A major shift in how food is labeled in California takes effect this summer, and the state’s seafood industry must be prepared to comply. Under Assembly Bill 660 (Irwin), which goes into effect July 1, 2026, food manufacturers and processors are required to use strictly uniform terminology for all quality and safety dates, while entirely phasing out consumer-facing “sell-by” dates.
The law aims to curb massive consumer confusion. According to CalRecycle, Californians prematurely discard an estimated 2.5 billion meals worth of perfectly good food each year simply due to confusing date labels. By streamlining the phrasing on packaging, the state hopes to significantly reduce organic landfill waste and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.
For California’s commercial fisheries, aquaculture operations, and seafood processors, understanding the exact phrasing required by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is critical to maintaining compliant packaging.
The New Mandatory Phrases
The law eliminates the wild west of the dozens of different phrases previously used across the country (such as “Expires on,” “Delicious before,” or “Best by”). Moving forward, only two distinct categories of consumer-facing dates are permitted:
- For Quality and Freshness: If your date label indicates peak quality rather than a safety hazard, you must strictly use:
- “BEST if Used by” or “BEST if Used or Frozen by”
- For Food Safety: If consuming the product after a certain date poses a legitimate food safety risk, you must use:
- “USE by” or “USE by or Freeze by”
The End of Consumer-Facing “Sell-By” Dates
One of the biggest changes under AB 660 is the complete ban on traditional, consumer-facing “sell-by” dates. State data found that consumers routinely mistook “sell-by” dates – which are meant purely for retail inventory rotation – as expiration dates, prompting them to throw away perfectly safe food.
- What you can do instead: Seafood suppliers can still provide stock rotation clues for grocery and retail partners, but this information must now be coded (such as utilizing specific batch numbers or internal barcodes) so it does not confuse the end consumer.
(Note: Eggs and infant formula are exempt from these new restrictions).
Next Steps for CFSI Members
As the July 1 compliance deadline arrives, CFSI encourages all members to review their current packaging inventory and labeling software.
- Audit Packaging Designs: Ensure any upcoming print runs for bags, trays, cans, or vacuum-sealed seafood products align exactly with the approved CDFA phrases.
- Coordinate with Retail Partners: Work closely with your retail buyers to transition your inventory control metrics from open “sell-by” dates to compliant, coded tracking systems.
By embracing these uniform standards, the California seafood industry can play a leading role in reducing food waste, keeping nutritious seafood on plates, and ensuring absolute clarity for our consumers.
For more technical guidance, official resources, and updates, visit the CDFA Inspection Services portal at: cdfa.ca.gov/is/foodrecovery/fooddatelabeling