S2541Referred to Committee

Food Date Labeling Act of 2025

Introduced

In Committee

Passed One Chamber

Passed Both

Signed into Law

119th

Congress

2025-07-30

Introduced

Cosponsors

ⓘ

Type

Sponsor

Richard Blumenthal

Democrat · CT · Senator

Votes with party: 64.1% (320 recorded votes)

Full profile: /officials/B001277

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

Cosponsors (7)

Members who have signed on to support this bill since introduction. Source: Congress.gov.

Latest Action

The most recent step in the bill's legislative path. Committee Activity below shows referrals and reports; the full action-by-action history including floor proceedings lives at Congress.gov →

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

2025-07-30

Source: Congress.gov

Committee Activity

Previously

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsReferred To · 2025-07-30

Plain-English Summary

Food Date Labeling Act of 2025 This bill establishes uniform requirements for quality and discard date phrases (e.g., best by and use by ) placed voluntarily on food labels. Specifically, if a food is labeled with a quality date (i.e., the date after which the quality of the item may deteriorate), the label must include the phrase BEST If Used By or the abbreviation BB . Similarly, if a food is labeled with a discard date (i.e., the date after which the item should not be consumed), the label must include the phrase USE By or the abbreviation UB . Abbreviations may be used only if an item’s packaging is too small to fit the full phrase. Quality and discard dates must be written in a single, easy-to-read font and placed in a prominent location on an item’s label or package. The phrase or freeze by may be added after a quality or discard date phrase where appropriate. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) must promulgate regulations to carry out these provisions and ensure that the uniform phrases are standardized across all food products. HHS and USDA may specify alternative quality and discard date phrases through regulations. The bill specifies that no state or local government may enforce a requirement related to quality and discard date phrases that differs from the requirements of the bill. The bill does not apply to infant formula, which is subject to separate labeling requirements under current law.

Plain-English rewrite of the Congressional Research Service summary published on Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed.

Subjects

Health

Full bill text is not yet cached locally.

Open text view Read on Congress.gov

Related legislation

Bills by the same sponsor or covering overlapping subjects.

S4646A bill to reinstate criminal penalties for persons charging veterans unauthorized fees relating to claims for benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
Referred to Committee · 2026-06-01
SRES753A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate to reduce traffic fatalities to zero by 2050.
Referred to Committee · 2026-05-21
S4636A bill to amend the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 to provide for interest on escrow balances.
Referred to Committee · 2026-05-21
SRES752A resolution expressing support for the designation of the month of May 2026 as "Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Corticobasal Degeneration Awareness Month".
Referred to Committee · 2026-05-21