Changes Coming For Stores That Accept Food Stamps

WASHINGTON ― Stores that accept food stamps will have to sell fresh produce and whole grains under a new U.S. Department of Agriculture rule designed to urge recipients toward healthier choices. The new rule, which scaled back a stricter proposal that members of Congress said could jeopardize poor people’s ability to use their benefits, is considered a victory for mom-and-pop retailers and corner stores that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments. The changes announced last week require more than 250,000 SNAP-authorized stores to carry at least 84 staple foods, including a variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Congress called for the stricter standards in 2014 when it last reauthorized SNAP, which provides monthly benefits to 43 million Americans and is one of the federal government’s most important antipoverty programs. “This final rule balances the need to improve the healthy staple foods available for purchase at participating stores, while maintaining food access for SNAP recipients in underserved rural and urban areas,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement. “I am confident that this rule will ensure the retailers that participate in SNAP offer a variety of healthy foods for purchase and that SNAP recipients will continue to have access to the stores they need to be able to purchase food.” The Obama administration has championed healthier feder...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news