A new California law is taking aim at one of the more confusing aspects of grocery shopping — those often-puzzling date labels printed on food packaging.
The legislation standardizes how ‘use by’ dates are displayed on food products, a move supporters say will help cut down on the enormous amounts of edible food that consumers discard every year simply because they misread or misunderstand the labels.
Nick Lapis of Californians Against Waste discussed the new law, explaining how inconsistent food date labeling has long led shoppers to throw out food that is still perfectly safe to eat. By creating a uniform standard, the law aims to eliminate that confusion at the consumer level.
Food waste is a significant issue both environmentally and economically, and advocates argue that clearer labeling is one of the most straightforward ways to address it. The new California measure is seen as a meaningful step toward reducing the tons of food that end up in landfills each year due to label misunderstanding.
