Sell By? Big Changes Could Be Coming to Michigan Grocery Stores

There’s nothing more confusing to Michigan shoppers than the Sell By, Best Before, and Use By dates found on food products. Seriously, there are so many differently phrased date labels that it's making everyone's head spin. Can we get just one label that clearly tells us when not to eat certain foods?

No one wants to guess whether something is still safe to eat. The way things are now, we end up throwing away perfectly good food—or even worse, we might take a chance and eat something that’s gone bad.

When you think about it, the Sell By date really does nothing for consumers. Sure, we know when the product needs to be sold, but it doesn't tell us when that product expires.

This State Just Banned 'Sell By' Dates on Packaged Foods

While Michigan really hasn't done anything to remedy this issue, there is one state that has. California just became the first state to ban 'Sell By' dates on packaged foods.

According to NRDC, manufacturers will have to use the same phrase for date labels across all of their products. Starting July 1, 2026, “BEST if Used By” will be used to communicate peak quality, and “Use By” will be used to communicate product safety. That's it—clean, simple, and to the point. Consumers will no longer deal with confusion while grocery shopping.

So what does this mean for Michigan? Since it’s the first law of its kind, it could definitely inspire other states to follow suit. And let’s be honest—if history is any indicator, Michigan might not be far behind in making these changes to make shopping less confusing for everyone.