The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said new food stocking standards for retailers that accept SNAP will take effect Wednesday, Nov. 4. It did not grant the six-month delay that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani requested in a letter sent Monday, Nov. 2. Retailers that fail to meet the standards will lose their eligibility to accept SNAP and cannot reapply for six months.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said Tuesday, Nov. 3, that new food stocking standards for retailers that accept SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) will take effect as scheduled on Wednesday, Nov. 4. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Monday, Nov. 2, asking her to postpone implementation by six months, until May 4, 2027, but the request was not granted. According to amNewYork, the USDA said the standards will expand food choices for SNAP recipients.
Under the new standards, finalized in May, most SNAP retailers must stock at least seven varieties in each of four categories: dairy, grains, proteins, and fruits and vegetables. The previous requirement was three varieties per category. The number of categories that must include perishable foods also rises from two to three or more, and stores must keep at least three items in stock for each variety, for a total of at least 84. Butter, jerky, snack bars and fruit spreads are excluded from the stocking calculation, but they can still be purchased with SNAP.
The USDA said that even though the standards apply starting Nov. 4, stores will be evaluated when they apply for or renew SNAP eligibility. Existing retailers generally go through reauthorization review every five years, but the USDA can reassess eligibility at any time. A retailer that loses eligibility for failing to meet the standards can reapply only after six months. The USDA did not immediately respond to amNewYork's follow-up question about whether violators will be given a chance to correct problems.
New York City has about 10,000 bodegas (small neighborhood grocery stores) and corner stores, and many lack display space and refrigeration equipment. Store owners argue they did not have enough time to prepare, saying the USDA's implementation guidance was not released until Sept. 4 and that a tool for calculating compliance and additional guidance continued to come out through October, leaving little time to check product lists, secure suppliers, rearrange shelves and buy refrigerators. More than 100 store owners have voiced concerns to City Hall. Bodega associations estimated that SNAP payments account for 15% to 20% of sales at typical stores and as much as 30% at some stores in the Bronx.
The USDA countered that Congress called for stricter stocking standards in 2014 and that previous administrations failed to enforce them properly. Specialty retailers such as butcher shops, fish markets and produce stands are exempt from the new standards. About 1.6 million people in New York City receive SNAP, with annual benefits exceeding $5 billion. The USDA also mentioned a September crackdown on SNAP fraud targeting 170 New York City retailers, but that matter is unrelated to the new stocking standards.