gulp-util.date creates timezone‑dependent timestamps that vary across build agents

When a gulp task uses gulp-util.date to generate timestamps for file names or log entries, the output reflects the local timezone of the machine running the task. This causes the same task to produce different strings on build agents located in different regions, which can break reproducible builds and complicate cache‑based workflows. The gulp team has not decided whether gulp-util.date should be altered to return UTC‑based strings, leaving the behavior as an open design choice.

Given that gulp-util is deprecated and future releases may drop the helper, developers need to know whether they should rely on UTC formatting libraries now or wait for a potential change in gulp‑util.

• Should gulp-util.date be changed to always return UTC timestamps?
• If not, what is the recommended approach for obtaining consistent timestamps in gulp tasks today?
• Does the gulp project plan to provide an official UTC‑based date helper as a replacement?