Bill > S492

This bill aims to decrease food waste by standardizing the date labeling of food. It proposes to amend the General Laws to define key terms like "quality date" and "safety date," and require that ready-to-eat food products include a "safety date" preceded by the uniform phrase "expires on." The bill also gives the Commissioner of Public Health the authority to establish criteria for determining which ready-to-eat products are high-risk and require a safety date, as well as the ability to list additional high-risk products or exempt certain products from the safety date requirement. The bill prohibits restrictions on the sale or donation of food after the "quality date" has passed, while allowing safety-based restrictions after the "safety date." The new labeling requirements would apply to food products labeled two years after the bill's enactment.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S492