California&x27;s food date label law takes effect July 1. What to know Daniella Segura, USA TODAY NETWORKFri, June 12, 2026 at 11:29 PM UTC 0 California's food date label law takes effect July 1. What to know A new California law designed to standardize food expiration labeling and reduce food waste will take effect in July. California Assembly Bill 660, signed into law by Gov.
California's food date label law takes effect July 1. What to know
Daniella Segura, USA TODAY NETWORKFri, June 12, 2026 at 11:29 PM UTC
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California's food date label law takes effect July 1. What to know
A new California law designed to standardize food expiration labeling and reduce food waste will take effect in July.
California Assembly Bill 660, signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September 2024, will limit the wording manufacturers can use on food expiration labels to two phrases — "Best if Used By" or "Use By" — making the state the first in the nation to ban "Sell By" dates on packaged foods.
"Having to wonder whether our food is still good is an issue that we all have struggled with," the bill's author, Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, said in a Sept. 28, 2024, news release announcing the bill had been signed into law. "Today's signing of AB 660 is a monumental step to keep money in the pockets of consumers while helping the environment and the planet."
Here's what Californians should know about the new law.
What is California Assembly Bill 660?
The new law, which takes effect July 1, prohibits manufacturers from using "sell by" dates on consumer packaging for food products.
Instead, companies will be required to use standardized terms to indicate freshness and safety:
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Quality: "Best if Used By" or "Best if Used or Frozen By"
Safety: "Use By" or "Use or Freeze By"
What kind of products are affected by the new law?
If a packaged food item includes a date label for freshness or safety, it must follow the new standardized wording rules. This includes:
Dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, and cheese
Packaged meats and ready-to-eat foods
Frozen foods
Beverages, such as juice and soft drinks
Pantry staples, such as cereal, snacks, and canned goods
Which food products do not fall under new law?
The new law does not apply to the following food products, as they are regulated under separate federal rule, which state law cannot override:
Infant formula
Eggs or pasteurized in-shell eggs
Beer and other malt beverages
Why proponents said food label change is needed
The Natural Resources Defense Council, which co-sponsored the bill, said that currently on grocery store shelves, "there are more than 50 differently phrased date labels on packaged food."
While some phrasing denotes peak freshness or when a product is no longer safe to eat, other phrasing — such as "sell by" — is used to inform stock rotation and can mislead consumers into thinking the product is no longer safe to eat, according to the NRDC.
"AB 660 will close this gap by requiring manufacturers to use the same phrase for date labels across their products ... This small change will accelerate California's progress towards achieving a more efficient and secure food system," the NRDC said.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: What to know about California's food date label law taking effect July 1
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Published: June 13, 2026 at 02:54AM on Source: RON MAG
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