Standardized Food Date Labels: Reducing Waste, Improving Clarity
New rules introduce uniform date labels on food packaging to help consumers understand when a product is best to consume and when it should be discarded. This aims to reduce food waste and enhance food safety. Manufacturers voluntarily decide whether to include these dates, but if they do, they must use specific phrases.
Key points
Introduction of two standard date labels: "BEST If Used By" for quality and "USE By" for safety.
Standardization of date format (month and year or month, day, and year) and placement on packaging for easy visibility.
Prohibition for states and local governments from setting different date labeling requirements, ensuring nationwide consistency.
Federal authorities will conduct an education campaign to explain the meaning of the new date labels to consumers.
The rules do not apply to infant formula and do not prohibit the sale or donation of food past the quality date, but allow for prohibition of sale past the 'use by' date.
Status:
Introduced
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