Reps. Pingree and Newhouse Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Standardize Food Expiration Labels
The Food Date Labeling Act of 2025 is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It has been sent to several subcommittees for review and is considered active. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.
The bill has support from both parties and addresses a common problem, but it must compete with many other priorities to get a final vote.
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
Reintroduced
Reintroduced from H.R. 3159 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
H.R. 3159 (118th) →Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Small food manufacturers and retailers will need to update their packaging to use the new standard phrases if they choose to include dates on their products. While the two-year phase-in period softens the transition cost, businesses will face one-time expenses redesigning labels. On the positive side, the uniform national standard preempts the current patchwork of state labeling laws, which simplifies compliance for companies selling across state lines.
“This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall apply only with respect to food products that are labeled on or after the date that is 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act.”
Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
The article explores the confusion surrounding food expiration dates and highlights the introduction of the Food Date Labeling Act of 2025, which seeks to standardize labels to 'BEST If Used By' and 'USE By' to reduce waste.
The legislation distinguishes between 'discard date phrases' for safety and 'quality date phrases' for freshness. It requires the use of 'USE By' and 'BEST If Used By' if a manufacturer chooses to include a date, aiming to replace the current patchwork of state laws.
A House subcommittee hearing scheduled for April 2026 will review several food-related bills, including the Food Date Labeling Act of 2025. The bill is part of a broader effort to reform FDA oversight and standardize consumer-facing labels.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Food Date Labeling Act of 2025
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