Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has announced the Stocking Standards final rule, which will double the healthy food that the 250,000 retailers authorized to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will be required to stock. As part of the standards, retailers must stock 28 varieties of healthy options across four staple food programs.
Rollins noted in a press conference Wednesday that this rule delivers on Section 402 of the 2014 farm bill. She also says this policy is intended to create a direct benefit for farmers and ranchers by incentivizing the purchase of whole foods.
“No longer if you accept SNAP dollars will jelly count as a fruit, will jerky count as a protein, starting almost immediately,” Rollins says. “They have to stock more than double the healthy options that they’re currently being required to stock.”
Rollins says this list will prioritize whole nutrient-dense foods such as vegetables, fruits, protein, dairy and whole grains.
“The current standards ... only require our retailers, almost 250,000 retailers across the country, to stock the very minimum of healthy foods,” she says.
Rollins, who was joined by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and USDA national adviser for nutrition, health and housing Ben Carson, also announced the launch of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Strategic Partnerships, which will involve the private sector in public education regarding the guidelines’ role as a framework for healthy eating.
“Partners will span various sectors including grocery retailers, health professional associations, health care corporations, food manufacturers, agricultural producers and media outlets,” Rollins says.
While Rollins provided the technical details of the current standards rule, Carson shared the impact these stocking standards could have on SNAP recipients.
“We can make all kinds of rules and regulations and recommendations, but it’s the people who are on the front line — the retailers, the people who actually are in contact with the consumers — who can make a big difference,” he says.
Rollins says USDA will also issue updated guidelines for retailers and families that participate in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program and will work with Kennedy to develop a proposed school meals rule.
Rollins also signed four new SNAP restriction waivers for Kansas, Nevada, Ohio and Wyoming.
