California is the first US state to ban the use of “sell-by” and “best before” labels. The new bill, passed on 28 September, standardises date labelling on food products to eliminate food waste and reduce emissions. 

Policy Associate with Californians Against Waste, Erica Parker said:

Californians throw away six million tons of food waste each year — and confusion over date labels is a leading cause.”

From 1 July 2026, companies will be restricted to only using “Best if Used By” or “Use By” on food products in an attempt to make date labels less confusing. It is believed that “Sell-by” labels, which have nothing to do with the safety of a food product, are encouraging consumers to throw away perfectly good products. The standardising initiative will also prohibit inconsistent labelling such as “Expires On” or “Freshest By.” 

While there are no bans on date labelling in the UK, many supermarket chains have chosen to remove “best before” dates from food products, in an attempt to reduce food waste. As well as reducing waste, Democratic Assembly member and the bill’s sponsor, Jacqui Irwin, noted the financial benefits of removing date labelling, describing the bill as a “monumental step to keep money in the pockets of consumers while helping the environment and the planet.”