New state law allows dairy processors tomilk with sell-by, best-by dates

Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Senator Elder Vogel, Chair of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, joined dairy leaders at Harrisburg Dairies Wednesday to highlight a new state law that strengthens the dairy market.

Gov. Tom Wolf signed Senate Bill 434 into law on June 30, allowing dairy processors the flexibility to label milk with sell-by dates and best-by dates, encouraging dairy competitiveness in the marketplace by increasing consumer choice and reducing food waste.

The law amends Title 3 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. Dairy processors can now seek approval from the PA Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Food Safety to label milk with best-by dates.

Before the amendment, milk followed a 17-day code and was often thrown out after that date.
Food safety practices have extended milk shelf life up to 21 days. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and state regulatory authorities do not consider milk shelf-life dating a food safety issue.

“Strengthening the dairy economy means strengthening consumer purchasing power of milk in the marketplace,” state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said on a visit to Harrisburg Dairies Wednesday. “Act 62 provides consumer choice. It is a commitment to freshness and transparency that makes Pennsylvania dairy an easy choice for consumers. We are grateful to Senator Vogel for championing this legislation – it is a win for Pennsylvania dairy and one of the many achievements of the Dairy Future Commission.”

The dairy industry contributes $14.1 billion to the state’s economy annually.