SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 3 (Our California Times) — California’s new food date label law took effect July 1, requiring standardized terms on consumer-facing labels for food sold in the state, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
For quality dates, packages must use “BEST if Used by” or “BEST if Used or Frozen by.” For safety dates, the required phrases are “USE by” or “USE by or Freeze by.” Consumer-facing “sell by” dates are no longer allowed, although coded dates can still be used for inventory rotation.
CDFA says the law applies to food manufactured on or after July 1, 2026. Products already made before that date can continue to be sold with existing labels, and the agency says the change is meant to reduce confusion that can lead people to throw away edible food.
The sale ban does not apply to eggs or infant formula, according to CDFA. Food manufacturers and retailers in California now have to align packaging and shelf-date language with the new standard.
