of the delaminated area using a bold permanent marking open. Open the pouch and remove the contents. Cut the pouch transversely not closer than 1/4 inch (plus or minus 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 scored as a Major B 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.

2/ Scale or dust on the outside of pouches caused by retort water may be removed by washing. The following examples shall not be scored as defects for unclean:

a. Water spots.

b. On Single Serving Pouch (SSP), two or less specks of dried product each of which measure 1/8 inch by 1/8 inch or equivalent area, or less. On ISP, ten or less specks of dried product each of which measure 1/8 inch by 1/8 inch or equivalent area, or less.

c. Any foreign matter which presents no health hazard or no potential pouch damage and which readily falls off when pouch is lifted and shaken lightly.

d. Very thin film of grease, oil, or product residue which is discernible to touch, but not readily discernible by visual examinations.

e. Thin strips or drops of adhesive.

3/ If doubt exists as to whether or not the sealing equipment leaves an impression or design on the seal surfaces that could conceal or impair visual detection of seal defects, samples shall be furnished to the contracting officer for a determination as to acceptability.

4/ An internal pressure test may be used to verify pouch integrity for ultrasonically sealed pouches that are difficult to measure or quantify during visual inspection. Internal pressure test: Internal pressure resistance shall be determined by pressurizing the pouches while they are restrained between two rigid plates. The plates shall be 1/2 inch ± 1/16 inch apart or 1 inch ± 1/16 inch apart for SSP, or 2 inches ±1/16 inch apart for ISP. 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 of 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. For SSP, the pressure shall be 20 psig for the 1/2 inch plate distance and 12 psig for the 1 inch plate distance. For ISP, the pressure shall be 10 psig for the 2 inch plate distance. Pressure shall be applied gradually until pressure set point is reached. The pressure set point shall be held constant for 30 seconds and then released. The pouches shall then be examined for separation or yield of the 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 for heat seals or less than 1.0 mm for ultrasonic seals (see table II) shall be considered a test failure and shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

III. REWORK OF NONCONFORMING PRODUCT, PRE OR POST ACCEPTANCE

A. Corrective Action (Rework/Screen Inspections) Taken Prior to Government Inspection (Receipt/End -Item Inspections): Unless otherwise specified below, all contractor reworks and screening inspections conducted prior to the initial Government inspection of the lot do not require approval from the Government. Although the Government Quality Assurance Representative (GQAR) must be informed of all reworks, the contractor is not required to obtain approval to take corrective and preventive action as deemed necessary to ensure compliance with contractual requirements.

NOTE:

All requests for rework shall be accompanied with a comprehensive rework plan. The rework plan will include rational information and data that supports the rework plan and ensures the elimination of nonconforming material from the lot. When a contractor determines as a result of his end item inspection(s) or quality system plan that supplies do not conform to contractual requirements and the supplies cannot be reworked, he has the alternative to request the Contracting Officer for a waiver for the nonconforming requirement. If the Contracting Officer approves the waiver request for a specific requirement, the written waiver approval shall be provided to the GQAR when the supplies are presented for Government Verification Inspection (the skip-lot inspection does not apply in this case).

The GQAR shall only inspect the supplies for compliance with all requirements of the contract, except the waived requirement. The Contracting Officer, in special circumstances, may request nonconforming supplies to be inspected by the GQAR, after the waiver for the nonconforming requirement has been provisionally approved, to determine severity of nonconformance only. Due to the type of statistical sampling cited in the contract, under no circumstances shall a lot found nonconforming by the contractor be inspected by the GQAR to determine conformance to a requirement that has previously been established as nonconforming by the contractor’s inspection. After any lot’s failure or rework, if the lot is reinspected, it will be both Contractor and Government inspected at the next higher sample size.

B. The Following Reworks Must Be Coordinated with the Supervisory GQAR and, As Required, Approved by the Applicable DLA Troop Support-FTR Office.

1. Insect or Rodent Infestation/Contamination:

Reworks must be approved by FTR.

2. Food Safety and Foreign Material:

(a) All corrective actions performed on product due to foreign material and/or processed/ unprocessed container mix-ups must be approved by FTR.

(b) Thermal process deviations or deviations from the preparation, formulation or critical factors cited in the approved process schedule must be accompanied by a detailed letter from the plant's Processing Authority. The involved subcode(s), the deviation, and the disposition of the product shall be clearly identified when the complete lot is presented for Government end item verification inspection. If the producer fails to provide enough information/data in the case of a deviation, the GQAR shall contact FTR for approval to proceed with the Government end item verification inspection.

(c) Retesting/reinspection/rework of product that tested positive for food borne pathogens (salmonella, e. coli, etc.) is not authorized.

(d) These requirements are in addition to applicable Code of Federal Regulations or other regulatory requirements (USDA-FSIS, FDA).

3. Container Integrity Defects:

All reworks due to container integrity defects (critical defects only) noted during the producer’s end item inspection, the Government’s final lot end item verification inspection, the Government’s or assembler’s receipt inspection, or noted when the established action number/level (as cited in the contractor’s QSP) is exceeded during the in-process assembly operation must be approved by the applicable contracting officer, unless a 100% container rework of the entire lot is conducted at source or at the assembler. All containers exhibiting the same or other container integrity defects must be removed during the 100% container rework and noted on the rework paperwork. Reworked lots will be inspected or re-inspected, as applicable, by the GQAR at the location of the rework using the next larger sample size (for example, from 200 samples to 315, or if a second rework, from 315 samples to 500 samples). Rework results must be included with other paperwork when the lot is presented for Government end item verification inspection.

4. Second Time Reworks:

All second time reworks must be approved by the applicable FTR contracting officer.

5. Nonconformance’s Noted During Government Inspection for End Item Compliance:

All rework requests submitted for defects noted during Government inspection for end item compliance must be approved by the applicable contracting officer, unless exempted under paragraph 3 above.

6. All requests for rework shall be accompanied with a comprehensive rework plan. The rework plan will include rational information and data that supports the rework plan and ensures the elimination of nonconforming material from the lot. See “Request for Rework, Request for Waiver, Request for Deviation, or Reinspection of Nonconforming Supplies”. After any lot’s failure or rework, if the lot is reinspected, it will be both Contractor and Government inspected at the next larger sample size.

3. REQUEST FOR REWORK, REQUEST FOR WAIVER, REQUEST FOR DEVIATION, OR REINSPECTION OF NONCONFORMING SUPPLIES (A.) When the requirements cited in the section of this solicitation entitled “ Rework Of Product Pre or Post Acceptance” require that a written request for deviation, waiver, rework, or reinspection must be furnished, as appropriate, to the Contracting Officer and cognizant Government QAR, that request shall at a minimum contain the following:

1. Contractor's name and address.

2. Contract number, lot number(s), and quantity.

3. Item nomenclature and NSN, whether a component or end item.

4. Specification number, table/paragraph number, sample size, AC/REJ number(s), defect number(s), number of defects. Identify the pouch codes of defective units.

5. Classification of defects: Critical _____ Major ______ Minor _____

6. Cause of nonconformance or deviation, and corrective and preventive action.

a) State the root cause of the deficiency.

b) State the corrective action and the preventive action contractor has taken/will take to preclude recurrence.

c) If preventive action is not possible, state why.

7. If deviation/nonconformance is of a recurring nature, the frequency of occurrence and date/contract/lot number of last occurrence.

8. Effect on cost/price.

9. Effect on delivery schedule.

10. Full justification for request for deviation, waiver, rework or reinspection.

11. Submit in-process data (MPC, SPC) and contractor and Government end-item records for the involved lot(s). Submit retort records, copy of process schedule and letter from Processing Authority if a process deviation.

12. Applicable to the defect found or class of defects for critical defects, identify the situations where the lot exceeded control limits (out-of-control, exceeded action level or number) according to in-process records (MPC, SPC), and identify the corrective actions taken for each instance.