Food PAC

February 1, 2017

Updates

Updates

• Policy Updates (Legislative or

within organization)

• Program Updates

• Event/Other Announcements

How SNAP Retailer Regulations

Impact Food Deserts

Holly Freishtat

Food Policy Director

Holly.Freishtat@baltimorecity.gov

February 1, 2017

5

BFPI Overview

Improve health outcomes by

increasing access to healthy

affordable food in food

deserts in Baltimore City

Food Policy Taskforce Recommendations

Food Desert Definition: • ¼ mile from supermarket

• Low vehicle availability

• At or below 185% federal poverty

level

• Low Healthy Food Availability

Score

Impact: • 25% City residents

• 30% School aged children

• 25% Seniors

• Black residents 4x more likely to

live in a food desert than White

residents

2015 Food Environment Map

2015 Retail Food Environment

Store Type Number Average

HFAI

score

Supermarkets 45 27

Corner Stores 435 9.8

Convenience Stores 300 6.3

Public Markets 6 16.7

Supplemental Nutrition

Assistance Program (SNAP)

SNAP Eligibility

% SNAP Expenditure

Summary

50 Staple Foods: meat, produce,

dairy, grains

22 Candy, sweetened beverages,

deserts, salty snacks

23 Frozen prepared foods,

prepared foods, condiments,

fats and oils

SNAP Household Expenditure

% SNAP Retail Sales

80 Supermarkets & Superstores

20 Corner & Convenience Stores

SNAP Retailer Standards

Final Rule

Definitions

Retail Store- Prepared Food Threshold

• At least 50% of total food sales must be for items

that are NOT cooked or heated on-site before or

after purchase

Staple Foods- Multiple Ingredients

• Counted in one staple food category

Stocking Requirements

• Increased staple food stocking from 12-84 items

SNAP New Stocking Requirements:

MEAT/POULTRY/FISH BREAD/CEREAL

VEGETABLES/FRUITS DAIRY

Potential Impact

SNAP Baseline (2016 Data)

# Varieties of

Whole Foods

Dairy Fresh

Vegetables

Fresh

Produce

0 5% 61.7 % 46.7 %

1-5 72% 35.8 % 47.8 %

6-7+ 23% 2.5 % 5.5 %

• 829 Corner & Convenience stores surveys

• 561 corners and convenience stores accept

SNAP currently (68%)

Considerations Issues:

• Stores must carry wide variety of food items to keep

SNAP benefits but residents do not need to buy them

• Distribution – stores may need to change how they

buy and order perishable products

Questions:

• How can the city use these federal requirements to

help increase healthy food availability scores

• How can community support stores and provide

feedback on what types of food to stock

• How to reach out to retailers so they are prepared

Other SNAP Issues

SNAP Impact in Food Deserts

1. Online SNAP Benefits

• Baltimarket Virtual Supermarket

• 2014 Farm Bill

• 2016 Online SNAP Pilot

2. SNAP Retailer Redemption Data

• State aggregated data is public

• Retailer and City Specific will be made

public

3. State SNAP Disbursement

• Changed from 10-20 days

Conclusion:

Thank You

For More Information Please Contact:

Holly Freishtat

Baltimore City Food Policy Director

Holly.freishtat@baltimorecity.gov

443-928-3477

Discussion

• Station 1: SNAP Enhanced Retailer Standards

• Station 2: Urban Agriculture and The

Sustainability Plan

• Station 3: Cooking Coach Apprentice

Training, Five Times a Feast

• Station 4: Nutrition Education Program,

Maryland Farmers Market Association