Effective July 1st: Food Labels, Cell Phones in Schools, Food Allergens and more

Starting July 1st

•  California will become the first state to standardize date labels on most packaged foods under Assembly Bill 660. The goal is to reduce food waste, save consumers money, and make it easier to determine whether food is still good to eat. Instead of a confusing mix of phrases like "sell by," "expires on," or "freshest before," food products will use consistent language:
  • "Best if Used By" or "Best if Frozen By" to indicate peak quality.
  • "Use By" or "Use or Freeze By" when food may no longer be safe to consume.
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• Chain Restaurants Must Disclose Food Allergens (SB 68) Disclosure for Dining Experiences (ADDE) Act.
  • Chain restaurants with 20 or more locations nationwide must now identify whether menu items contain any of the nine major food allergens, including milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, sesame, fish, and shellfish.
  • Restaurants may provide this information directly on menus, through QR codes, or in printed materials available upon request.

• New Cell Phone Policies in Schools (AB 3216)
  • California school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools must adopt policies limiting or restricting student smartphone use during the school day.
  • The law is intended to reduce classroom distractions, improve student engagement, and support student mental health, while allowing schools to make exceptions for emergencies and other necessary situations.

• Local Minimum Wage Increases
  • Many California cities and counties—including San Francisco, Berkeley, Los Angeles, and others—will increase their local minimum wages. 
  • These local increases are separate from California's statewide minimum wage, which increased to $16.90 per hour on January 1, 2026.

• Expanded Crisis Resources on Student ID Cards (AB 727)
  • Expands the mental health resources that must appear on student identification cards. 
  • In addition to other required crisis resources, student ID cards issued by California middle schools, high schools, colleges, and universities must now include The Trevor Project's 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, providing LGBTQ+ youth with immediate access to trained crisis counselors.

More News from Calabasas

• Four-Day Weekend Holiday's are Possible for Banks A misrepresentation of Banking rules suggests Banks cannot close more than three days. There is no such Federal or California restriction. Texas has a restriction.
• The New Trader Joes Tote Bags- Already Being Resold! The striped bags were released June 17th and as expected received much attention and sold out quickly. Now we are seeing them on Etsy and other aftermarket sites.