California food-label reform

In early July 2026 California enacted a pioneering law that eliminates the myriad “sell‑by” dates on packaged foods, requiring manufacturers to use either a “Best if Used By” label for peak quality or a “Use By” label for safety. The measure, championed by Democratic Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, aims to cut the state’s six million tons of annually discarded edible food, ease donations to food banks, and lower greenhouse‑gas emissions. It follows similar efforts in New York and a pending bipartisan congressional bill for a national standard.

A few days later, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration highlighted that California’s simplified labeling could impact the roughly 20 % of U.S. food waste attributed to confusing date terms. The discussion broadened to Europe, noting Italy’s fines for past‑date sales and Germany’s proposal to drop minimum durability dates for staples, illustrating divergent national strategies.

New research cited in late July shows that more than 80 % of U.S. consumers discard food once the printed date passes, despite most dates indicating quality, not safety. A 2019 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health study and University of Maryland research identified over 50 distinct date terms nationwide, fueling confusion. Food‑safety experts such as Donald Schaffner (Rutgers) and food scientist Rachel Zemser note that many products, especially unopened canned and shelf‑stable items, remain safe well beyond the new “Use By” dates, and the law encourages reliance on sensory cues to reduce waste.