The total period of time beginning with the date of manufacture, cure, assembly, or pack (subsistence only), that an item may remain in the combined wholesale (including manufacturer's) and retail storage systems, and still remain usable for issue and/or consumption by the end user.
Typical Shelf-Life Items include food, medicines, batteries, paints, sealants, adhesives, film tires, chemicals, packaged petroleum products, hoses/belts, mission-critical o-rings, and Nuclear/Biological/Chemical equipment and clothing.
SLES is the DoD Shelf-Life management system for internal shelf-life policy information for the supply chain (life-cycle management) of standard and hazardous shelf-life items contained in the Federal supply system.
SLES users search the Materiel Quality Control Storage Standards (MQCSS) and Quality Status List (QSL) databases to view data elements required to determine if a shelf-life NSN can be extended. MQCSS provides guidance on inspection, testing, and storage requirements for Type II extendible shelf-life materiel. MQCSS is the authority for shelf-life extension when visible inspection only is required. QSL contains the results of previously completed laboratory extension testing. QSL testing results with supply condition code 'A' may be used as authority to extend Type II shelf-life materiel if it has been stored and packaged appropriately.