H.R. 4987
Food Date Labeling Act of 2025
Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
Food Date Labeling Act of 2025
This bill establishes uniform requirements for quality and discard date phrases (e.g., best by and use by) placed voluntarily on food labels.
Specifically, if a food is labeled with a quality date (i.e., the date after which the quality of the item may deteriorate), the label must include the phrase BEST If Used By or the abbreviation BB. Similarly, if a food is labeled with a discard date (i.e., the date after which the item should not be consumed), the label must include the phrase USE By or the abbreviation UB. Abbreviations may be used only if an item’s packaging is too small to fit the full phrase.
Quality and discard dates must be written in a single, easy-to-read font and placed in a prominent location on an item’s label or package. The phrase or freeze by may be added after a quality or discard date phrase where appropriate.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) must promulgate regulations to carry out these provisions and ensure that the uniform phrases are standardized across all food products. HHS and USDA may specify alternative quality and discard date phrases through regulations.
The bill specifies that no state or local government may enforce a requirement related to quality and discard date phrases that differs from the requirements of the bill. The bill does not apply to infant formula, which is subject to separate labeling requirements under current law.
Text of the bill
In this Act:
(1) Administering Secretaries. The term administering Secretaries means—
(A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to any product that is—
(i) under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Agriculture; and
(ii)
(I) a poultry product (as defined in section 4 of the Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 453));
(II) a meat food product (as defined in section 1 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601)); or
(III) an egg product (as defined in section 4 of the Egg Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 1033)); and
(B) the Secretary of Health and Human Services, with respect to any product that is—
(i) under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Health and Human Services; and
(ii) a food (as defined in section 201 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 321)).
(2) Discard date phrase. The term discard date phrase means a phrase voluntarily printed on a food packaging that signifies the end of the estimated period of shelf life under any stated storage conditions, after which the entity responsible for the food label advises the product not be consumed.
(3) Quality date phrase. The term quality date phrase means a phrase voluntarily printed on a food packaging that is intended to communicate to consumers when—
(A) the quality of the product may begin to deteriorate; but
(B) the product remains apparently wholesome food (as defined in subsection (b) of the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act (42 U.S.C. 1791(b))).