United States 119th Congress Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 7 D · 1 R cosponsors

S 2541 — Food Date Labeling Act of 2025

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

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced July 30, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Advancing 42% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 8 sponsors

    1 primary, 7 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (7 D · 1 R) — cross-party backing.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

Food Date Labeling Act of 2025This 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.

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

4 changes Share ↗

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill adds new labeling requirements for food products regarding quality and discard dates, and imposes penalties for non-compliance.

  • 21 U.S.C. 453(h)

    (13) if its labeling is in violation of section 3 of the Food Date Labeling Act of 2025.

    Adds a new reason for misbranding poultry products related to labeling violations under the new Food Date Labeling Act.

  • 21 U.S.C. 601(n)

    (13) if its labeling is in violation of section 3 of the Food Date Labeling Act of 2025.

    Adds a new reason for misbranding meat products related to labeling violations under the new Food Date Labeling Act.

  • 21 U.S.C. 343

    (z) If the label bears a quality date phrase or discard date phrase that fails to comply with the requirements as specified in sections 3(a) and 3(b) of the Food Date Labeling Act of 2025, or that fails to meet the requirements as specified in section 3(c) of such Act.

    Establishes misbranding criteria for food products with regard to quality and discard date phrases that do not comply with new regulations.

  • 21 U.S.C. 1036(b)

    or if its labeling is in violation of section 3 of the Food Date Labeling Act of 2025.

    Adds a new reason for misbranding egg products related to labeling violations under the new Food Date Labeling Act.

Action History

  1. Introduced in Senate

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

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 7 co-sponsors · 539 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (7)

Not signed on (539)

539 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 539 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

healthcare health-insurance agriculture
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does S 2541 do?
Food Date Labeling Act of 2025This 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.
Who sponsors S 2541?
S 2541 is sponsored by Blumenthal, Richard (Democratic), Scott, Rick (Republican), Kim, Andy (Democratic), Coons, Christopher A. (Democratic), Markey, Edward J. (Democratic), Wyden, Ron (Democratic), Schiff, Adam B. (Democratic), and Alsobrooks, Angela D. (Democratic).
What is the current status of S 2541?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced July 30, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track S 2541?
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