In an effort to cut down on food waste, California has introduced a new food labeling law. The law bans the use of ‘sell by’ labels on food packaging, which can be confusing for consumers and lead to unnecessary waste. Instead, manufacturers will be required to use two standardized labels: ‘Best if Used By’ for peak quality and ‘Use By’ for product safety.
Reducing Food Waste
The new law aims to reduce the estimated 6 million tons of unexpired food that is thrown away in California each year. According to Nick Lapis, director of advocacy at Californians Against Waste, food labels are the leading cause of household food waste. The ‘sell by’ date labels have also been a problem for food banks in California, as people often consider these dates as meaning the food has expired.
The law is part of a larger effort to reduce food waste and the state’s climate-warming emissions. California became the first state in the U.S. to standardize food labels when it approved the law in 2024. Other states, including New York, have also introduced similar laws.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommended a decade ago that food sellers should switch to ‘Best if Used By’ labeling. Currently, the only product that is regulated federally with date labels is infant formula.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
