Rollins Announces 7 Food Varieties in Usda Snap Retailer Rule Changes

Brooke L. Rollins said the usda snap retailer rule changes will require authorized stores to stock seven varieties of staple foods across four categories starting this fall. The Agriculture Department said the new standard will more than double what retailers must carry and will stop certain snack foods from counting toward those requirements.

Rollins said in a USDA release, "To turn the tide on our nation’s health crisis, we need to ensure our nutrition assistance programs emphasize real food first, and that’s exactly what these updates to SNAP retailer requirements will do," She also said SNAP-authorized retailers take in over $90 billion a year, or $236 million a day, in taxpayer dollars.

Rollins Sets SNAP Retailer Standard

The department said the four categories are protein, grains, dairy, and fruits and vegetables. Under the new rule, authorized retailers will need a broader mix of nutritious food and higher perishable food requirements than before.

Rollins said the department is making sure retailers are actually in the business of selling food. In the same release, she said, "SNAP authorized retailers accept over $90 billion a year, or $236 million a day, in taxpayer dollars—USDA is making sure they’re actually in the business of selling food. And for those retailers who are the only food outpost for miles, I know you will be so excited to serve your customers and communities healthy food."

USDA SNAP Retailer Rule Changes

The department said the retailer changes are part of a broader SNAP push that includes a crackdown on abuse. USDA said it has made over 1,000 arrests, and Rollins said 895 different people were arrested in the last year for illegally using the food stamp system.

Rollins also said on The Ingraham Angle, "We've found 500,000 people getting more than one benefit illegally. We found 244,000 dead people. This is just the red states," The department said its data show 4.2 million fewer food stamp recipients during President Trump’s first year in office.

SNAP Retailers This Fall

The new retailer rules take effect this fall. For stores that accept SNAP, the practical change is in what must stay on the shelves: more staple food variety, fewer snack foods counted toward compliance, and a higher bar for the food mix authorized retailers must maintain.