SACRAMENTO - Sell by? Use by? Best by? Expires by? For years, consumers have been confused as heck trying to figure out the difference between certain labels on food.

California has decided to do something about the problem.

Beginning July 1, food makers and retailers will have to replace all those confusing instructions with just two notices, due to the passage of Assembly Bill 660.

The sale of any food item, except eggs and infant formula, for human consumption in the state that is not labeled with the following two quality or safety notices will be prohibited:

Quality Dates:
“BEST if Used by” or “BEST if Used or Frozen by”
Indicates peak freshness (or quality) of a food item

Safety Dates:
“USE by” or “USE by or Freeze by”
Indicates when a food item is no longer safe to eat

Smaller packages and beverages will be able to use an abbreviation of these two notices — “BB” for “best by” and “UB” for “use by.”

Also starting July 1, the use of consumer-facing “Sell by” dates will be prohibited.

This may seem trivial at first glance, but it turns out consumers have been throwing out perfectly good food products for years because the labels make it unclear if they’re still good or safe to use.

The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) reports that 2.5 billion meals worth of unspoiled food is thrown away each year, contributing to the organic waste that is 48% of what Californians send to landfills.

Officials say bringing clarity to food date labels would greatly aid in curbing this food waste. (Source: KTLA)

Story Date: June 23, 2026