I have written a lot of posts about school food because dairy is such an important part of the school food environment, but there is another important federal nutrition program that has been getting a lot of attention lately. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the new name for a longstanding program, formerly known as Food Stamps. Nearly 45 million Americans participated in SNAP during 2011, and the funds provided through the program can be used to purchase most foods in grocery stores, including all types of dairy foods.

Background on SNAP

Americans of all ages, including preschool children and the elderly, can benefit from SNAP. The program assists with funds to help families afford a balanced, healthy diet. With the rough economy over the past few years, more Americans qualify for and use SNAP benefits. SNAP participants can use the funds to purchase a variety of foods in grocery stores and other retail stores. Milk, yogurt, cheese and ice cream can all be purchased through SNAP. According to a report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in April, milk and yogurt are one of the largest expenditures through SNAP, about 7.6 percent of all food expenditures.

Possible Changes

Currently there are very few restrictions on foods or beverages that may be purchased with SNAP funds. Generally, ready-to-eat foods or restaurant foods are not allowed. But there is some interest in the public health community to limit the types of foods that can be purchased through SNAP. In 2010, New York City requested a waiver from USDA to ban sugar sweetened beverages from SNAP purchases, but USDA denied this waiver. A similar request from the state of Minnesota to exclude soda and candy from SNAP was also denied by USDA. An Institute of Medicine committee is currently reviewing the funding required for SNAP to provide adequate levels of healthy food. While the goal of the committee is not to make recommendations about foods and beverages allowed through SNAP purchases, the idea of limits has already been raised in committee discussions and could come forward into the final report, which is expected later this year. While limiting foods sold through SNAP would seem to have positive benefits on the nutritional intake of SNAP participants, there is no proof that it would have an impact. And there are definitely concerns that limitations could increase the stigma of SNAP, making the program less attractive and reducing its effectiveness on reducing hunger. For dairy processors, banning soda would seem to benefit milk by reducing beverage competition. However, if limiting foods begins, who identifies the foods that are to be restricted and what criteria do they use? Would the same flavored milk argument that has arisen in schools be brought into retail stores? Along with the question of food restrictions, the possible outcomes of these restrictions are still unresolved.