Currently, the variety of date labels on food—like 'Sell By,' 'Best By,' 'Expires On'—creates widespread confusion among consumers. Many people mistakenly believe these dates are strict safety deadlines, leading them to throw away perfectly good and safe food. This confusion significantly contributes to food waste in American households and businesses, which costs money, uses valuable resources, and adds to landfills.

This bill matters because it seeks to eliminate that confusion by providing clear, uniform language. If passed, consumers will have a straightforward way to distinguish between a date related to food quality ('BEST If Used By') and a date related to food safety ('USE By'). This clarity could substantially reduce food waste, saving consumers money, easing the burden on food banks by making more food available for donation, and lessening the environmental impact of discarded food. Without this bill, the current inconsistent labeling system, and the associated waste, would likely continue.