estimated period of shelf life under any stated stor-
age conditions, after which the entity responsible for 
the food label advises the product not be consumed. 
(3) QUALITY DATE PHRASE.—The term ‘‘qual-
ity date phrase’’ means a phrase voluntarily printed 
on a food packaging that is intended to commu-
nicate to consumers when— 
(A) the quality of the product may begin 
to deteriorate; but 
(B) the product remains apparently whole-
some food (as defined in subsection (b) of the 
Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1791(b))). 
SEC. 3. QUALITY DATE PHRASES AND DISCARD DATE 
PHRASES. 
(a) QUALITY DATE PHRASES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—If a quality date is used on 
a food package, such quality date shall be proceeded 
by the uniform quality date label phrase under para-
graph (2). 
(2) UNIFORM
PHRASE.—The uniform quality 
date label phrase under this paragraph shall be 
‘‘BEST If Used By’’ or, if permissible under sub-
section (c)(3), the standard abbreviation of ‘‘BB’’, 
unless and until the administering Secretaries, act-
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ing in coordination, specify through rulemaking an-
other uniform phrase to be used for purposes of 
complying with paragraph (1). 
(3) OPTION OF THE ENTITY RESPONSIBLE FOR 
THE FOOD LABEL.—The decisions of whether to in-
clude a quality date or quality date phrase on food 
packaging and which foods should be so labeled shall 
be at the discretion of the entity responsible for the 
food label. 
(b) DISCARD DATE PHRASES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—If a discard date is used on 
food packaging, such discard date shall be proceeded 
by the uniform discard date label phrase under para-
graph (2). 
(2) UNIFORM
PHRASE.—The uniform discard 
date label phrase under this paragraph shall be 
‘‘USE By’’ or, if permissible under subsection 
(c)(3), the standard abbreviation of ‘‘UB’’, unless 
and until the administering Secretaries, acting in co-
ordination, specify through rulemaking another uni-
form phrase to be used for purposes of complying 
with paragraph (1). 
(3) OPTION OF THE ENTITY RESPONSIBLE FOR 
THE FOOD LABEL.—The decisions of whether to in-
clude a discard date or discard date phrase on food 
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packaging and which foods should be so labeled shall 
be at the discretion of the entity responsible for the 
food label. 
(c) QUALITY DATE PHRASE AND DISCARD DATE 
PHRASE LABELING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The quality date or discard 
date, as applicable, shall be— 
(A) in single easy-to-read type style; and 
(B) located in a conspicuous and promi-
nent place on the food label or elsewhere on the 
package. 
(2) DATE FORMAT.—The format of each quality 
date and discard date that follows the quality date 
phrase and discard date phrase, as applicable, shall 
be stated in terms of month and year or, as appro-
priate, month, day, and year. 
(3) ABBREVIATIONS.—A standard abbreviation 
of ‘‘BB’’ and ‘‘UB’’ for the quality date phrase and 
discard date phrase, respectively, may be used only 
if the food packaging is too small to include the uni-
form phrase described in subsection (a)(2) or (b)(2), 
as applicable. 
(4) USE OF TECHNOLOGIES AND ADDITIONAL 
LABELS.—The labeling required under this sub-
section may utilize time-temperature indicator labels, 
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QR codes, smart labels, or similar technology, in ad-
dition to any uniform quality date label phrase 
under subsection (a)(2) or uniform discard label 
phrase under subsection (b)(2). Nothing in this Act 
or an amendment made by this Act prohibits or re-
stricts the use of such technology or labeling in lieu 
of any uniform quality date label phrase under sub-
section (a)(2) or uniform discard date label phrase 
under subsection (b)(2). 
(5) FREEZE BY.—The entity responsible for the 
food label may add ‘‘or freeze by’’ following a uni-
form quality date label phrase or discard date label 
phrase. 
(d) EDUCATION.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the administering Secre-
taries, acting in coordination, shall provide consumer edu-
cation and outreach on the meaning of quality date 
phrases and discard date phrases on food packaging. 
(e) EFFECT; PREEMPTION.— 
(1) EFFECT
ON
SALE
OR
DONATION
OF 
FOODS.—Nothing in this Act or an amendment 
made by this Act prohibits any State or political 
subdivision of a State from establishing or con-
tinuing in effect any requirement that prohibits the 
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sale or donation of foods based on passage of the 
discard date. 
(2) EFFECT ON INFANT FORMULA.—Nothing in 
this Act or an amendment made by this Act— 
(A) applies with respect to infant formula 
(as defined in section 201(z) of the Federal 
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 
321(z))); or 
(B) affects the requirements relating to in-
fant formula under section 412 of the Federal 
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 
350a) or any other applicable provision of law. 
(3) PREEMPTION.—No State or political sub-
division of a State may establish or continue in ef-
fect any requirement that— 
(A) relates to the inclusion in food labeling 
of a quality date phrase or a discard date 
phrase that is different from, in addition to, or 
otherwise not identical with, the requirements 
of this Act and the amendments made by this 
Act; or 
(B) prohibits the sale or donation of foods 
based on passage of the quality date. 
(4) ENFORCEMENT.—The administering Secre-
taries, in consultation with the Federal Trade Com-
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mission, shall ensure that the uniform quality date 
label phrase and uniform discard date label phrase 
are standardized across all food products. 
(5) 
SAVINGS
PROVISION.—Notwithstanding 
paragraph (3), nothing in this Act, any amendment 
made by this Act, or any standard or requirement 
imposed pursuant to this Act preempts, displaces, or 
supplants any State or Federal common law rights 
or any State or Federal statute creating a remedy 
for civil relief, including under the Federal Trade 
Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.). 
(6) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this 
subsection shall be construed to— 
(A) authorize the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services to require that a food be la-
beled for quality standards or for a discard date 
as described in subsections (a) and (b); or 
(B) preempt a State from setting require-
ments for a quality date or discard date or a 
timeline of quality, listed on a food label, pro-
vided that the requirement complies with the 
uniform quality data phrase or discard date 
phrase specified in subsection (a)(2) or (b)(2). 
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‘‘(13) if its labeling is in violation of section 3 
of the Food Date Labeling Act of 2025.’’. 
(d) EGG PRODUCTS.—Section 7(b) of the Egg Prod-
ucts Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 1036(b)) is amended in 
the first sentence by inserting ‘‘or if its labeling is in viola-
tion of section 3 of the Food Date Labeling Act of 2025’’ 
before the period at the end. 
SEC. 5. REGULATIONS. 
Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the administering Secretaries, in coordination 
with each other, shall promulgate final regulations for car-
rying out this Act. 
SEC. 6. DELAYED APPLICABILITY. 
This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall 
apply only with respect to food products that are labeled 
on or after the date that is 2 years after the date of enact-
ment of this Act. 
Æ 
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