Big changes are coming to stores that accept food stamps. The USDA wants stores to carry much more food than before. This could cost stores $1.6 billion to get ready.
Right now, stores only need to carry three different types of food in each main group. Soon they will need seven types in each group. That’s more than double what they stock today.
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins says stores need to “sell real food, plain and simple.” She thinks the old rules were too easy. The new rules will help families find better food choices and stop people from cheating the system.
What stores must carry:
- Seven types of meat, chicken, or fish
- Seven types of milk, cheese, and yogurt
- Seven types of bread and cereal
- Seven types of fruits and vegetables
The changes also close some tricks stores used before. Right now, three cans of the same beans count as three different foods. Under the new rules, they only count as one. Stores will need to offer more variety.
Fresh food rules are getting stricter too. Stores must have fresh or frozen items in three food groups instead of two. This means more refrigerators and freezers in small shops.
Convenience stores will have the hardest time. They face $1 billion in costs to follow the new rules. Regular grocery stores will pay $305 million. Small stores will spend $11.8 million.
Many small stores might stop taking food stamps because it costs too much. This worries people in rural areas where small shops are sometimes the only place to buy food. If these stores quit the program, families on food stamps will have nowhere to shop.
The National Association of Convenience Stores says the rules are “unprecedented.” They want more time and clear instructions so stores can adjust without hurting shoppers.
People can share their thoughts about the new rules until November 24, 2025. After that, the USDA will decide what to do next.
President Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” program is behind these changes. The goal is to give families better food options and stop fraud. Twelve states are also testing rules to keep junk food out of the food stamp program.
Store owners say they want to help, but they need flexibility. They serve important roles in neighborhoods where big grocery stores don’t exist. Without help, many might leave the program, and that could hurt the 41 million Americans who use food stamps.
