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:
| 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]