Over the next several months, your store will be reviewed for eligibility to continue to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. This is a reminder about requirements needed to accept SNAP EBT.
As a part of this review, an inspector may visit your store. You are responsible for ensuring that your store can meet the requirements to participate in SNAP.
To stay in SNAP your store must meet Criterion A or Criterion B.
What is Criterion A?
- You always need at least 3 staple food items for 3 staple food varieties in each of the 4 staple food categories.
- You always need perishable staple food varieties in at least 2 staple food categories.
- This means you always need 36 staple food items, including 6 perishable staple food items.
- For example, a store with the following food on its shelves would meet Criterion A. Note that this is an example and not the only combination of items that would meet requirements:
| Vegetables or Fruit | Meat, Poultry, or Fish | Dairy Products | Breads or Cereals |
| 3 cans of tomatoes | 3 cans of tuna fish | 3 containers of milk1 | 3 boxes of cereal |
| 3 boxes of raisins | 3 cartons of eggs1 | 3 packages of cheese1 | 3 bags of rice |
| 3 cans of peaches | 3 cans of chicken | 3 containers of yogurt1 | 3 boxes of oatmeal |
1 indicates perishable staple foods
What is Criterion B?
- More than 50 percent of your sales must come from the sale of staple foods.
- Stores that meet Criterion B are usually specialty stores, like butcher shops that sell primarily meat and poultry.
- For example, a store with the following sales would meet Criterion B:
| Staple Food Sales | Nonfood Sales | Accessory Food Sales | Total Sales |
| $60,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | = $100,000 |
| 60% | 20% | 20% | = 100% |
Staple Foods ARE
The basic foods that make up most of a person’s diet. They are usually prepared at home and eaten as a meal. These are the 4 categories of staple foods:
- Vegetables or Fruits (like potatoes, apples, and spinach);
- Meat, Poultry, or Fish (like beef, salmon, and pork);
- Dairy Products (like milk, yogurt, and cheese); and,
- Breads or Cereals (like breat, flour, and rice).
Staple Foods ARE NOT
- Desserts and other accessory foods (like mayo, chips, and soda);
- Nonfood products (like gasoline, alcohol, and tobacco).