Seeking To Cut Food Waste (& Save The Planet), California Bans ‘Sell By’ Labeling On Products

Authored by Jill McLaughlin via The Epoch Times,

Food products sold in California will no longer have a “sell by” stamp after July 1, 2026, after Gov. Gavin Newsom approved the nation’s first law governing food labeling.

When it goes into effect, Assembly Bill 660 will require the use of two standard terms for food products that choose to use a date label—“best if used by” to indicate the quality date of food, or “use by” to indicate the safety of food.

Newsom said in a statement he also believed the new law, which he signed on Sept. 28, would better inform consumers and “significantly reduce food waste.”

Stamping food with quality or time limits is not required as part of the law. The federal government also doesn’t require foods to be issued a “use by” date on anything except baby formula.

Environmental organizations that sponsored the new law say banning the “sell by” stamp will keep more food out of the garbage bin, cutting down on methane produced at landfills.