§ 82000

California Food and Agricultural Code · 2018-11 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · California

For purposes of this division, the following definitions apply:

(a) “Quality date” means a date on a label affixed to the packaging or a container of food that communicates to consumers the date after which the food quality may begin to deteriorate but the food may still be acceptable for consumption.

(b) “Safety date” means a date on a label affixed to the packaging or container of food that communicates to consumers that the food should be consumed or frozen, if appropriate, by the date listed on the package that applies to perishable products with potential safety implications over time.

(c) “‘Sell by’ date” means a date on a label affixed to the packaging or container of food that is intended to communicate primarily to a distributor or retailer for purposes of stock rotation and that is not a quality date or a safety date.

(Added by Stats. 2017, Ch. 787, Sec. 2. (AB 954) Effective January 1, 2018.)

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California Food and Agricultural Code

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