S. 2541: Food Date Labeling Act of 2025

This bill, known as the Food Date Labeling Act of 2025, aims to create standardized phrases for food labeling related to quality and discard dates. It introduces specific terms and guidelines to ensure consistent communication regarding when food products are at their best quality or when they should no longer be consumed. Here’s a breakdown of its main components:

Definitions

• Administering Secretaries: Refers to the Secretaries of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, who oversee different categories of food products.
• Discard Date Phrase: A voluntarily printed phrase indicating when a food product should not be consumed any longer.
• Quality Date Phrase: A phrase indicating when the quality of the product may begin to decline while still being safe to eat.

Quality and Discard Date Phrases

• Quality Date Phrases: If used, these phrases must start with "BEST If Used By" or "BB". The entity responsible for the food labeling decides whether to include such a phrase.
• Discard Date Phrases: If used, these phrases must start with "USE By" or "UB". Again, it is up to the responsible entity to determine usage.
• The specific dates must be clearly visible and easy to read on the packaging.

Labeling Requirements

• Both quality and discard dates must be displayed in a straightforward and prominent manner, with the format including the month and year or full date as appropriate.
• Abbreviations ("BB" for quality and "UB" for discard) may be used only if the package size restricts full wording.
• Companies may also leverage technologies like QR codes or smart labels for conveying date information.

Consumer Education

The bill mandates consumer education programs to be initiated within two years of enactment to inform the public about quality and discard date phrases.

Preemption and Enforcement

• States and local governments may not impose additional requirements that differ from those established by this bill regarding quality or discard dates.
• The bill includes enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance with the uniform phrases mandated for food labels.
• It does not apply to infant formulas and does not affect current label requirements for these products.

Regulation Framework

Within two years of the bill's enactment, the administering secretaries will develop detailed regulations to implement the requirements established by the new law.

Delayed Applicability

The provisions of this act will only apply to food products labeled two years after the enactment of the legislation.

Relevant Companies

• CPB (Campbell Soup Company) - As a major food manufacturer, Campbell Soup may need to adjust its product labeling to comply with the new standard date phrases.
• TSN (Tyson Foods, Inc.) - Tyson, dealing with meat products, will likely face changes in labeling procedures for their products in accordance with the new requirements.
• KHC (The Kraft Heinz Company) - Kraft Heinz will need to adapt its labeling strategies across its extensive product range to align with the new phrases for quality and discard dates.