California's New Food Date Labeling Requirements Take Effect July 1

California Assembly Bill 660 (AB 660) introduces new requirements for food date labeling that take effect July 1, creating standardized expectations for how manufacturers communicate product quality and safety. The law applies to packaged food products sold in California and reflects a broader effort to reduce consumer confusion, food waste, and associated environmental impacts.

The regulation establishes uniform terminology for "quality" and "safety" dates and prohibits the use of consumer-facing "sell by" dates, addressing a landscape in which more than 50 different date label formats have been used across the U.S. For companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell packaged food, these changes introduce new compliance obligations that may require updates to labeling, product classification, and coordination across supply chains.

Standardizing quality and safety date labels

AB 660 requires all covered packaged food products to display either a quality date or a safety date using specific, prescribed language.

Quality dates must use the terms:

• "BEST if Used by"
• "BEST if Used or Frozen by"

Safety dates must use the terms:

• "USE by"
• "USE by or Freeze by"

The distinction between these two categories is central to compliance. Quality dates indicate when a product's freshness or quality may begin to decline, while safety dates indicate when a product may no longer be safe to consume.

The law also allows abbreviated labels ("BB" for quality and "UB" for safety) for products with limited packaging space.

Eliminating consumer-facing "sell by" dates

In addition to standardizing labeling terminology, AB 660 prohibits the use of "sell by" dates on consumer-facing packaging.

The law provides a narrow exception for coded date markings that are not easily readable by consumers and are used solely for inventory management purposes. This approach allows manufacturers and retailers to retain stock rotation practices while removing labeling that has historically contributed to consumer confusion and premature disposal of food.

Implications for manufacturers and supply chains

Manufacturers and retailers must now comply with the standardized labeling requirements for all packaged food products manufactured on or after July 1. This includes determining whether each product requires a quality or safety date and applying the correct terminology consistently across packaging.

Even for companies that do not sell directly into California, retailer and distributor requirements may extend these labeling expectations across broader supply chains, effectively expanding the law's impact beyond the state's formal jurisdiction.

To address compliance requirements and reduce exposure to penalties or downstream disruption, companies may need to evaluate current labeling practices, identify nonconforming date formats, and update packaging accordingly. Because the law applies to all parties that sell or offer products for sale, coordination with retail partners is critical to avoid compliance gaps across distribution channels.

Violations are classified as misdemeanors and may result in fines, licensing actions, and potential litigation exposure under California consumer protection statutes.