California bans 'sell by' labels on perishable food, in attempt to cut down on waste

California has banned "sell by” labels on perishable products, in an attempt to cut down on food waste.

The law was passed in 2024 but didn't go into effect until Wednesday. It standardizes such labels to try to cut food waste and reduce consumer confusion in the state, according to The New York Times. 

Manufacturers can still use several terms including “best if used by” or “best if frozen by” to indicate when a food item is at its peak quality, and “use by” or “freeze by” to indicate when a food item is no longer safe to consume.

Products exempt from the law are eggs and infant formula, according to California’s Department of Food and Agriculture.

State and federal officials have long said the labels confuse consumers about when to throw away aging food products. There are roughly 50 variations of date labels in the United States, The Times also reports.