USDA Shares Changes to Carrying Requirements for Stores Accepting SNAP Benefits
The rule more than doubles stocking requirements and has already led to nearly 3,200 retailer removals since 2024, USDA said.
- On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced new rules requiring retailers participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to stock seven varieties of staple foods across protein, grains, dairy, and fruits and vegetables, more than doubling current requirements.
- Behind the new rules lies a broader crackdown on SNAP abuse, with the USDA making over 1,000 arrests and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins reporting 500,000 people illegally receiving multiple benefits in red states alone.
- Current rules require stores to stock a minimum of 36 staple items with three varieties per category, but the updates eliminate snack food loopholes and increase perishable requirements while maintaining the 50% staple sales threshold.
- Agriculture Secretary Rollins stated the updates 'emphasize real food first,' noting SNAP retailers accept over $90 billion yearly in taxpayer dollars, while Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. framed the effort as putting 'real food back at the center' of the program.
- The new standards take effect Fall 2026 as the USDA issues guidance to retailers, following removal of nearly 3,200 noncompliant stores since 2024 and a year in which 4.2 million fewer SNAP recipients were enrolled under stepped-up enforcement.
49 Articles
49 Articles
Sec. Rollins: SNAP Rules Tightened, Retailers Now Required to Stock More Real Food Staples
Sec. Rollins: “We just announced instead of only stocking 12 real food staple items, if you’re going to accept the taxpayer dollar under the SNAP program, you now have to stock at least 28 of those real foods. We’re closing the loopholes. Before, if you had jelly on your shelf, that counted for a fruit, […]
‘No More Junk Food!’ Trump’s Ag Secretary Boasts Beef Jerky Is No Longer a SNAP-Eligible Protein
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Friday boasted about the Trump administration removing jerky as a protein covered under the SNAP program. Rollins joined Fox News on Friday morning to discuss the administration’s efforts to crack down on alleged SNAP fraud. During the interview, Rollins also touched on changes being made to the types of food those with SNAP benefits will be able to buy. Since the start of President Donald Trump’s second t…
USDA tightens SNAP rules to prioritize ‘real food,’ cracking down on snack-heavy retailers
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The federal government is raising the bar for what qualifies as a grocery store, unveiling new rules Thursday that will require thousands of retailers to stock more fresh produce and whole foods if they want to continue…
USDA Tightens SNAP Retailer Rules to Expand Healthy Food Options
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said retailers participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will face tougher stocking requirements aimed at expanding access to healthier food options for food stamp recipients. Retailers must carry seven varieties of items across four staple food categories: protein, grains, dairy, and fruits and vegetables. Federal officials said the changes are intended to increase the availa…
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