Bill > S1555

This bill aims to standardize date labeling on food packaging to reduce food waste by introducing clear guidelines for two types of dates: a "quality date" and a "safety date". The bill requires ready-to-eat products to use a uniform "expires on" safety date label for high-risk items, while quality date labels (which are optional) must use the phrase "best if used by". The Commissioner of Public Health will establish criteria for determining which products require a safety date, potentially focusing on items with high risks of contaminants like Listeria monocytogenes. The bill prohibits preventing the sale or donation of food past its quality date, but allows restrictions based on safety concerns. Food labelers must place these dates in a conspicuous, easy-to-read location on packaging, and the commissioner must provide consumer education about these labels within one year of enactment. Additionally, the bill mandates a review of these labeling criteria at least every four years and will apply to food products labeled two years after the act's enactment, providing manufacturers time to adapt to the new requirements.

Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S1555