California Law Bans 'Sell By' Food Labels Starting This Week

A California law took effect Wednesday that bans "sell by" food labels on packaged goods sold in the state. Food manufacturers must now use one or both of two standardized phrases: "Best if Used By" to indicate peak quality and "Use By" to indicate product safety.

Background on label confusion Food labels have served as the main method for communicating freshness to consumers for decades, but no national standard governs the wording. The information on these labels is unregulated and typically does not relate to food safety.

A large majority of consumers interpret the dates as safety deadlines, creating a mismatch between label intent and consumer understanding.

Food waste impact The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery found that 2.5 billion meals worth of unspoiled food are thrown out every year in the state. This discarded food makes up almost half of what Californians send to landfills.

"Using clear, consistent date labels will help reduce confusion about when food is safe to eat, cut down on unnecessary food waste, and make it easier for consumers to make informed decisions," California state Assembly member Jacqui Irwin said on social media Monday.

"Consumers get confused and they just default to assuming that whatever date is on the package means 'don't eat it and throw it away'," Kumar Chandran, policy director at ReFED, said.

Other state efforts California became the first state to standardize food labels when the measure was signed into law in 2024. Bills addressing food labeling have been proposed in Maryland, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Illinois, and New Jersey, but none have passed. A similar measure passed the New York state legislature and awaits the governor's signature.