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Convenience Stores Warn of SNAP Access Risk · GNN Daily Breaking News

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  Speaker 1: A brewing fight over nutrition standards has convenience store operators
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  Speaker 1: warning that a new federal healthy food rule could jeopardize
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  Speaker 1: access to food stamps for millions of Americans. The regulation,
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  Speaker 1: proposed by the Department of Agriculture, would tighten requirements on
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  Speaker 1: what retailers must stock in order to remain eligible to
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  Speaker 1: accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, benefits. Under the rule,
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  Speaker 1: stores would be required to carry a wider variety of fruits, vegetables,
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  Speaker 1: whole grains, and dairy products. The goal, officials say, is
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  Speaker 1: to ensure that low-income families using SNAP have access to
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  Speaker 1: healthier options, even in areas where supermarkets are scarce. But
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  Speaker 1: convenience store owners argue the mandate is unrealistic, pointing to
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  Speaker 1: limited shelf space, higher spoilage rates, and supply chain challenges.
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  Speaker 1: Industry groups warn that thousands of small stores, particularly in
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  Speaker 1: rural and inner-city neighborhoods, could be forced out of the
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  Speaker 1: SNAP program if they cannot meet the new standards. That,
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  Speaker 1: they say, would reduce access to food for families who
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  Speaker 1: rely on corner stores as their primary source of groceries.
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  Speaker 1: This rule could unintentionally punish the very communities it's meant
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  Speaker 1: to help, one trade association said. Public health advocates counter
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  Speaker 1: that the changes are necessary. They argue that SNAP should
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  Speaker 1: not subsidize diets dominated by processed foods and sugary drinks
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  Speaker 1: and that requiring healthier options will improve long-term health outcomes.
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  Speaker 1: Nutrition experts note that obesity, diabetes, and heart disease disproportionately
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  Speaker 1: affect low-income households, making access to healthier food critical. The
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  Speaker 1: debate reflects a broader tension between food policy and economic reality.
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  Speaker 1: While supermarkets can easily meet the requirements, convenience stores operate
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  Speaker 1: on thin margins and often lack refrigeration or distribution networks
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  Speaker 1: for fresh produce. Lawmakers from agricultural states have voiced concern,
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  Speaker 1: warning that the rule could deepen food deserts rather than
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  Speaker 1: eliminate them. For families, the stakes are high. SNAP benefits
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  Speaker 1: are a lifeline for more than 40 million Americans, and
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  Speaker 1: losing access at local stores could mean longer travel times,
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  Speaker 1: higher costs, and reduced food security. As the USDA weighs
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  Speaker 1: final implementation, the controversy underscores the challenge of balancing nutrition
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  Speaker 1: goals with practical access. The outcome will determine not only
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  Speaker 1: what families can buy with food stamps, but also how
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  Speaker 1: communities across the country experience the intersection of health, poverty,
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  Speaker 1: and policy.