Bill > S2541

This bill establishes standardized requirements for voluntary food date labeling, creating uniform phrases and guidelines for "quality date phrases" and "discard date phrases" on food packaging. Under the bill, food manufacturers can choose to include these dates, but if they do, they must use specific standardized language: "BEST If Used By" for quality dates (indicating when food quality might start to decline) and "USE By" for discard dates (indicating when food should no longer be consumed). The labels must be easy to read, prominently displayed, and include a month and year (or month, day, and year) format. The bill allows for additional labeling technologies like QR codes or smart labels and permits abbreviated versions of these phrases on smaller packaging. The legislation also requires the Secretaries of Agriculture and Health and Human Services to provide consumer education about these date labels within two years of enactment. Importantly, the bill does not prohibit states from establishing their own rules about selling or donating foods past their dates, and it specifically excludes infant formula from its provisions. The bill will apply only to food products labeled two years after its enactment, giving food manufacturers time to adapt to the new labeling standards.

Health and Social Services

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2541/all-info