Spray cheese would count as food stamp staple under Trump administration proposal

[DonViejo]

BY CAITLIN O'KANE

MAY 31, 2019 / 12:13 PM / CBS NEWS

A new policy proposed by the Trump administration would allow foods like spray cheese to be considered "staples" for federal food stamps. Staple foods are important to the food stamps program, officially known as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), as regulations require SNAP retailers to stock a certain number of these food staples.

Loosening the rules would allow more retailers like convenience stores to accept SNAP benefits, even if they don't carry much in the way of fresh or healthy food.

A 2001 rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) required stores that take SNAP to carry a variety of foods in each of the four "staple food" categories: Meat, poultry, or fish; dairy products; bread or cereals; and vegetables or fruits. The stores must also carry at least one perishable item in at least two of the categories.

Under the new proposal, which was introduced in April, canned spray cheese or canned cheese dipping sauce would count as a dairy, pimento-stuffed olives would count as a vegetable or fruit, and beef jerky would count as a meat.

more
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-administration-proposal-would-count-spray-cheese-beef-jerky-staple-foods/

[yonder]

2. Didn't the Reagan administration consider ketchup to be a vegetable?

I wonder if it still is?

[NightWatcher]

7. That was when people complained that school lunches were unhealthy

Repukes have been assholes for DECADES!!!!

[comradebillyboy]

3. Food elitists want to dictate poor people's food choices.

[bdamomma]

4. spray cheese

yes, more chemicals for Americans to eat, what bastards.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

6. People could already purchase spray cheese with SNAP benefits.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

5. Y'all, this is a change on the retailer side, not the consumer side. It makes it possible for people

to use SNAP in more locations. People could already buy spray cheese or beef jerky with SNAP benefits. What this change does is administratively classify spray cheese as a staple, because stores have to carry a certain number of "staples" to accept SNAP benefits. This makes it easier to use SNAP benefits at convenience stores. Is it the result of heavy lobbying from convenience stores? Yes. Will it increase their profits? Yes. Will it make it easier for people to use SNAP benefits at stores that are convenient to them? Yes, and so it works for me, for now, until we improve how we distribute and sell food in this country.

[VOX]

8. Spray cheese, or as 45 calls it, "after-shave lotion."

For that ruddy, outdoorsy, signal-orange glow.