July 1 made California’s food-labeling law fully operative, requiring packaged foods to use only “BEST if Used by” for quality and “USE by” for safety while banning consumer-facing “sell-by” labels.
More than 50 date-label terms now appear on packaged foods, and with almost no federal rules beyond infant formula, officials say the confusion drives nearly 20% of U.S. food waste.
In California, that translates to about 6 million tons of unexpired food discarded each year, with backers saying mislabeled groceries also make food-bank donations harder because shoppers assume food has expired.
New York lawmakers have approved a similar measure awaiting Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature, and several other states are considering bills, increasing pressure on manufacturers to adopt one national labeling standard.
Now that California has banned 'sell by' dates, what happens to food shipped from states that still use them?
California just changed its food labels to fight waste. Will the rest of the country be forced to follow suit?
California's new labels aim to cut waste, but could they accidentally convince people to discard perfectly good food?
California Bans "Sell By" Dates: How AB 660’s 2026 Food Label Law Aims to Cut 2.5 Billion Meals of Waste Annually
Overview
On July 1, 2026, California transformed its food labeling rules by implementing Assembly Bill 660. This law standardizes food date labels across the state, removing confusing 'sell by' dates from consumer packaging. The main goal is to reduce food waste, as about 2.5 billion meals worth of unspoiled food end up in California landfills each year, making up nearly half of the state's waste and producing harmful methane gases. By making date labels clearer, California hopes to help consumers make better choices, cut down on waste, and protect the environment.