California standardizes date labeling, Virginia bans foam food containers
California standardizing food date labels
AB 660, which could reduce food waste, passed in 2024. As of July 1, it disallows labeling with “sell by” language. The permitted labeling for quality dates is “BEST if Used by” or “BEST if Used or Frozen by.” For safety dates, it’s “USE by” or “USE by or Freeze by.”
EPS food containers no longer allowed in Virginia
All food vendors in Virginia — including restaurants, stores, schools and food trucks — will have to comply with an expanded polystyrene container ban come July 1. This is a phase-two expansion from one year ago, when the ban applied to vendors with 20 or more Virginia locations. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality encourages reusable, paper, metal or PET alternatives. Localities may grant exemptions to vendors if they can demonstrate undue economic hardship from the policy.