SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 3 (Our California Times) — A California law taking effect July 1 requires food products sold in the state to use standardized date labels, a change the state says will reduce confusion and food waste.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture says Assembly Bill 660 applies to food items for human consumption manufactured on or after July 1, 2026. It bans consumer-facing “sell by” dates but allows coded dates that retailers can use for stock rotation.
For quality dates, the approved phrases are “BEST if Used by” or “BEST if Used or Frozen by.” For safety dates, the law requires “USE by” or “USE by or Freeze by.”
CDFA says the change removes “the source of consumer confusion that results in the disposal of wholesome, nutritious food.”
The department says the sale ban does not apply to eggs or infant formula.
