By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-06-23 17:40:52 | Updated at 2026-06-23 18:57:30
1 hour ago
Californians are set to notice a major change the next time they stroll through a grocery store.
State officials have ordered a sweeping overhaul of food packaging that will alter how millions shop.
From July 1, food manufacturers and retailers across the Golden State will no longer be allowed to slap 'sell by' dates on most packaged foods sold to consumers, under a controversial new law aimed at tackling food waste and clearing up widespread confusion over expiration labels.
The shake-up, which will be felt across supermarket shelves statewide, effectively strips out a long list of familiar date markings that shoppers have relied on for years.
Instead of the confusing mix of phrases currently printed on packaging - including 'sell by,' 'freshest by' and 'expires on' - consumers will now see just two standard labels.
Products marked 'BEST if Used by' will refer to peak quality and flavor, while items labelled 'USE by' will indicate a hard food safety deadline.
State officials insist the change is designed to stop shoppers binning perfectly edible food simply because they misunderstand what date labels actually mean.
The overhaul stems from Assembly Bill 660, which establishes the nation's first statewide standard for food dating and effectively bans consumer-facing 'sell by' labels altogether.
Californians are set to notice a major change the next time they stroll through a grocery store
From July 1, food manufacturers and retailers across the Golden State will no longer be allowed to slap 'sell by' dates on most packaged foods sold to consumers
Instead of the confusing mix of phrases currently printed on packaging - including 'sell by,' 'freshest by' and 'expires on' - consumers will now see just two standard labels
Regulators say the phrase was never intended to signal safety, but was instead used by retailers for stock rotation - a distinction they argue has long been lost on the public.
The new system will also allow shortened versions of the labels - 'BB' and 'UB' - to be used on smaller packaging and certain beverages.
Under the rules, only food manufactured on or after July 1 will need to comply, but companies that continue using banned 'sell by' labels on consumer packaging after that date will be prohibited from selling those products in California.
The grocery industry has already been scrambling to adapt, with manufacturers and retailers racing to redesign packaging for the state's enormous consumer market.
California becomes the first US state to impose a unified system for food date labels, with supporters hailing the move as a potential blueprint for the rest of the country.
However, critics of the broader labeling system argue that the lack of a national standard has left consumers navigating a confusing maze of more than 50 different date-related phrases across the United States.
Food waste groups have welcomed the change, saying it could help reduce the staggering amount of edible food thrown away each year due to misunderstanding of packaging dates.
For shoppers, officials say the aim is simple: fewer labels, less confusion - and a lot less food ending up in the bin.
