California just banned these misleading food labels, a first in the nation

The state is the first to ban food labels such as “sell by” or “best before” under a law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

California wants to help end the everyday household debate over whether the food in the fridge is still good to eat.

Food labels that say “sell by” or “best before” are misleading because they have no universal meaning under current laws. Now California wants to crack down on such practices, bidding to help consumers stop playing guessing games with produce and other items in their fridges.