H.R. 4987: Food Date Labeling Act of 2025

The Food Date Labeling Act of 2025 aims to standardize how food products display quality and discard dates on their labels. Here’s a breakdown of the main points of the bill:

Definitions

The bill defines several key terms:

• Quality date phrase: A phrase put on food packaging to indicate when a product may start to lose quality. The product might still be safe to consume after this date.
• Discard date phrase: A phrase indicating the end of a product's safe consumption period under specified storage conditions.
• Administering Secretaries: Refers to the Secretaries of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, who will oversee implementation.

Quality and Discard Date Phrases

The Act establishes uniform phrases to use on food packaging:

• For quality dates, the phrase “BEST If Used By” (or “BB” as an abbreviation) must precede the date.
• For discard dates, the phrase “USE By” (or “UB”) must precede the date.

Food packaging entities can choose whether or not to include these dates on their products.

Labeling Requirements

Any quality or discard date printed must:

• Be clearly legible and prominently displayed on the label.
• Be formatted in month/year or month/day/year, as applicable.
• Use standard abbreviations only if space is too limited to include the full phrase.
• Utilize technological advancements like QR codes or smart labels if they enhance consumer understanding.

Consumer Education

Within two years after the bill's enactment, the administering Secretaries are required to provide education to the public regarding the meanings of quality and discard date phrases.

State Regulations

The legislation allows states to continue or implement their regulations concerning food labeling as long as they do not conflict with the bill’s standards. It also clarifies that the bill does not affect the policies regarding infant formula labeling.

Enforcement and Compliance

The bill mandates uniformity in quality and discard phrases across food products. The administering Secretaries will work with the Federal Trade Commission to ensure compliance. If labels do not meet the specified requirements, they can be deemed misbranded.

Implementation Timeline

The regulations arising from this Act will be finalized within two years of its enactment. The provisions will apply to food products labeled two years after the enactment date.

Violations

The bill includes provisions for violations that can occur if labeling does not comply with the set standards.

Relevant Companies

• CPB (Campbell Soup Company): As a major food manufacturer, Campbell could be directly affected by the requirements for food labeling and may need to adjust packaging accordingly.
• POST (Post Holdings, Inc.): Similar to Campbell, Post as a food brand will need to comply with the new date labeling requirements, possibly incurring costs for re-labeling products.
• KR (Kroger Co.): As a grocery retailer, Kroger may face implications in how it displays food products and how it educates customers about new labeling.