‘Best if Used By’ Expiration Date Labeling Mandate Related Column
Article posted in 2025-05-22 16:12:10 | VEAT
Law firm Veat’s Juhyeong Lee, Head of Food Regulatory Consulting Team, contributed a column to the Food & Beverage News on the topic of Practical Strategies to Respond to California’s New Date Labeling System.
California is scheduled to mandate the use of only “Best if Used By” or “Use By” expressions on food packaging from 2026. Expressions widely used previously, such as “Best Before” or “Expiration Date,” will be prohibited, and violations may result in fines, prohibition of product sales, and other strong sanctions.
When Korean food companies export products to the US market, they need to redesign the entire labeling system, not just make simple wording changes. Especially for kimchi, ramen, processed meats, and dairy products, quality and safety must be communicated in a way that consumers can easily understand, and a response that considers not only legal regulations but also consumer perceptions is necessary.
This regulatory change can be both a new risk and an opportunity. It is a critical time for comprehensive responses, including setting expiration dates based on scientific evidence, adopting display methods suitable for online distribution channels, and considering additional regulations such as Proposition 65.
Law firm Veat provides legal advice specializing in the domestic and international food industries and performs customized consulting to enable companies to proactively respond to changes in the global regulatory environment.
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