Bill > S1484

This bill, the Food Date Labeling Act of 2023, establishes requirements for quality and discard dates that are voluntarily printed on food labels. It defines "quality date" as the date after which the product's quality may begin to deteriorate, and "discard date" as the end of the estimated shelf life. The bill requires the use of standardized phrases like "BEST If Used By" or "USE By" to precede these dates. It allows for the use of abbreviations if the label is too small, and permits adding "or freeze by" after the date. The bill preempts state laws that differ from or add to these federal requirements, but does not affect state laws prohibiting sale or donation of food after the discard date. The bill also directs the administering agencies (USDA and FDA) to provide consumer education on the meaning of these dates. The requirements will apply to food products labeled 2 years after the bill's enactment.