For a long time, date coding on food products has been confusing, with many variations in use.
Sell By, Freshest By, Expires On, Best Use By and more versions are often seen.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 660 (AB660) into state law to simplify things and reduce food waste caused by the current confusion.
From July 1st, 2026, the new regulation will allow just two versions of a date code:
Best if Used By or Best if Frozen By – which shows the date the product will retain its ideal quality
Use By or Use or Freeze By – the date beyond which the product’s safety can no longer be assured.
Because many products controlled by the UDSDA require a Packed-On date on the packaging, this will continue to be permitted under AB660 as long as the new unified date coding is present too.
Removing the more ambiguous versions of the date codes and allowing just the two standard and well-defined ones should lead to more understanding and less food thrown away that is actually safe to eat.
It will be interesting to see if other states now introduce a similar mandate.
You can read more on the AB660 page here: California Legislative Information
