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Bill

S 200

Provides for the revocation of a person's driver's license who has been convicted of operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol or drugs

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Joe Addabbo and 5 co-sponsors

Implements uniform food date labels (Best If Used By; Use By for elevated-risk) to clarify safety vs quality, guide handling, and restrict post-elevated-risk sales.

REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION
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Bill Summary · S 200

Summary — S 200 (Food Date Labeling Act)

Note: The bill header you provided lists a different title (license revocation for vessel OUI). The attached legislative text and committee report both describe a New Jersey bill on standardized food date labeling. This summary reflects the substantive bill text and committee report provided (food date-labeling), not the unrelated vessel/driver-license title.

Purpose

Establish uniform, consumer‑facing standards for food date labels to reduce confusion about safety versus quality, promote public health, and create an education program about handling and safe consumption of dated foods.

Key definitions

  • Elevated-risk date: manufacturer‑established date after which consumption poses a high safety risk.
  • Quality date: manufacturer‑established date after which food quality may decline but it remains acceptable to consume.
  • Time/temperature control for safety food: foods requiring time/temperature control per the 2013 FDA Food Code to limit pathogen growth or toxin formation.
  • “Food” follows NJ statutory definition, excluding alcoholic beverages.

Major provisions

  • If a manufacturer uses a quality date, it must be labeled with the uniform phrase “BEST if Used By” and show month (first three letters or numeric), day, and year.
  • Manufacturers may include an elevated-risk date on time/temperature control for safety foods; such labels must display the phrase “USE By” and be dated similarly.
  • Retail food facilities are not liable for manufacturers’ labeling errors.
  • Retailers may sell or donate food after a quality date but are prohibited from selling or donating food after an elevated‑risk date.
  • Retailers may not sell food labeled with a “sell-by” date (or other distributor/stock-rotation dates that are not quality or elevated-risk dates), unless such sell-by dates are in a coded format not easily readable by consumers.
  • Department of Health authority: may designate additional foods as time/temperature control for safety foods or exempt foods from that designation and must publish determinations online.
  • Commissioner of Health required to establish a public education program explaining date labels and safe handling to reduce misuse of quality labels as safety indicators.
  • Commissioner to adopt implementing regulations under the Administrative Procedure Act.
  • Amends existing milk-product labeling law to require milk containers be labeled with a quality date as defined in this bill.

Who is affected

  • Food manufacturers and processors (must follow new labeling formats).
  • Retail food facilities and distributors (restrictions on sale/donation post elevated-risk date; limits on sell-by labeling).
  • Consumers (clearer guidance on safety vs. quality).
  • Food banks and donation programs (cannot accept donations past elevated-risk dates).
  • New Jersey Department of Health (rulemaking and public education obligations).

Potential impacts

  • Increased consumer clarity about safety vs. quality, potentially reducing foodborne illness risk.
  • Possible reduction in retailer donations for certain perishable foods (impact on food‑waste/donation channels).
  • Compliance costs for manufacturers and retailers to relabel packaging and train staff.
  • Administrative duties for the Department of Health (rulemaking and education campaigns).

Procedural status (from provided materials)

  • Introduced Jan 23, 2025. Reported favorably by the Senate Environment & Energy Committee (June 12, 2025). The materials show further referrals and committee actions; review recommended to confirm current chamber status and any amendments.

If you want, I can:
- Produce a side‑by‑side comparison of current NJ labeling rules and changes made by this bill; or
- Verify the bill’s current status and amendments using the legislature’s live docket.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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