Food Policy

California Bans “Sell By” Labels On Food Packaging

California Bans "Sell By" Labels On Food Packaging
Takeshi Kuboki / Wikimedia Commons - Full AttributionHide Attribution
Takeshi Kuboki from Amagasaki, Japan, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Shoppers in California will no longer see “sell by” dates on food packaging after a new law took effect July 1st, replacing them with clearer labels like “Best if Used By” for quality and “Use By” for safety. Lawmakers hope the change will reduce confusion that leads many people to throw away perfectly good food, with date labels estimated to contribute to nearly 20% of food waste nationwide. California throws away about 6-million tons of unexpired food each year, and similar labeling laws are now being considered in several other states as well as Congress.
Source: US News