E. Uniform Open Dating Regulation

as adopted by

The National Conference on Weights and Measures\*

**1.** **Background**

Numerous State and local jurisdictions have provided for, or are
con­sidering, man­datory open dating of certain packaged commodities.
Ad­di­tionally, many commodities in the mar­ketplace are now voluntarily
open dated. Lack of uniformity between juris­dictions could impede the
orderly flow of commerce.

In 1985, the National Conference on Weights and Measures, in concert
with the As­sociation of Food and Drug Officials, wrote a new Uniform
Regulation.  It resolved the differences in the versions developed
independently by the two organizations.

The regulation provides two options for imple­mentation by the States. 
One requires open dating on all perish­able foods.  The other permits
voluntary open dating of such foods.  In the latter (voluntary) case,
the open dating must then conform to the uni­form regulation. Notes to §
1.1. and 3.1. indicate the alternate wording for the voluntary version
of the Regulation.

**2.** **Status** **of** **Promulgation**

The table beginning on page 10 shows the status of adoption of the
Uni­form Open Dat­ing Regulation.

*\*The National Conference on Weights and Measures is supported by the
National Institute of S­tandards and Technology in partial implementation
of its statu­tory responsibility for \"cooperation with the States in
securing uniformity in weights and measures laws and methods of
inspection.\"*

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**Uniform Open Dating Regulation**

**Table of Contents**

Section Page

[1. Purpose, Scope, and Application 139](#__RefHeading___Toc26798735)

[1.1. Purpose 139](#__RefHeading___Toc26798736)

[1.2. Scope and Application 139](#__RefHeading___Toc26798737)

[2. Definitions 139](#__RefHeading___Toc26798738)

[2.1. \"Sell By\" Date 139](#__RefHeading___Toc26798739)

[2.2. Perishable Food 139](#__RefHeading___Toc26798740)

[2.3. Semi‑perishable Food 139](#__RefHeading___Toc26798741)

[2.4. Long Shelf‑life Food 139](#__RefHeading___Toc26798742)

[2.5. Prepackaged 139](#__RefHeading___Toc26798743)

[2.6. \"Best If Used By\" Date 139](#__RefHeading___Toc26798744)

[2.7. Person 139](#__RefHeading___Toc26798745)

[3. Sale of Perishable Food and Date Determination
139](#__RefHeading___Toc26798746)

[3.1. \"Sell By\" Date 139](#__RefHeading___Toc26798747)

[3.2. Sale after Expiration of \"Sell By\" Date
139](#__RefHeading___Toc26798748)

[3.2.1. Advertisement 139](#__RefHeading___Toc26798749)

[3.2.2. Responsibility for advertisement
140](#__RefHeading___Toc26798750)

[3.3. Determination of \"Sell By\" Date
140](#__RefHeading___Toc26798751)

[3.3.1. Reasonable Period for Consumption
140](#__RefHeading___Toc26798752)

[3.3.2. Responsibility for \"Sell By\" Date
140](#__RefHeading___Toc26798753)

[3.4. Manner of Expressing Date 140](#__RefHeading___Toc26798754)

[3.4.1. Month and day, or day of week 140](#__RefHeading___Toc26798755)

[3.4.2. The term \"Sell By\\ 140](#__RefHeading___Toc26798756)

[3.4.3. Abbreviation of weekday 140](#__RefHeading___Toc26798757)

[3.4.4. Expression of month and day 140](#__RefHeading___Toc26798758)

[3.4.5. Expression of the year 140](#__RefHeading___Toc26798759)

[4. Sale of Semi‑perishable and Long Shelf‑life Food
140](#__RefHeading___Toc26798760)

[4.1. \"Best If Used By\" Date 140](#__RefHeading___Toc26798761)

[4.2. Sale after Expiration of \"Best If Used By\" Date
140](#__RefHeading___Toc26798762)

[4.3. Manner of Expressing Date 140](#__RefHeading___Toc26798763)

[5. Placement of the Date 141](#__RefHeading___Toc26798764)

[6. Factors for the Date Determination 141](#__RefHeading___Toc26798765)

[7. Records 141](#__RefHeading___Toc26798766)

[8. Exemptions 141](#__RefHeading___Toc26798767)

[9. Preemption of Local, County, and Municipal Ordinance
141](#__RefHeading___Toc26798768)

[10. Effective Date 141](#__RefHeading___Toc26798769)

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**Uniform Open Dating
Regulation^\[\ NOTE\ 1,\ see\ page\ [139](#H130OpendateNote1)\ \]^**

**Section 1.  Purpose, Scope, and
Application**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798735 .anchor}

**1.1. Purpose**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798736 .anchor}**.
^\[\ NOTE\ 1,\ *page\ [139](#H130OpendateNote1)*\]^** - The purpose of
this regulation is to prescribe mandatory uniform date labeling of
prepackaged, perishable foods and to prescribe optional uniform date
labeling that must be used whenever a packager elects to use date
labeling on prepackaged foods that are not perishable.  Open dating is
intended for use and under­standing by both distributors and con­sumers
when judging food qualities.

[]{#H130OpendateNote1 .anchor}***NOTE 1:** Alternatively, this
regulation may be adopted to require uniformity of open dating of
perishable foods whenever a packager voluntarily elects to use date
labeling. In such instances Sections 1.1. and 3.1. are reworded in the
following manner:*

> ***1.1. Purpose.** The purpose of this regulation is to prescribe
> uniform date labeling that must be used whenever a packager elects to
> use date labeling on a prepackaged food. Open date labeling is
> intended for use and understanding by both distributors and consumers
> when judging food qualities.*
>
> ***3.1. \"Sell By\" Date.** If a retail food establishment elects to
> sell or offer for sale a prepackaged perishable food identified with a
> \"sell by\" date, the \"sell by\" date used must be as prescribed by
> this regulation.*

**1.2. Scope and Application**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798737
.anchor}**.** - This regulation prescribes the manner of date labeling,
the method of determining the appropriate date, required records,
responsible persons, and the foods subject to this regulation.  This
regulation provides for the permissible sale of a regulated food after
the expiration of the date on the label.  This regulation does not apply
to any food that is not prepackaged or is exempted by § 8.

**Section 2.  Definitions**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798738 .anchor}

**2.1. \"Sell By\" Date**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798739 .anchor}**.** -
\"Sell by\" date means a recommended last date of sale that permits a
subsequent period before deterioration of qualities described in 2.2.,
2.3., and 2.4.

**2.2. Perishable Food**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798740 .anchor}**.** -
\"Perishable food \" means any food having a significant risk of
spoilage, loss of value, or loss of palatability within 60 days of the
date of packaging.

**2.3. Semi‑perishable Food**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798741
.anchor}**.** - \"Semi‑perishable food \" means any food for which a
significant risk of spoilage, loss of value, or loss of palatability
occurs only after a minimum of 60 days, but within 6 months, after the
date of packaging.

**2.4. Long Shelf‑life Food**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798742
.anchor}**.** - \"Long shelf‑life food\" means any food for which a
significant risk of spoilage, loss of value, or loss of palatability
does not occur sooner than 6 months after the date of packaging,
including foods preserved by freezing, dehydrating, or being placed in a
hermetically sealed container.

**2.5. Prepackaged**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798743 .anchor}**.** -
\"Prepackaged \" means packaged prior to being displayed or offered for
retail sale.

**2.6. \"Best If Used By\" Date**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798744
.anchor}**.** - \"Best if used by\" date means a date prior to
deterioration of qualities described in 2.3. and 2.4.

**2.7. Person**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798745 .anchor}**.** - \"Person\"
means an individual, partnership, association, or corporation.

**Section 3.  Sale of Perishable Food and Date
Deter­mination**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798746 .anchor}

**3.1. \"Sell By\" Date**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798747
.anchor}**.^\[\ NOTE\ 1,\ *page\ [139](#H130OpendateNote1)*\]^** - A
retail food establishment shall not sell or offer for sale a prepackaged
perishable food unless it is identified with a \"sell by\" date as
prescribed by this regulation.

**3.2. Sale after Expiration of \"Sell By\" Date**
[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798748 .anchor}

> **3.2.1. Advertisement**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798749 .anchor}**.** -
> Perishable food shall not be offered for sale after the \"sell by\"
> date unless it is wholesome and advertised in a conspicuous manner as
> being offered for sale after the recommended last date of sale.  The
> placement of a sign, sticker, or tag is acceptable for such
> advertising if it is easily readable and clearly identifies the
> perish­able food as having passed the recommended last date of sale.
>
> **3.2.2. Responsibility for
> advertisement**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798750 .anchor}**.** - The
> retailer or final seller is responsible for the advertisement,
> described in § 3.2.1., of a perishable food offered for sale after the
> recommended last date of sale.

**3.3. Determination of \"Sell By\" Date**
[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798751 .anchor}

> **3.3.1. Reasonable Period for
> Consumption**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798752 .anchor}**.** - A
> manufac­turer, processor, packer, re-packer, retailer, or other person
> who prepackages perishable food, shall determine a date that allows a
> reasonable period after sale for consumption of the food without
> physical spoilage, loss of value, or loss of palatability.  A
> reasonable period for con­sumption shall consist of at least one third
> of the approximate total shelf life of the perishable food.
>
> **3.3.2. Responsibility for \"Sell By\"
> Date**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798753 .anchor}**.** - A retailer who
> purchases prepackaged perishable food may upon written agreement with
> the person prepackaging such food determine, identify, and be
> responsible for the \"sell by\" date placed on or attached to each
> package of such food.

**3.4. Manner of Expressing Date** []{#__RefHeading___Toc26798754
.anchor}

> **3.4.1. Month and day, or day of week**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798755
> .anchor}**.** - A person described in § 3.3.1. or 3.3.2. shall place
> or attach to each package of perishable food a date by month and day.
> How­ever, bakery products with a shelf‑life of not more than 7 days may
> be dated with the day of the week representing the last recom­mended
> day of sale.
>
> **3.4.2. The term \"Sell By\"**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798756
> .anchor}**.** - The \"sell by\" date shall be dis­played with the term
> \"sell by\" or words of similar import immediately preceding or
> im­mediately over the designated date unless a prominent notice is on
> the label describing the date as a \"sell by\" date and indicating the
> loca­tion of the date.
>
> **3.4.3. Abbreviation of weekday**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798757
> .anchor}**.** - If the day of the week is solely desig­nated as
> provided in § 3.4.1. the name of the day may be abbreviated by the use
> of either the first two or first three letters of the name of the day.
>
> **3.4.4. Expression of month and day**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798758
> .anchor}**.** - Except as provided for in § 3.4.1. the date shall be
> designated by:
>
> **(**a) the first three letters of the month, preceded or followed by
> a nu­meral indica­ting the calendar day, or
>
> \(b\) the month represented numerically fol­lowed by a numeral
> desig­nation of the calendar day.
>
> The month and day desig­nation shall be sep­arated by a period, slash,
> dash, or spacing. When a numeral designation of the first nine days of
> the month is used, the number shall include a zero as the first digit;
> for example, 01 or 03.
>
> (Amended 1987)
>
> **3.4.5. Expression of the year**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798759
> .anchor}**.** - The \"sell by\" date may include the year fol­lowing
> the day if such year is expressed as a two or four digit number
> separ­ated as described in § 3.4.4.

**Section 4.  Sale of Semi‑perishable and Long Shelf‑life
Food**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798760 .anchor}

**4.1. \"Best If Used By\" Date**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798761
.anchor}**.** - A manufacturer, processor, packer, re­-packer, or other
person who prepackages semi‑perishable or long shelf‑life food may place
upon or attach to the package an open date providing it is designated by
the \"best if used by\" date .

**4.2. Sale after Expiration of \"Best If Used By\"
Date**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798762 .anchor}**.** - A retail food
establish­ment may sell or offer for sale food beyond the desig­nated
\"best if used by\" date provided the food is wholesome and the sensory
physical quality standards for that food have not significantly
diminished.

**4.3. Manner of Expressing Date**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798763
.anchor}**.** - The \"best if used by\" date as required by § 4.1. shall
be placed upon or attached to each con­tainer or package and be limited
to the terms \"best if used by\" or words of similar import followed by
or immediately over the date designated by the month and year unless a
prominent notice is on the label des­cribing the date as a \"best if used
by\" date and indicating the location of the date.  The date shall be
designated by the first three letters of the month followed by a numeral
indicating the year.  The use of the day of the month is permissible
provided that the day of the month is placed prior to the month; for
example, 30 Jun 81.

**Section 5.  Placement of the Date**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798764
.anchor}

The date, whether \"sell by \"or \"best if used by,\" shall be printed,
stamped, embossed, perforated, or otherwise shown on the package, label
on the package, or tag attached to the package in a manner that is
easily readable and separate from other information, graphics, or
lettering so as to be clearly visible to a prospective purchaser.  The
date shall not be super­imposed on other required information or obscured
by other information, graphics, or pricing.  Regardless of the type size
used, the date shall be easily readable.  These requirements do not
preclude a supplemental notice elsewhere on a package describing and/or
indicating the location of the date.

**Section 6.  Factors for the Date
Determination**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798765 .anchor}

A person who, as provided for in this regulation, places either the
\"sell by\" date or \"best if used by\" date on a package shall
determine the date by taking into consideration the food quality,
characteristics, for­mulation, processing impact, packaging or container
and other protective wrapping or coating, customary transportation, and
storage and display conditions.  For purposes of calculating this date,
home storage conditions shall be considered to be similar to those in
the usual retail store except that the date for refrigerated food may be
calculated by using a home storage temperature standard of 40 F
(4.4 C).

**Section 7.  Records**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798766 .anchor}

A person who is responsible for establishing the date for perishable,
semi‑perishable, and long shelf‑life food shall keep a record of the
method used to determine the date.  A record revision is necessary
whenever a factor affecting date determination is altered. Such record
shall be retained for not less than 6 months after the most recent
\"sell by\" or \"best if used by\" date and shall be available during
normal business hours for examination upon request by (insert agency
name).

**Section 8.  Exemptions**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798767 .anchor}

**8.1.** This regulation does not apply to perishable fruits or
vegetables in a container permitting sensory examination.

**8.2.** This regulation does not apply to prepackaged perishable foods
open dated according to requirements of Federal law or regulation.

**Section 9.  Preemption of Local, County, and Municipal
Or­dinance**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798768 .anchor}

A municipality or county shall not adopt or impose standards or
requirements other than those provided for in this regulation.

**Section 10.  Effective Date**[]{#__RefHeading___Toc26798769 .anchor}

This regulation shall become effective on and after (insert appropriate
date).

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