New Food Labels Coming to California
Starting July 1, Californians will begin seeing a more standardized approach to food date labels as a new state law takes effect.
According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, food sold for human consumption in California, with the exception of eggs and infant formula, must use specific date-label language. "Best if Used By" and "Best if Frozen By" will indicate when a product is at its peak freshness or quality. "Use By" and "Use By or Freeze By" will indicate when a food item is no longer considered safe to eat.
The law also eliminates consumer-facing "Sell By" dates. Retailers can still use coded stock-rotation information, but the goal is to reduce confusion for shoppers.
The change comes through AB 660. According to co-sponsor Californians Against Waste, more than 50 different date-label phrases have been used across the United States.
CalRecycle reports that 2.5 billion meals worth of unspoiled food are thrown away each year in California, contributing to the organic waste that makes up 48% of what is sent to the state's landfills.
