XPost: rec.food.cooking, talk.politics.guns, sac.politics   
   XPost: misc.consumers   
   From: pelosi@stupid.com   
      
   SACRAMENTO –  In a major victory for consumers and the environment,   
   Governor Gavin Newsom signed the nation’s first mandatory food date   
   labeling reform bill. Assembly Bill 660 standardizes confusing date labels   
   that result in unnecessary food waste across the state. Authored by   
   Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, AB 660 received bipartisan support, and marks   
   a pivotal step toward a more sustainable future for California.   
      
   On grocery store shelves today, there are more than 50 differently phrased   
   date labels on packaged food. Some phrases are used to communicate peak   
   freshness of a product or when a product is no longer safe to eat. Others,   
   like “sell by,” are used only to inform stock rotation in stores but   
   mislead some consumers into thinking the product is no longer safe to eat.   
      
   AB 660 will close this gap by requiring manufacturers to use the same   
   phrase for date labels across their products. Starting July 1, 2026, “BEST   
   if Used By” will be used to communicate peak quality, and “Use By” will be   
   used to communicate product safety. To further reduce confusion on food   
   date labeling, AB 660 prohibits the use of consumer facing “sell by”   
   dates, reducing the likelihood of confusing “sell by” dates with quality   
   and/or safety dates. This small change will accelerate California’s   
   progress towards achieving a more efficient and secure food system.   
      
   “Having to wonder whether our food is still good is an issue that we all   
   have struggled with. Today’s signing of AB 660 is a monumental step to   
   keep money in the pockets of consumers while helping the environment and   
   the planet,” said Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin. “I am grateful for the   
   Governor’s signature of this first-in-the-nation bill to end the consumer   
   confusion around expiration date labels that so many of us have   
   experienced.”   
      
   “The inconsistent use of phrases like “Sell By,” “Expires On,” “Freshest   
   Before,” and others makes for an impossible-to-navigate system for   
   consumers who don’t want to throw away good food or make their families   
   sick,” said Erica Parker, a Policy Associate with Californians Against   
   Waste, a co-sponsor of AB 660.  “The result is a staggering amount of food   
   waste – Californians throw away six million tons of food waste each year –   
   and confusion over date labels is a leading cause.”   
      
   “Right now, we have an opportunity to address one of the leading drivers   
   of food waste – confusion around food date labels,” said Victoria Rome,   
   director of California government affairs at NRDC (Natural Resources   
   Defense Council), the other co-sponsor of the bill. “Standardizing food   
   date labels is a commonsense solution that will keep more money in   
   people’s pockets and food on families’ plates, while reducing climate   
   warming emissions.”   
      
      
   The widespread confusion over date labels exacerbates California’s food   
   waste crisis – an issue that contributes to climate change and squanders   
   natural resources. Decomposing food and other organic waste in landfills   
   accounts for 41 percent of the state’s point-source methane emissions. For   
   context, methane is 84 times more powerful than carbon dioxide as a driver   
   of global warming. Therefore, minimizing food waste is integral to the   
   success of meeting California’s existing greenhouse gas reduction goals.   
      
   Reducing confusion of food date labels is especially critical considering   
   the cost to households – the average American spends $1,300 on food that   
   is never eaten. Tossing food prematurely because of misleading date labels   
   costs Californians billions each year. In a time of rising grocery bills   
   and food insecurity, every bit of savings helps. For years, Californians   
   have grappled with the uncertainty of food date labels. AB 660 will   
   empower Californians to make informed decisions about their food, which   
   will reduce unnecessary waste of edible, nutritious food, with the added   
   benefit of keeping money in their pockets.   
      
   Despite the severity of consumer confusion today, recent years have seen   
   an increase in stakeholder and community momentum surrounding date label   
   standardization. Following the failure of AB 2725 (Chiu) in 2016, Gov.   
   Jerry Brown signed AB 954 (Chiu, 2017), which directed the state to   
   promote the voluntary adoption of the FDA-supported phrases “Best if Used   
   By” and “Use By.” In the years following AB 954, adoption of these   
   standards has been supported by producers and proven commercially viable   
   for brands to undertake, but comprehensive implementation of these   
   standards has fallen short. AB 660 simply mandates the use of these   
   standards across all products in California.   
      
   AB 660 is supported by a diverse coalition of food banks, local   
   governments, food recovery organizations, and environmental groups—   
   demonstrating the broad support for this change. This landmark legislation   
   represents the sum of years of good faith efforts from stakeholders and   
   advocates across the state. AB 660 sets an important precedent for other   
   states and the federal government to follow. By taking decisive action to   
   standardize date labels, California is not just addressing a local issue   
   but is paving the way for a nationwide movement to reduce food waste, save   
   consumers money, and fight climate change.   
      
      
   Here’s what others are saying:   
      
   Senator Ben Allen, D- Santa Monica   
      
   “Californians rein in our estimated 6 million tons of annual food waste.   
   Providing commonsense labeling for food products will help address a   
   number of key issues such as landfill emissions, wasteful grocery costs,   
   water conservation, and supply chain constraints. I’m grateful for   
   Assemblymember Irwin’s leadership on this over the last two years on   
   behalf of California consumers and the environment.”   
      
   City Attorney David Chiu, City and County of San Francisco:   
      
   "I'm thrilled to see that with the Governor's signature on AB 660,   
   Assemblymember Irwin has finished work that has been years in the making.   
   As the original author of California's first food date labeling law in   
   2017, I applaud Assemblymember Irwin for her persistence in ensuring that   
   standardized date labels will reduce consumer confusion and food waste."   
      
   Dana Gunders, President, ReFED:   
      
   “AB 660 is game changing, not just for California, but for the country. It   
   will be the first law of its kind to end the ridiculous confusion that   
   causes consumers to throw out almost $15B of perfectly good food   
   nationwide. It will also help reduce the significant toll that wasting   
   food has on our planet.”   
      
   Emily Broad Leib, Director, Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy   
   Clinic:    
      
   “Clarifying and standardizing date label language is one of the most cost-   
   effective and commonsense methods to reduce food waste, help consumers   
   keep dollars in their pockets, and ensure safe, healthy food can be   
   donated to those in need. Based on our research on date labels for over a   
      
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