PKG QAP.pdf

PKG & QAP

A-A-20184A B 17 November 2005 Change 01 5 June 2008

SECTION C

This document covers instant coffee packaged for use by the Department of Defense as a component of operational rations.

C-1 ITEM DESCRIPTION

PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS AND QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS FOR

CID A-A-20184A B, COFFEE, INSTANT

Types, styles, pack, and packages.

Types.

Type I - Spray dried, powdered Type III - Freeze dried

Styles.

Style A - Regular Style B - Decaffeinated

Pack.

Pack 1 – Four sided seal envelope Pack 2 – Lap or fin seal package

Packages.

Package A - Meal, Cold Weather (MCW) Package B - Food Packet, Long Range Patrol (LRP) Package C - Meal, Ready-To-Eat (MRE) Package J - First Strike Ration (FSR)

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 the Packaging Requirements and Quality Assurance Provisions.

The approved sample shall serve as the Product Standard. Should the contractor at any time plan to, or actually produce the product using different raw material or process methodologies from the approved Product Standard, which result in a product non comparable to the Product Standard, the contractor shall arrange for a new or alternate FA or PDM approval. In any event, all product produced must meet all requirements of this document including Product Standard comparability.

B. Shelf life. The packaged product shall meet the minimum shelf life requirement of 36 months at 80oF.

C. Dry product.

(1) Appearance. The packaged product shall be free from foreign materials.

(2) Texture. The product shall be fine grained, free flowing, and free from lumps, which do not compress with light pressure.

(3) Net weight.

a. Type I. The net weight of type I, pack 1 shall be not less than 2.2 1.5 grams.

b. Type III. The net weight of type III, pack 1 shall be not less than 1.7 1.5 grams. The net weight of type III, pack 2 shall be not less than 2.1 1.5 grams.

D. Hydrated product.

(1) Appearance. The product shall be smooth, free from discernible lumps and sediment free. The hydrated product shall be a medium golden brown color.

(2) Hydration. The product shall fully dissolve within two minutes in hot or cold water with constant stirring and showing no evidence of undissolved floating particles.

E. Palatability and overall appearance. The finished product shall be equal to or better than the approved product standard in palatability and overall appearance.

Comment [U1]: Natick ES08-096 change 01, 05-JUN-08. delete “2.2”, insert “1.5”

Comment [U2]: Natick ES08-096 change 01, 05-JUN-08. line 1, delete “1.7”, insert “1.5”; line 2, delete“2.1”, insert “1.5”

F. Analytical and physical tests. For all types specified, the sediment, particle size, caffeine, and moisture requirements and procedures shall be in accordance with A-A- 20184A.

SECTION D

D-1 PACKAGING

A. Packaging.

(1) Four sided seal individual serving envelope. A net weight of 2.2 1.5 grams of Type I product or 1.7 1.5 grams of Type III product shall be unit packed into an envelope. The envelope shall be made from a heat-sealable, laminated material, one lamina of which shall be a minimum of 0.00035 inch (0.000889 cm) thick aluminum foil. The envelope shall be heat sealed on all four edges or on three edges with the fourth edge being formed by folding the material on an anvil prior to filling. The filled and sealed envelope shall have dimensions of not more than 3-1/2 inches (8.89 cm) in length, 2-1/2 inches (6.35 cm) in width, and 1/8 inch (0.3175 cm) in thickness. The seals shall be a minimum 1/8 inch (0.3175 cm) in width.

A tear nick, notch, or serrated edge shall be located on one or more seals. The sealed pouch shall not leak when tested in accordance with E-6,B,(1).

(2) Lap or fin seal individual serving package. A net weight of 2.1 1.5 grams of Type III product shall be unit packed into a lap or fin-seal package. The lap or fin-seal package shall be a heat-sealable, laminated material, one lamina of which shall be a minimum of

0.00035 inch (0.000889 cm) thick aluminum foil. The package shall be heat sealed with a length-wise fin-seal and heat sealed at each end. The filled and sealed package shall have dimensions of not more than 4-3/4 inches (12.0 cm) in length, 7/8 inches (2.22 cm) in width, and 3/8 inch (0.95 cm) in thickness. All seals shall be a minimum of 1/8 inch (0.3175 cm) in width. A tear nick, notch, or serrated edge shall be located on one or more seals. The sealed pouch shall not leak when tested in accordance with E-6,B,(1).

D-2 LABELING

A. Envelopes or packages. Each envelope or package 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:

Comment [U3]: Natick ES08-096 change 01, 05-JUN-08. Line 1, delete “2.2”, insert “1.5”; line 2, delete “1.7”, insert “1.5”

Comment [U4]: Natick ES08-096 change 01, 05-JUN-08. Line 1, delete “2.1”, insert “1.5”

(1) Name and flavor of product (letters not less than 1/8 inch high)

(2) Ingredients

(3) Directions for use: Add 1/4 canteen cup (6 ounces) of hot or cold water to contents and stir. Allow water just chemically purified to stand 30 minutes before adding powder.

(4) Date 1/

(5) Net Weight

(6) Contractor's name and address

(7) “Nutrition Facts” label in accordance with the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) and all applicable FDA/USDA regulations.

1/ Each envelope or package 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, 17 November 2005 would be coded as 5321. The Julian day code shall represent the day the product was packaged into the envelope or package.

D-3 PACKING

A. Packing for shipment to ration assembler. Not more than 40 pounds of product shall be packed in a fiberboard shipping container constructed in accordance with style RSC-L, class domestic, variety SW, grade 200 of ASTM D 5118/D 5118M Standard Practice for Fabrication of Fiberboard Shipping Boxes. Each container shall be securely closed in accordance with ASTM D 1974 Standard Practice for Methods of Closing, Sealing, and Reinforcing Fiberboard Boxes.

D-4 MARKING

A. Shipping containers. Shipping containers shall be marked in accordance with DSCP FORM 3556, Marking Instructions for Boxes, Sacks and Unit Loads of Perishable and Semiperishable Subsistence.

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.

(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. Thirty two

(32) sample units of each item produced shall be randomly selected from that one production lot. The thirty two (32) 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 product examination and the methods of inspection cited in this section.

E-5 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PRODUCT)

A. Product examination. The finished product shall be examined for compliance with the performance requirements specified in A-A-20184A and Section C of the Packaging Requirements and Quality Assurance Provisions document and utilizing the double sampling plans indicated in ANSI/ASQC Z1.4 - 1993. The lot size shall be expressed in envelopes or packages. The sample unit shall be the contents of one envelope or package. 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/

Category Defect Major Minor 101 Product not type or style or pack as specified.

Dry product Appearance 201 Type I product not spray dried powder.

202 Type III product not freeze dried particles.

Texture 203 Product not free flowing or fine grained.

204 Presence of hard lumps. 3/

Weight 205 Net weight of Type I, pack 1 less than 2.2 1.5 grams.

206 Net weight of Type III, pack 1 less than 1.7 1.5 grams.

207 Net weight of Type III, pack 2 less than 2.1 1.5 grams.

Hydrated product 4/ Appearance 102 Product not smooth or not free of discernible lumps or sediment.

208 Product not a medium golden brown color.

209 Product does not completely dissolve with constant stirring.

Odor and flavor 103 Product does not have a strong, coffee odor or flavor.

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

Comment [U5]: Natick ES08-096 change 01, 05-JUN-08. delete “2.2”, insert “1.5”

Comment [U6]: Natick ES08-096 change 01, 05-JUN-08. delete “1.7”, insert “1.5”

Comment [U7]: Natick ES08-096 change 01, 05-JUN-08. delete “2.1”, insert “1.5”

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. Palatability is not applicable to dry product.

3/ Lumps that do not fall apart under light pressure between the fingers shall be scored as a defect.

4/ Prior to conducting the hydrated product examination, the product shall be hydrated per label instructions. Product that does not fully dissolve within 2 minutes with constant stirring shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

B. Methods of inspection.

(1) Shelf life. The contractor shall provide a certificate of conformance that the product has a 36 month shelf life when stored at 80°F. Government verification may include storage for 6 months at 100°F or 36 months at 80°F. Upon completion of either storage 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 of the filled and sealed envelopes or packages shall be determined by weighing each sample on a suitable scale tared with a representative empty envelope or package. Results shall be reported to the nearest 0.1 gram.

E-6 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS (PACKAGING AND PACKING

MATERIALS)

A. Packaging and labeling.

(1) Envelope or package material certification. Conformance to envelope material requirements shall be determined by certificate of conformance.

(2) Filled and sealed envelope or package examination. The filled and sealed envelopes or packages shall be examined for the defects listed in table II. The sample size shall be expressed in envelopes or packages. The sample unit shall be one envelope or package. The inspection level shall be I and the AQL, expressed in terms of defects per hundred units, shall be 0.65 for major defects and 2.5 for minor defects.

TABLE II. Filled and sealed envelope or package defects 1/ Categor y

Defect

Major Mino r

101 Tear, or hole, or open seal.

201 Envelopes or packages exceed maximum dimensions.

102 Leakage. 2/

103 Seal separation. 2/

104 Delamination. 2/

105 Envelope not heat sealed with minimum 1/8 inch wide seals.

106 Unclean.

107 Envelope or package has foreign odor.

202 Label missing, or incorrect, or illegible.

1/ Any evidence of rodent or insect infestation shall be cause for rejection of the lot.

2/ Examine envelopes or packages after removal from leakage test apparatus.

B. Methods of Inspection.

(1) Leakage test. The filled and sealed envelopes or packages shall be tested by placing them in a dry desiccator, or similar apparatus, and subjecting them to a vacuum of minimum 20 inches of mercury (atmospheric pressure is 29.9 inches of mercury) for 30 seconds. Any envelope or package that does not swell to form a tightly distended package having at least one distorted edge during the test shall be recorded as a leaker. After vacuum testing, the envelopes or packages shall be visually inspected for evidence of delamination and for seal separation. Any leakage, any delamination, or any seal separation of more than 1/16 inch from the product edge of any seal shall be recorded as a defect.

C. Packing.

(1) Shipping container and marking examination. The filled and sealed shipping containers shall be examined for the defects listed in table III below. The lot size shall be expressed in shipping containers. The sample unit shall be one shipping container fully packed. The inspection level shall be S-3 and the AQL, expressed in terms of defects per hundred units, shall be 4.0 for major defects and 10.0 for total defects.

TABLE III. Shipping container and marking defects Categor y

Defect

Major Minor 101 Marking missing or incorrect or illegible.

102 Inadequate workmanship. 1/

201 Contents more or less than specified.

1/ Inadequate workmanship is defined as, but not limited to, incomplete closure of container flaps, loose strapping, inadequate stapling, improper taping, or bulged or distorted container.

SECTION J REFERENCE DOCUMENTS

DSCP FORMS

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

NON-GOVERNMENTAL STANDARDS

AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR QUALITY (ASQ)

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

Attributes

ASTM International

D1974-98 (2003) Standard Practice for Methods of Closing, Sealing, and Reinforcing Fiberboard Boxes

D5118/D5118M-05 Standard Practice for Fabrication of Fiberboard Shipping Boxes

For DSCP Website Posting

AMSRD-NSR-CF-F 5 June 2008

TO: DSCP-FTRAA

SUBJECT: ES08-096 (DSCP-SS-08-99870); Request for revision to Net Weight of Coffee, Freeze Dried, Types I and III, Style A. CID A-A-20184B, Coffee, Instant and Packaging Requirements and Quality Assurance Provisions for CID A-A-20184B, Coffee, Instant.

1. Natick received a request from the supplier of the coffee, , is requesting a revision to the net weight requirements to not less than (NLT) 1.5 grams of Types I and III, Style A products in the Packaging Requirements and Quality Assurance Provisions for CID A-A- 20184B, Coffee, Instant document.

2. Currently Type I, Style A, pack 1, is NLT 2.2 grams. Type III, Style A, pack 1, (four sided seal envelope) is NLT 1.7 grams and Type III, Style A, pack 2, (lap or fin seal package) is NLT 2.1 grams.

Industry is moving to a smaller net weight product. Lowering the net weight requirement to NLT 1.5 grams will allow the continued use of industries' commercial package.

Coffee is classified as an ancillary item for the operational rations.

3. Natick submits the following changes to the Packaging Requirements and Quality Assurance Provisions for CID A-A-20184B, Coffee, Instant document for all current, pending and future procurements until the document is formally amended or revised

a. C-2, C. (3) Net Weight. Make the following changes:

(1) a. Type I, line 1, delete “2.2”, insert “1.5”

(2) b. Type III, line 1, delete “1.7”, insert “1.5”;

line 2, delete “2.1”, insert “1.5”

b. D-1 A. (1) Line 1, delete “2.2”, insert “1.5”; delete “1.7”, insert “1.5”

c. D-1 A. (2) Line 1, delete “2.1”, insert “1.5”

d. E-5, Table I. Product Defects. Make the following changes:

(1) Defect 205, delete “2.”, insert “1.5”

(2) Defect 206, delete “1.7”, insert “1.5”

(3) Defect 207, delete “2.1”, insert “1.5”