Food Bridge
California Passes First-of-its-Kind Legislation Standardizing 'Best By' Dates on Food; Bans 'Sell By'
California has passed legislation that sets first-of-its kind food safety regulations in the U.S. Signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom, California Assembly Bill 660 (AB 660) standardizes the use of “Best If Used By” and “Use By” dates on food labels, and prohibits the use of “Sell By” dates, marking the country’s first mandatory food date labeling reforms.
Beginning July 1, 2026, companies selling food products in California must only use “Best If Used By” to indicate the date by which a product will reach its peak quality, and “Use By” to indicate the date by which a product’s safety can no longer be guaranteed. The use of consumer-facing “Sell By” dates will be prohibited to reduce the chances of consumers confusing “Sell By” dates with quality or safety dates.
The use of any other ambiguous and inconsistent phrases like “Expires On” and “Freshest By” will also be eliminated.
AB 1219 (Eggman) The California Good Samaritan Food Donation Act- SIGNED INTO LAW
Summary: AB 1219, the California Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown on October 9, 2017. AB 1219 will clarify and strengthen the laws that protect food donors, so that more food can go to those in need rather than into landfills. Currently many businesses are either unaware of food donor protection laws or they are unclear about some provisions of the laws.
Description: In 1977, California became the first in the nation to enact legislation to protect good faith food donors from liability in order to encourage food donations, and soon afterwards national legislation was enacted.
California’s retailers, restaurants, consumers, and others discard millions of tons of wholesome, surplus food, often citing fears of getting sued as their top reason for not donating the food to food banks, food pantries, and other organizations that re-distribute food to individuals in need. Meanwhile, the state faces a hunger crisis that affects one in eight Californians, including one in four children. While no business has ever been sued for donating food, many businesses either don’t know about the existing protections or cite confusing or ambiguous provisions in the law.
The California Good Samaritan Food Donation Act will strengthen the state’s food donor protection laws in order to maximize food donations. AB 1219 will make clarifications, such as food donated past the date label printed on the product is not gross negligence, this is due to the fact that many date labels on food have nothing to do with safety and are merely an indication of peak freshness. AB 1219 also extends protections to good faith donors, for example, the bill provides protections for those who donate food directly to individuals, which can help to enable the timely use of perishable food as well as make smaller quantity donations more efficient. Additionally, AB 1219 requires Environmental Health Officers, during inspections of food facilities, to promote the recovery of food for people by highlighting the laws which exist to protect food donors.
source: AB 1219 (Eggman)
AI in Food System and Help Reduce Food Waste
The McKinsey Global Institute predicted AI could add an extra $13 trillion to global economic activity by 2030. It also had the potential to help reshape the world’s food system and help reduce food waste.
1. Smarter, Sustainable Production
AI enables data-driven farming by integrating inputs from drones, satellites, remote sensors, and IoT-equipped farm tools to help farmers track soil conditions, crop health, and weather in real time. This allows more informed decisions on crop rotation, planting, composting, and harvesting, which helps reduce both overproduction and waste.
2. Biological Alternatives to Fertilizers
AI is also being used to identify beneficial microbes that naturally promote plant growth, thus reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers and making agriculture more environmentally sustainable.
3. Enhanced Demand Planning
AI systems analyze historical sales, inventory data, and external factors like weather or holidays to forecast demand more accurately. Tools such as Shelf Engine and Afresh have helped retailers reduce food waste by an average of 14.8% per store. If scaled nationwide, this approach could prevent 900,000 tons of waste and save over $2 billion.
4. Shelf-Life Extension
Using IoT sensors and machine learning, companies can estimate the real-time freshness of produce. For example, Strella monitors ripening in bananas and suggests optimal timing for storage and display, thereby extending shelf life and reducing spoilage.
5. Waste Tracking & Analytics
AI-powered camera systems can detect discarded food in kitchens and production areas with minimal disruption to workflow. Companies like Winnow have helped partners like IKEA cut food waste in half, while Leanpath uses generative AI to analyze patterns and guide staff in preventing recurring waste.
From farm to fork, AI is unlocking powerful tools to create a more efficient, data-driven, and waste-reducing food system.