Seeking to Cut Food Waste, California Bans ‘Sell By’ Labeling on Products

The bill’s author says consumers mistake the phrase for an expiration date, and barring it will reduce food waste in landfills, which produces methane.

A customer shops at a grocery store in Mill Valley, Calif., on June 11, 2024. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Food products sold in California will no longer have a “sell by” stamp after July 1, 2026, after Gov. Gavin Newsom approved a law governing food labeling.

When it goes into effect, Assembly Bill 660 will require the use of two standard terms for food products that choose to use a date label—“best if used by” to indicate the quality date of food, or “use by” to indicate the safety of food.