FULL STORY:  The most perplexing thing about refrigerators is:  Why REFRIGERATOR is NOT spelled with a D . . . but FRIDGE is.  The second-most perplexing thing is:  How long can you keep food inside it.  

California has just become the first state to ban SELL-BY DATES.

They’re simplifying how dates are used on products . . . to cut back on food waste at stores, and to reduce consumer costs.  

The law takes effect on July 1st of 2026.  It prohibits the use of consumer-facing “sell-by” dates, and also requires standardized language for date labels.

At that point, date labels can only say one of two things:  “Best if Used By” to indicate PEAK QUALITY . . . and “Use By” to designate FOOD SAFETY.

The problem with “sell-by” dates was that they weren’t supposed to be used by consumers.  The dates were meant to indicate to STORES when the stock needs to be rotated . . . but that led to stores nixing perfectly good food from shelves, and consumers thinking that items past that date at home were spoiled.

Dates aren’t going to disappear entirely, at least anytime soon.  The idea is that cleaning up the phrasing will keep food from being tossed too soon.

There aren’t any federal requirements for the language on food date labels, outside of baby formula.  And even after this goes into effect, stores will still get information on when to remove certain products, like eggs and beer.

It’s also important to remember two things:  Most “expiration” dates are just educated GUESSES by the manufacturer . . . based typical trends.  But a lot of things can impact how long a product lasts, like how and where it’s stored BEFORE it’s purchased and AFTER it’s purchased.

Experts say you should rely on your own senses to determine if a food is still in good shape . . . particularly how it looks and smells. 

(Desert Sun / CA.gov)