Bill > S3324

This bill, the Food Date Labeling Act of 2021, establishes requirements for "quality dates" and "discard dates" that food labelers can voluntarily include on food packaging. The quality date indicates when the product's quality may start to deteriorate, while the discard date signifies the end of the product's estimated shelf life. The bill requires the use of standardized phrases like "BEST If Used By" and "USE By" for these dates, and allows for some abbreviations if the packaging is too small. The administering Secretaries of Agriculture and Health and Human Services must provide consumer education on the meaning of these dates and ensure their standardization across all food products. The bill also preempts state laws that would prohibit the sale or donation of food based on the passage of the quality date, while preserving state laws related to the discard date.