California Bans ‘Sell By’ Dates to Simplify Labels and Cut Food Waste

By Abigail Buta. Originally published in FoodTank on October 16, 2024.

California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed a bill to standardize food date labels and ban the use of “sell by” dates. California is the first state in the nation to require clear standards to cut food waste.

California’s Assembly Bill 660 helps consumers better understand the shelf-life of their food by allowing just two categories. “Best if used (or frozen) by” will indicate peak food quality, and “use (or freeze) by” will indicate food safety. For smaller products where space is a concern, labels can read “BB” or “UB.” Manufacturers and grocery stores can still use coded “sell by” dates to ensure product rotation on the shelves, but the words “sell by” cannot appear on the label. Additionally, “packed on” dates are allowed if they are accompanied by either a “best if used by” or “use by” date.

Confusion over date labels accounts for around 7 percent of consumer food waste in the United States, according to ReFED. And a study published in Waste Management finds that 84 percent of respondents throw out food that is near its labeled date “at least occasionally”.

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