California accidentally pours 2.5 billion pounds of food eve

Entering a supermarket, food packaging is often filled with slogans such as "sell by", "best by", and "use by" that leave people confused. In order to avoid wasting food due to label confusion, a new labeling law in California officially went into effect on July 1st, becoming the first state in the United States to fully implement "food label standardization".

According to data from the California Department of Recycling (CalRecycle), Californians dispose of up to 2.5 billion servings of food that is actually not spoiled each year. These organic wastes, when decomposed in landfills, produce large amounts of methane, accounting for 41% of California's greenhouse gas emissions. Environmental organizations point out that there have been over 50 different date label phrases on the market, which is the main reason why consumers discard food prematurely due to confusion.

What do these common labels mean to consumers? What changes have occurred after the implementation of the new law?

Understand the four common food labels
The federal government has very limited requirements for labeling expiration dates on products to ensure safety. Manufacturers usually choose their own words and phrases to describe the expected product "quality" rather than safety.

Sales deadline (Sell by)
This date means how long retailers' products should be displayed on shelves, most commonly on highly perishable items such as fresh meat and milk. After the 'sales deadline', food is usually still safe to consume, and some retailers may offer discounts near that date.

Best if used by/before

This date indicates when the product can maintain its best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase date or a safety date. After this date, the food may still be edible, but its taste or quality may decrease.

Consume before this date (Use by)
Similar to the 'best consumption period', this recommended date indicates when the product should be consumed for the highest quality. After this date, the product may still be safe, but the taste may not be as fresh.

Freeze by date
This date informs consumers when to freeze the product to maintain the highest quality. It is not a purchase date or a safety date.

Three core changes in California's new law (AB 660)
In order to end the chaos, this new law in California imposes mandatory regulations on food labels produced on or after July 1, 2026:

Disable 'sales deadline' and use internal code instead
Due to many consumers mistakenly believing that the "Sell by" date is a spoilage date and discarding it directly, the new law prohibits the printing of this word on packaging that is "for consumers". However, manufacturers can still use concealed encrypted codes (Coded dates) for internal inventory management purposes only by retailers.

Simplify tags: Keep only these two types

The new law strictly limits the wording to two types: "best if used by" for quality and "use by" for safety. However, there are two exceptions to the law - infant formula and eggs, which will continue to maintain their original federal or state labeling standards.

Enterprises that fail to meet the standards face minor offenses and fines
The new law has substantial legal binding force. If the label is not corrected according to regulations, the manufacturer and retailer will jointly bear compliance risks, and may face a maximum fine of $1000 per violation, or even revocation of license. However, as the law allows for the continued sale of old inventory that was already produced before July 1st, consumers will still see transitional old labels on supermarket shelves in the coming months.

Practical food safety guide: How to know if food is really not safe to eat
Due to the fact that most food dates are related to quality rather than safety, they are not a reliable standard for determining when food should be discarded. Observing for signs of spoilage, including odor, abnormal texture, or mold, is a better indicator of whether food is edible.

Generally speaking, most unopened packaged foods can still be safely consumed beyond their recommended date if stored properly and without any signs of spoilage. However, if the container of canned food is dented, swollen, or otherwise damaged, even canned food can become unsafe.

In addition, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires infant formula to be labeled with a "before date" date to ensure its nutritional quality and safety; The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) also requires poultry and heat-treated products to be labeled with packaging dates to identify batches.

The quality of perishable foods may decrease after the product date, but if there are no signs of spoilage, they are still healthy and safe. Therefore, donations to food banks and consumers can be considered, without the need to simply discard them.