{"id":4497,"date":"2026-07-29T19:43:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T19:43:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4497"},"modified":"2026-07-29T19:43:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T19:43:11","slug":"california-is-banning-sell-by-dates-in-grocery-stores-but-theyre-pretty-much-made-up-anyway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4497","title":{"rendered":"California is banning \u2018sell-by\u2019 dates in grocery stores, but they\u2019re pretty much made up anyway"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Many people throw away food simply because of the date printed on the label. But often it is still perfectly edible, according to experts.<\/p>\n

Read more Costco\u2019s $14 million email settlement: Who qualifies for an up-to $500 payment and how to claim before the Aug. 24 deadline<\/a><\/p>\n

With no federal regulations requiring standardized labels for dates on food except for baby formula, it\u2019s no surprise that deciphering terms like \u201cBest Before,\u201d \u201cBest By,\u201d \u201cBest If Used By,\u201d \u201cEnjoy By,\u201d and \u201cSell By\u201d can be mind-boggling.<\/p>\n

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What most people don\u2019t realize is that those labels are more about how fresh something is \u2014 not how safe the food is to eat.<\/p>\n

California\u00a0is trying to bring some clarity with a new law that requires food manufacturers to use just two labels: one for quality and another for safety.<\/p>\n

Here are a few tips to help you understand food date labels and keep perfectly good food out of the trash even if you don\u2019t live in California.<\/p>\n

More than 50 different date labels are used in the US<\/h4>\n

In the United States, more than 80% of consumers discard food approaching the package date label at least occasionally,\u00a0a 2019 study\u00a0by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe date labels guarantee quality up until that point,\u201d said Donald Schaffner, a food safety expert at Rutgers University. \u201cThey are not about the safety of a product.\u201d<\/p>\n

Food date labels vary state by state and are determined by the food manufacturer.\u00a0Researchers\u00a0from the University of Maryland found that more than 50 different date labels are used across the United States.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThey\u2019re based on when the manufacturer thinks that product will taste its best, when its quality will be at its peak,\u201d said Rachel Zemser, a San Francisco Bay Area food scientist who helps food companies design, launch and market new food products.<\/p>\n

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Food packaging helps determine how long food is safe to eat<\/h4>\n

Unopened canned food like beans, tomatoes, fruit, vegetables, and any shelf-stable food package in liquid, will last for years after the date stamped on its label. The same goes for boxes of soy milk or boxes of almond milk, or any food that\u2019s been heat-treated and sealed to stay safe without refrigeration.<\/p>\n

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Dry goods, like cookies, crackers and cereal, also have a long shelf life because the low moisture in them doesn\u2019t allow bacteria to grow.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople can use their best judgment by smelling and tasting the product because dry crackers and cookies, and things of that nature, may be stale but they are not going to make you sick if you eat them,\u201d Zemser said.<\/p>\n

Read more Fed, in a nail-biter July meeting, decides to leave rates unchanged<\/a><\/p>\n

But extra precautions should be taken with beef, chicken or fish. They can go bad even if it\u2019s in your refrigerator, but wrapping them tight in plastic and freezing it before the \u201cbest by\u201d date on its packaging could help it last longer.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost bacteria needs moisture and air to grow and thrive, so very dry products will last, but I wouldn\u2019t risk it with meat,\u201d Zemser said.<\/p>\n

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The FoodKeeper, a website and free app developed by the Department of Agriculture, Cornell University, and the Food Marketing Institute, provides guidance on how long foods stay fresh and safe to eat.<\/p>\n

California is trying to clarify label confusion<\/h4>\n

California became the first state in the U.S. to standardize food labels by banning \u201csell by\u201d dates.<\/p>\n

The law that went into effect July 1 requires manufacturers selling food in California to use two standardized labels: a \u201cBest If Used By\u201d label for peak quality and a \u201cUse By\u201d label for product safety. \u201cSell by\u201d dates are used by stores to ensure products are being displayed for a reasonable amount of time before quality declines, said Nate Rose, a spokesperson for the California Grocers Association.<\/p>\n

\u201cThink of it like an internal referencing system for store managers and employees,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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New York state lawmakers recently passed a similar measure for labels that is awaiting Gov. Kathy Hochul\u2019s signature.<\/p>\n

Most labels are about food quality, not safety<\/h4>\n

The only product legally required by the federal government to have an expiration date is infant formula. It should not be consumed past that date because its nutrients decline over time.<\/p>\n

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\u201cInfant formula is the sole source of nutrition for the infant, and the concern is that the child could have a nutritional deficiency\u201d if given expired formula, Schaffner said.<\/p>\n

In general, people should use their own judgment and look for signs like mold, strange odors and unusual colors to decide whether or not to toss out food.<\/p>\n

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And follow your taste buds.<\/p>\n

\u201cPractice your own food stock rotation, buy appropriate amounts of food, don\u2019t buy giant amounts that you won\u2019t be able to eat,\u201d Schaffner said. \u201cBecause who wants to eat poor quality food?\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Johnson & Johnson proposes $5.5 billion talc settlement after $9 billion deal shot down by bankruptcy court<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Only infant formula has a federally mandated expiration date, as over 50 different labels confuse U.S. shoppers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4496,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[506],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-grocery"],"yoast_head":"\nCalifornia is banning \u2018sell-by\u2019 dates in grocery stores, but they\u2019re pretty much made up anyway - Cross Country Moving Team<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4497\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"California is banning \u2018sell-by\u2019 dates in grocery stores, but they\u2019re pretty much made up anyway - 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