Manufacturers shall, whenever practicable, be required to mark the unit or container with the month and year of manufacture or production and the batch number on all shelf-life items (60 months or less) procured from other than GSA sources. Whenever practical, the supplier shall be required to ship or deliver material within a given number of months from the date of manufacture or production. These “age on delivery” requirements should not be imposed in such a manner as to unduly restrict competition at any trade level. The following guidelines are suggested as appropriate for most shelf-life items:

Open Table
Shelf-life period Age on delivery
25 mos. or more 6 mos.
19 to 24 mos 4 mos.
13 to 18 mos 3 mos.
7 to 12 mos 2 mos.
6 mos. or less 1 mo. or less.

[40 FR 59595, Dec. 29, 1975]


Tried the LawStack mobile app?

Join thousands and try LawStack mobile for FREE today.

  • Carry the law offline, wherever you go.
  • Download CFR, USC, rules, and state law to your mobile device.