California AB 660: New Food Date Label Rules (July 2026)
California now allows only “BEST if Used by” and “USE by” dates and bans consumer-facing “Sell by”. Who is exempt, the penalties, and 5 steps to comply.
On July 1, 2026, California became the first US state to standardize the date labels on packaged food. Under AB 660 (Food and Agricultural Code §§ 82000–82001), food manufactured on or after that date and sold in California may carry only two kinds of date label: a quality date reading “BEST if Used by” or a safety date reading “USE by” — and consumer-facing “Sell by” dates are banned outright. If you sell into California (and practically speaking, if you sell anywhere in the US, since few brands run a separate California SKU), your date labels need to match the statute. This guide covers exactly what the law requires and how to pick the right date for each product.
The two permitted date labels
AB 660 collapses the fifty-plus phrasings previously in circulation (“enjoy by”, “freshest before”, “expires on”, “best when purchased by”…) into a two-track system. The track you use depends on whether the date communicates quality or safety:
| Date type | Required phrase | Small-package abbreviation | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality | “BEST if Used by” or “BEST if Used or Frozen by” | BB | The food remains safe after the date but peak flavor or texture has passed — crackers, cereal, canned goods, most shelf-stable products |
| Safety | “USE by” or “USE by or Freeze by” | UB | Consuming the product after the date carries an elevated safety risk — deli salads, fresh dairy, ready-to-eat perishables |
The capitalization in the statute is deliberate — BEST and USE lead each phrase — and the choice between the two tracks is the manufacturer’s call based on the product’s risk profile. If you have not formally established how long your product actually stays safe and palatable, start with our shelf life calculator to build a defensible estimate, then confirm with testing where the risk warrants it.
What is banned: consumer-facing “Sell by”
“Sell by” was never a message to the shopper — it told store staff when to rotate stock — but surveys consistently show consumers read it as an expiration date and throw good food away. AB 660 therefore prohibits any consumer-facing sell-by date. Stock rotation dating is still allowed, but only as a coded date: it must not use the phrase “sell by” and must not be easily readable as a calendar date by consumers (a Julian or lot-style code qualifies).
Who and what is exempt
- Food manufactured before July 1, 2026 — the law applies to products manufactured on or after the effective date, so compliant inventory does not need to be relabeled or pulled.
- Infant formula — its “Use by” date is already mandated federally by the FDA and is unchanged.
- Eggs — covered by their own federal and state dating rules.
- Food prepared for immediate consumption — restaurant and food-service items are out of scope.
Everything else in the packaged-food aisle is in scope, and note that a date label remains voluntary under AB 660 — the law does not force you to date every product; it dictates the wording if you do.
Enforcement and what non-compliance costs
The California Department of Food and Agriculture oversees the program in consultation with the Department of Public Health. Violations can be charged as misdemeanors with fines of up to $1,000, and — importantly — retailers selling non-compliant product face the same exposure as manufacturers, which is why grocery buyers have been asking suppliers for AB 660 attestations since spring 2026. The practical enforcement mechanism for a small brand is not a state inspector; it is a distributor refusing your PO.
Five steps to comply
- Inventory your SKUs’ current date wording. Anything other than the four permitted phrases (or BB/UB abbreviations) needs artwork changes.
- Classify each product as quality-dated or safety-dated. The dividing line is whether the product can hurt someone after the date, not whether it tastes worse.
- Set the date itself defensibly. Use the shelf life calculator for a first estimate by product category, storage and packaging, and document your reasoning.
- Move stock-rotation info into a code. If your co-packer prints a sell-by line for logistics, switch it to a lot/Julian code.
- Adopt the California wording nationwide. Nothing in federal law conflicts with “BEST if Used by” — the FDA and USDA already recommend it — so a single national label is cheaper than a California variant, and other states are drafting copycat bills.
Frequently asked questions
Does AB 660 apply to products made before July 1, 2026?
No. It applies to food manufactured on or after July 1, 2026 that is sold in California. Existing inventory can sell through with its old labels.
Do I have to put a date label on my product at all?
Generally no — date labels stay voluntary for most foods. AB 660 standardizes the wording if you use one. Infant formula and certain other products remain subject to their own mandatory federal dating rules.
Is “Expires on” or “Enjoy by” still allowed?
Not on food manufactured after the effective date and sold in California. Quality dates must read “BEST if Used by” (or “BEST if Used or Frozen by”), safety dates “USE by” (or “USE by or Freeze by”).
Does the date label live on the Nutrition Facts panel?
No — the date is printed separately from the Nutrition Facts label, usually near the lid, seam or base. But retailers reviewing AB 660 compliance tend to review the whole label, so it is a good moment to confirm your panel is right too: build one in the free label generator, and see our FDA labeling requirements checklist for the rest of the package.
Setting your first date? Estimate it in minutes with the free shelf life calculator, then generate the rest of your compliant label in the NFL label generator.
