California brings in major change to grocery stores thatll impact the way everyone shops

Californians are about to notice a major change the next time they stroll through the grocery store.Starting July 1, food makers 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 sweeping new state law aimed at reducing food waste and clearing up confusion over expiration labels.The shake-up stems from Assembly Bill 660, which creates a statewide standard for food date labels and effectively eliminates the patchwork of phrases that have long appeared on grocery packaging, including terms such as “sell by,” “freshest by” and “expires on.”Instead, shoppers will largely see just two labels.Products marked “BEST if Used by” are considered to be at their highest quality or flavor before that date, while items carrying a “USE by” label indicate a food safety deadline.The law also permits shortened versions of the labels — “BB” and “UB” — for smaller packages and certain beverages. The new rules apply to foods manufactured on or after July 1, 2026.

Companies that continue using consumer-facing “sell by” dates on products made after that date will not be allowed to sell them in California, although coded dates used internally for inventory tracking are still permitted. State officials say the overhaul is designed to address a costly problem: consumers routinely toss perfectly edible food because they misunderstand what date labels actually mean.The California Department of Food and Agriculture says “sell by” labels were originally intended to help retailers manage stock, not to tell shoppers when food becomes unsafe to eat.The agency argues that removing the phrase from packaging will reduce confusion and prevent usable food from ending up in landfills.  California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

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