Overview
- The new law AB 660 requires manufacturers to use precise quality labels ('BEST if Used by' or 'BEST if Used or Frozen by') and safety labels ('USE by' or 'USE by or Freeze by').
- The rule allows 'BB' and 'UB' abbreviations for very small packages and exempts infant formula, eggs, beer and other malt beverages, wine, and distilled spirits from the new wording.
- Retailers may keep 'Sell-by' information for inventory in coded formats not readable by consumers, but the phrase is banned from consumer-facing packaging.
- The law takes effect July 1, 2026, applies to products made on or after that date, and classifies violations as misdemeanors that require manufacturers and sellers to update labels and supply systems.
- California cites more than 50 different current date phrases and estimates about 2.5 billion wasted meals a year and roughly 41% of the state’s methane from food in landfills as the rationale for the change.