California Bans Consumer 'Sell By' Labels To Cut Food Waste
California on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, banned consumer-facing "sell by" labels on most foods in a bid to cut food waste and reduce shopper confusion.[1]
The law limits consumer-facing date language to "best if used by" or "best if frozen by" for quality and to "use by" or "freeze by" for safety, while excluding eggs and infant formula.[1] Manufacturers may still embed coded "sell by" information for retailers, and a grace period allows stores to sell products stamped before July 1.[1] Federal estimates say more than one-third of food sold nationwide is wasted, a problem lawmakers cite as partly driven by consumers misreading dozens of nonstandard date labels.[1]
In 2017 California passed AB 954, directing the Department of Food and Agriculture to promote voluntary use of uniform terms such as "best if used by." New York Times Voluntary uptake proved limited, and lawmakers moved to pass AB 660; Gov. Gavin Newsom signed that bill on September 28, 2024, mandating standardized labels and banning consumer-facing "sell by" dates.[1]
New York has approved a similar measure, and other states are considering food date-labeling legislation as policymakers push to cut landfill waste.[1] Californians discard an estimated 5 to 6 million tons of food annually. Date-label confusion is estimated to produce about 3 billion pounds of surplus food in U.S. homes each year.
The mainstream summary does not highlight the significant impact of date label confusion on consumer behavior, which is a critical aspect of the issue. According to a 2025 survey, 43% of U.S. consumers regularly discard food near or past the label date, a notable increase from 37% in 2016. This confusion leads to approximately three billion pounds of food wasted annually, valued at around $7 billion, underscoring the urgency of California's legislative action to standardize food date labeling.[2]
Additionally, the summary overlooks the broader context of regulatory fragmentation across the U.S., where approximately 50 variations of date labels exist due to differing state policies. This inconsistency contributes to an estimated 7% of total food waste. California's AB 660 aims to address this problem not only through standardization but also as part of a larger trend of state-level policy innovation to combat food waste.[3]
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📊 Relevant Data
Californians throw away an estimated 5-6 million tons of food waste annually.
Inspection Services - Food Recovery — California Department of Food and Agriculture
Date label concerns are estimated to cause about 3 billion pounds of surplus food each year in U.S. homes.
Food Expiration Date Labels: Food Safety & Waste Reduction — ReFED
📌 Key Facts
- The California law took effect Wednesday, July 1, 2026, banning consumer-facing 'sell by' labels on most foods.
- Allowed terms are limited to 'best if used by/best if frozen by' for quality and 'use by/freeze by' for safety, excluding eggs and infant formula.
- Manufacturers may still include coded 'sell by' information for retailers, and a grace period allows sale of products made before July 1.
- USDA estimates more than one-third of food sold nationwide is wasted, partly due to confusion over nonstandard date labels.
- New York state has approved a similar law, and other states are considering food date-labeling legislation.
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