You’re in the supermarket. How do you know if the product you are buying is fresh? There’s widespread confusion about labels like “Use By" and “Best By”, which can cause waste when people throw out still perfectly good products.
The governor is considering a bill written by a Ventura County legislator to try to end the confusion. The state legislature has passed AB 660, which tries to simplify food date labels.
"This is going to be the first in the nation," said Democratic Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin of Thousand Oaks, who authored the bill.
She worked with different food trade groups for more than a year to deal with their opposition and come up with the wording everyone would support.
"You see about 20 different food labels...'Best By, Sell By, Enjoy By, Use By,' and nobody knows what they mean, especially 'Sell By'. What we are saying is 'Best If Used By' for peak freshness, and 'Use By' for safety," Irwin said.
Irwin said if the governor signs the bill, it will save consumers money by reducing food waste, and help the environment by keeping good food out of landfills.
