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Federal

On May 9, 2023, U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Dan Newhouse (R-Washington) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) reintroduced the Food Date Labeling Act (H.R. 3159 / S. 1484).

State

While we advocate for the federal standardization of date label laws, we recognize that until such legislation is passed, states will continue to adopt their own laws. As such, we recommend modeling state laws after the above proposed Food Date Labeling Act of 2023. A number of states have proposed similar models:

• California Assembly Bill 660
• New Jersey Assembly Bill 4342, Senate Bill 418
• Massachusetts Senate Bill 1390
  • Although we advocate for the usage of “Use By,” these bills propose the usage of “Expires On.”
• Washington House Bill 2651
  • This bill is from a previous legislative session.

• The Global Food Donation Policy Atlas provides a first-of-its-kind look at the state of food donation laws and policies—including date labeling—in participating countries, along with country-specific policy recommendations for strengthening food recovery efforts. The project includes a quick-view atlas, which visually compares the food donation policy landscape across countries, and a library of country-by-country executive summaries, legal guides, and policy recommendations on strengthening food donation law and policy. The library also features specific issue briefs on targeted food donation policies. This project is a collaboration between FLPC and The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN).
• Read Promoting Food Donation: Date Labeling Law and Policy, a date labeling issue brief produced for The Global Food Donation Policy Atlas.
• Read about the European Commission’s plan for Revised Rules on Date Marking and Food Waste.
• Read the European Commission’s market study on date labeling and other information provided on food labels and food waste prevention.
• Read about the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation’s (FAO) & the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Codex Alimentarius International Food Standards General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods – 2018 Revision.
• Learn about the United Kingdom Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) helpful guidance on food date labeling.
• Learn about the United Kingdom Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs’ (DEFRA) & Food Standards Agency’s Guidance on the Application of Date Labels to Food.