When a customer presents a Lone Star card to pay for groceries, your business needs to be ready to use Texas food stamp program funds only for approved purchases.
Only retailers permitted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) can accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from the Texas food stamp program. Qualified retailers sell staple foods — the basic components of a healthy diet that are usually prepared at home.
Stores must meet one of two eligibility requirements to participate as SNAP retailers:
- Criterion A: staple food inventory
Most stores are permitted under this category, which requires three stocking units of three different varieties of each staple food category — a total of 36 staple food stocking units — on a continuous basis. The SNAP program defines stocking units as a can, bunch, box, bag, package, or other unit in which the food is usually sold.
The stocking units must include at least one perishable variety of food in two staple food categories. Perishable foods are defined as frozen, fresh, refrigerated, or unrefrigerated foods that would spoil or deteriorate significantly in two to three weeks. Food that doesn’t require refrigeration until after opening is not considered a perishable food.
- Criterion B: staple food sales
To qualify as a SNAP retailer under Criterion B, more than 50 percent of the store’s total gross retail sales must come from staple foods. Specialty stores, like butcher shops can be permitted under this criterion.
FNS may make exceptions for retailers that do not meet either Criterion A or B but are located in areas where consumers have limited access to food.
Texas Food Stamp Program Staple Foods
Examples of staple foods approved by SNAP include:
- Fruits and vegetables
Foods in this category include fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen vegetables, fruit juices, canned fruits and vegetables, dried fruits, and precut or bagged vegetables.
- Dairy products
Dairy staples eligible for purchases under the SNAP program include packaged or fresh deli-sliced cheese, milk, almond milk, butter, margarine, sour cream, yogurt, infant formula, and soy infant formula.
- Meat, poultry, and fish
Staple foods in the meat, poultry, and fish category include fresh or frozen meat, ground meat, deli-sliced meats, beef jerky, canned fish, fresh eggs, and liquid chicken egg whites.
- Bread and cereal
Examples of foods in this category include breads, pasta, tortillas, bagels, pitas, gluten-free breads and pastas, breakfast cereal, infant cereal, dinner rolls, sandwich buns, and rice.
A more extensive list of staple foods eligible for purchase through the SNAP program is included in this PDF from FNS.
Other Food Items Approved for Purchase
Texas-benefits.org adds that seeds and plants that produce food are also eligible for purchase through the Texas food stamp program. Additionally, snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages from the Accessory Foods List are approved for purchase using the Lone Star Card, including:
- Chips, pretzels, popcorn, and snack mixes
- Doughnuts, brownies, cakes, cookies, pastries, or prepackaged mixes for these types of baked goods.
- Candy and gum
- Ice cream, frozen yogurt, custard, and other frozen desserts
- Spices, flavorings, seasonings, and food additives
- Sugar and sweeteners
- Vegetable oils and shortening
- Ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and other condiments
- Gravy and bouillon
Items that SNAP Beneficiaries CANNOT Purchase with a Lone Star Card
Texas-benefits.org lists items that are not approved for purchase through the Texas food stamp program, including:
- Pet food
- Household products
- Medications or supplements
- Prepared foods, such as restaurant or fast food or prepared deli sandwiches
- Alcohol and tobacco
- Ornamental or inedible foods
- Live animals, except live fish and shellfish
Grocers’ Responsibility
SNAP retailers are legally responsible for how they and their teams apply funds to purchases. FNS provides training materials that help you comply with requirements, educate your team, and fight fraud.
It’s also essential that your point of sale (POS) system recognizes items from your inventory as either SNAP-eligible or ineligible. This feature of your POS system will remove the burden of determining which items are SNAP approved from your cashiers, eliminate human error, and keep your business in compliance with the program.
To learn more about managing Texas food stamp purchases, contact GBT.