Food Date Labeling Act of 2025

Key Points

• This bill creates two standard phrases for food labels: "BEST If Used By" for food quality and "USE By" for food safety. Currently, companies use many different phrases, which can confuse shoppers into throwing away perfectly good food.
• Food companies are not required to put dates on their products under this bill. However, if they choose to include a date, they must use the new standard wording so that every package in the grocery store is consistent.
• The goal is to reduce food waste by making it clear when food is actually unsafe to eat versus when it just might not taste as fresh. States would be banned from stopping the sale or donation of food just because it passed its quality date.
• The government would start a public education campaign within two years to teach people what these new labels mean. This ensures families know which foods are still safe to eat and which should be tossed.
• These rules would not apply to infant formula, which already has its own strict labeling laws. If passed, the new labeling requirements would start appearing on food packages two years after the bill becomes law.