CA Bans 'Sell By' Labels On Food: Readers Weigh In

CALIFORNIA — Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed a new law banning "Sell By" dates on food items sold at stores in California and we asked Patch readers to share their thoughts on the law — which is the first of its kind in the U.S.

In a recent survey, respondents were divided on the subject. The poll — which drew 2,309 respondents and appeared in questionnaire form this week on Patch — is meant not to be a scientific poll but only to give a broad idea of public sentiment.

AB 660, authored by Rep. Jacqui Irwin (D-Encino), aims to reduce food waste by standardizing the use of "Best if Used By" and "Use By" and prohibiting confusing labels with dates that have nothing to do with the food's quality.

In our recent survey, 52.7% of respondents said "sell by" labels have confused their households or inspired a debate about whether a food product should be thrown away. Meanwhile, 43.2% said this had not been an issue and 4.2% were unsure.

Many have complained that "sell by" versus "use by" labels lead to uncertainty when it comes to assessing whether the food in your refrigerator has gone bad.

The bill's author agreed.

"Having to wonder whether our food is still good is an issue that we all have struggled with," Irwin said. "Today’s signing of AB 660 is a monumental step to keep money in the pockets of consumers while helping the environment and the planet."

Such labels have drawn scrutiny as awareness around the problem of food waste continues to grow. "Use By" and "Best Before" labels may encourage consumers to throw away food that is not expired.

We asked Patch readers "How do you determine that your food has gone bad?" Here's how they answered.

• 630 (27.3%) respondents said they rely on the "use by" date.
• 469 (20.3%) respondents said they use the "smell test".
• 35 (1.5%) respondents said they use the "sell by" date.
• 1,043 (45.2%)—an overwhelming majority—said they use a combination of all the above to determine whether a food product has gone bad.

Some provided other answers: "Appearance and taste," "common sense" and "I wing it and I hope I'm right."

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a "Sell By" date is not a safety date. It merely tells the store how long to display the product for sale for inventory management.

After July 1, 2026, AB 660 will require stores to display "Packed On" labels on prepared food items. In addition, labels indicating the quality or safety — "Best By" or "Best If Used By" — will be mandatory, according to the bill. "Use by" or "Freeze by" will be allowed to indicate the safety date of the item.

The new law will also limit the refrigerated shelf life of food goods to no more than 30 calendar days from packaging to consumption, except the time the product is maintained frozen, or the original safety date — whichever occurs first.

Violating the California Retail Food Code could result in a misdemeanor, according to the bill.

We asked readers to share their thoughts on this law:

I think it is a sensible law. There is a lot of good food being wasted by people and this might cut down on some of that waste.

Sounds like a better way to determine if the food is safe than the sell-by date. thanks, Gov!

More confusion. Who reads the labels anyway.

This is only helpful if the Use By date is there. If not, then people will get sick.

I think it’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. Newsom has obviously never taken a swallow of spoiled milk.

I am not certain the new law does away with the confusion!

Need to move out of this state.....Getting worse by the month....

Sell By means nothing. Glad it’s not going to be used!

Great idea. People are constantly giving me expired pasta and cans.

Can California come up with any more ways to bring the cost of food up for the consumer. Pretty soon we will be only able to buy artificial food pills. Lets put the farmers, the retailers and make life more difficult for the citizens.

This is great except for I am concerned about the 30 day max consumable. Period for example I buy oat milk that is good for way more than 30 days in the fridge. I’d rather it not tell me to throw it out after 30 days if it’s still good Since I paid more money for it than regular milk.

I like the new law. Removes a long standing corporate tactic of disposing to force replacement buying. Should be conducting scientific tests to determine the usable life of a product.

This removes the way the markets know how long a product has been on the shelf. My bakery has a 3 day limit on some products. Of course they are good after that but the bakery does not want to sell old products.