'Best by'? 'Sell by'? New California law clears up food-label confusion
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Set us as preferred You’ve decided to make a sandwich and reach for your loaf of bread, but the “sell-by date” on the bag has passed.You throw it in the trash to err on the side of caution, even though you’re unsure whether it means the bread is past its expiration date.
A new California law will narrow the laundry list of food date labels on products to two, eliminating consumer confusion and halting the unintentional food waste that has resulted.There are more than 50 distinct food date labels in the United States, according to a report published by researchers with the University of Maryland.
These are just a few of the phrases you might have seen on your food items: Each phrase can convey a different message about the food product.Some date labels are intended to help store clerks with inventory management.
Most label dates, however, are used by packaged-food companies to tell a consumer how long the product will remain at peak quality, said Andrea Collins, senior specialist in food waste for the Natural Resources Defense Council, a U.S.-based nonprofit that focuses on international environmental policies.A few labels are intended to tell a consumer that there is an increased risk of food-borne illness with increased time.These meanings haven’t been conveyed to the consumer, who, in their confusion, may unintentionally contribute to food waste by disposing of food they believe is spoiled.
A 2025 national survey conducted by Harvard Law School, John Hopkins and ReFED, a U.S.-based nonprofit working to solve food waste, found that of the more than 2,000 respondents, on average, 87% believed they knew the meanings of eight different labels, yet when quizzed, only an average of 53% answered correctly.Nationally, the survey found that 43% of respondents always or usually discard food near or past the date on the l...