CA AB660

Requires milk and milk product labels to display the date by which the product should normally be used to ensure consumer quality, replacing the previous "remove from shelf" standard.

Mandates that on and after July 1, 2026, food manufacturers, processors, and retailers must use standardized date label terms: "BEST if Used by" or "BEST if Used or Frozen by" for quality dates, and "USE by" or "USE by or Freeze by" for safety dates, with abbreviated versions "BB" and "UB" permitted for small packages.

Prohibits the sale of food items manufactured on or after July 1, 2026, that display "sell by" dates in consumer-readable format or use non-standard quality or safety date labeling.

Exempts infant formula, eggs, pasteurized in-shell eggs, beer, and malt beverages from the new labeling requirements, and permits wine and distilled spirits to display production or packaging dates in various formats.

Permits grocery stores to display "packed on" labels for prepared foods as long as they also include a required quality or safety date label in the standardized format.