    (410 ILCS 620/11.5)
    (This Section may contain text from a Public Act with a delayed effective date)
    Sec. 11.5. Standardization of food labeling.
    (a) As used in this Section:

"Quality date" means a date on a label affixed to the packaging or a container of food that communicates to consumers the date after which the food quality may begin to deteriorate but the food may still be acceptable for consumption.

"Safety date" means a date on a label affixed to the packaging or container of food that communicates to consumers that the food should be consumed or frozen, if appropriate, by the date listed on the package that applies to perishable products with potential safety implications over time.

"Sell by date" means a date on a label affixed to the packaging or container of food that is intended to communicate primarily to a distributor or retailer for purposes of stock rotation and is not a quality date or a safety date.

(b) The Department of Agriculture, in consultation with the Department of Public Health, shall, on or before July 1, 2024, publish information to encourage food manufacturers, processors, and retailers responsible for the labeling of food products to voluntarily use the following uniform terms on food product labels to communicate quality dates and safety dates:

(1) "BEST if Used by" or "BEST if Used or Frozen by" to indicate the quality date of a