'Best by'? 'Sell by'? New California law clears up food-label confusion
Key takeaways
- You’ve decided to make a sandwich and reach for your loaf of bread, but the “sell-by date” on the bag has passed.
- A new California law will narrow the laundry list of food date labels on products to two, eliminating consumer confusion and halting the unintentional food waste that has resulted.
- There are more than 50 distinct food date labels in the United States, according to a report published by researchers with the University of Maryland.
As awareness grows around the world about the problem of food waste, one culprit in particular is drawing scrutiny: “best before” labels. (Michael Dwyer / Associated Press) By Karen Garcia Staff Writer Follow June 26, 2026 3 AM PT 6 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
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You’ve decided to make a sandwich and reach for your loaf of bread, but the “sell-by date” on the bag has passed. You throw it in the trash to err on the side of caution, even though you’re unsure whether it means the bread is past its expiration date.