FNA receives questions from the retailer community about meeting the updated stocking standards requirements and posts answers to frequently asked questions on this page. Additional questions can be sent to FNA for response at RPMDHQ-Web@usda.gov.
Dairy
- Is flavored shelf-stable milk a separate variety from plain shelf-stable liquid milk?
No. Both flavored shelf-stable liquid milk and plain shelf-stable liquid milk count as a liquid shelf-stable milk variety. All shelf-stable liquid milk products count as one variety.
- Does the size of the container matter for SNAP stocking requirements? For example, does a 12 oz. bottle of chocolate milk qualify under the dairy category?
The size of the container does not matter. Any size container of liquid flavored milk counts as a staple food. If it is perishable, it counts as a multi-ingredient (flavored) perishable liquid milk variety. If it is shelf-stable, it counts as a shelf-stable liquid milk variety. To count individual bottles as separate stocking units, each bottle must be intended for individual sale.
- Is cottage cheese shredded cheese?
No. Cottage cheese counts as a non-shredded cheese variety.
- Does cottage cheese with fruit count as a separate variety from plain cottage cheese?
No. Both plain cottage cheese and cottage cheese with fruit count as a non-shredded cheese variety. The addition of flavorings or other ingredients does not change the variety.
- Is cubed cheese a shredded cheese variety?
No. Cubed cheese counts as a non-shredded cheese variety.
- Is cream cheese a non-shredded cheese variety, a food with a main ingredient of cream, or an accessory food?
Cheese spreads and dips are accessory foods. Cheese that is creamed and is packaged in a tub, jar, can, or packet is an accessory food cheese spread. This means that cream cheese in a tub would be an accessory cheese spread while a cream cheese block would be a non-shredded cheese variety.
- Does plain perishable liquid lactose-free milk count as a dairy variety?
Yes, plain perishable liquid lactose-free milk counts as a plain perishable liquid milk variety in the dairy staple food category. There is no distinction under the stocking standards rule between regular milk and lactose-free milk.
- How do I count plant-based milk alternatives toward the stocking standards?
Plant-based dairy alternatives are broken into the same varieties as dairy from mammals. For example, there are four possible varieties for plant-based milk: plain perishable liquid, flavored perishable liquid, shelf-stable liquid, and shelf-stable dried/powdered. You can also have a plant-based variety for the other dairy varieties, such as shredded cheese, non-shredded cheese, non-liquid yogurt, etc. However, you may only count up to three plant-based dairy varieties towards the stocking requirements.
- Does shelf-stable shredded parmesan cheese count as shredded cheese?
Yes. Shelf-stable shredded parmesan cheese counts as a shredded cheese variety.
Grains
- Is oatmeal a breakfast cereal variety or an oat grain variety?
Uncooked plain oats, such as plain rolled oats or plain quick-cook oats, count as a raw oat grain variety. Flavored cooked or uncooked oatmeal counts as a multi-ingredient oat grain variety.
- Does plain instant rice count as a raw grain?
Plain instant rice counts as a single-ingredient rice grain variety.
- Does a microwaveable package of rice with less than 2 percent of other ingredients, such as canola oil, count as a single-ingredient rice or as multi-ingredient rice?
A microwaveable package of rice with other ingredients counts as multi-ingredient rice grain variety.
- Are flour tortillas part of the bread variety, or are they a multi-ingredient food with a main ingredient of wheat flour?
Flour tortillas count as either a whole grain or non-whole grain bread variety.
- What variety do corn tortillas and whole wheat tortillas fall under?
Corn tortillas count as either a whole grain bread variety if made from ground whole corn (whole corn or whole grain corn flour) or as a non-whole grain bread variety if made with refined corn flour (masa flour). Both whole wheat tortillas and whole grain corn tortillas count as one whole grain bread variety.
- Are brown rice and white rice a single variety of raw rice grains?
Yes. Raw brown and white rice both count as a one single-ingredient rice grain variety.
- Do frozen dinner rolls fall under bread, or as a multi-ingredient food with a main ingredient of wheat flour?
Frozen dinner rolls that have wheat flour as the main ingredient and are not fully cooked are wheat dough, which counts as a multi-ingredient wheat flour variety. If they are frozen and fully cooked, then they count as a whole grain or non-whole grain bread variety.
- Are hamburger and hotdog buns bread or a multi-ingredient food with a main ingredient of wheat flour?
Hamburger and hotdog buns are a kind of bread. They count as a whole grain bread variety if they contain whole grains or as a non-whole grain bread variety if they do not contain whole grains.
- Are corn meal and corn tortillas the same variety?
No. Corn meal counts as a corn flour variety, and corn tortillas count as whole grain bread variety.
- Are whole grain bagels part of the whole grain bread variety, or separate?
Whole grain bagels count as the same variety as whole grain bread.
- Is semolina flour pasta a separate variety from the non-whole grain pasta variety?
Semolina flour pasta counts as a non-whole grain pasta/noodle variety.
- What variety is chicken noodle soup that has noodles as the main component?
Chicken noodle soup with a main component of noodles made with non-whole grain flour counts as a non-whole grain pasta/noodle variety. If the noodles are made with whole grain flour, the soup counts as a whole grain pasta/noodle variety.
- How can I determine the variety for a multi-ingredient food with bread and pepperoni, such as frozen stuffed turnovers or bagel bites?
The variety is determined by the main ingredient, which is the first ingredient, or the second ingredient if the first ingredient is water or broth. If the main component is a non-whole grain bagel or bread, then the food counts as a non-whole grain bread variety. If the main component is pepperoni made from pork, then it counts as a multi-ingredient pork variety.
- Is boxed macaroni and cheese a pasta variety or a multi-ingredient food with a main ingredient of wheat flour?
Boxed macaroni and cheese with a main component of non-whole grain pasta or noodles counts as a non-whole grain pasta/noodle variety. If it contains whole grains, it counts as a whole grain pasta/noodle variety.
Protein
- Do cold, peeled, hardboiled eggs count as shell eggs?
Cold, peeled hardboiled eggs with no other ingredients are all single ingredient eggs, which count as a shell egg variety.
- What variety is a liquid whole egg product?
Liquid whole egg products usually include a preservative. Such products count as a multi-ingredient egg variety.
- What variety are liquid egg whites?
Liquid egg whites that do not include any additional ingredients count as single ingredient eggs, which count as a shell egg variety. If they contain additional ingredients, they count as a multi-ingredient egg variety.
- What variety is an omelet wrap if its first ingredient is eggs and it contains other ingredients?
An omelet wrap with a first ingredient of eggs, plus other ingredients, counts as a multi-ingredient egg variety.
- Are canned and dried beans one or two varieties?
Canned beans count as a multi-ingredient bean variety. Dried beans with no other ingredients count as a separate dry beans variety.
- Are dry black, pinto, kidney and Great Northern beans all the same variety?
Yes. Dry black, pinto, kidney and Great Northern beans are all stocking units in the dry beans variety.
- Are dry chickpeas or garbanzo beans part of the dry beans or peas variety?
Dry chickpeas and dry garbanzo beans count as a dry beans variety.
- Do green peas count as a vegetable, separate from dried peas such as split peas?
All peas count as a peas variety in the protein staple food category.
- Does jarred baby food with a main ingredient of chicken count in the protein variety?
A jarred baby food with a main ingredient of chicken counts as a shelf-stable chicken variety.
- Do sliced deli meats count as a single ingredient perishable meat, or do the preservatives and other ingredients count as additional ingredients?
Single ingredient foods do not contain any additional ingredients, except fortifying vitamins. Sliced deli meats with preservatives or other ingredients count as perishable multi-ingredient meat. For example, turkey lunch meat counts as perishable multi-ingredient turkey variety.
- How do I determine the main ingredient of a perishable product with multiple ingredients when the first ingredient is a blend of two meats, such as frozen meatloaf that has a beef and pork blend as the first ingredient?
If the main ingredient listed is “beef and pork blend,” it counts a perishable multi-ingredient beef variety because “beef” is listed first.
- Are almonds, cashews, and seeds three separate varieties?
No, all nuts and seeds count as one nuts/seeds variety. Examples include cashews, roasted almonds, sunflower seeds, and peanut butter.
Vegetables or Fruits
- Is a bagged salad kit with lettuce as the first ingredient a prepared food or a staple food?
A pre-packaged salad kit with lettuce as the main ingredient counts as a staple food; specifically, a lettuce variety.
- Does salad put together and packaged by the retailer onsite count toward the stocking requirements?
If the salad is prepared by the retailer onsite, it is a prepared food, which does not count as a staple food. Prepared food is food that the retailer makes ready onsite for immediate consumption by assembling, cooking, mixing, or otherwise making ready unless it is bread.
- Do raisins and dried apricots count in the vegetables or fruits staple food category, or are they accessory foods?
Dried fruit counts as the variety of the fruit that it is unless the main ingredient is an accessory food. Raisins count as a grape variety, and dried apricots count as an apricot variety. However, fruit chips are defined as an accessory food.
Accessory Foods
- How do I identify the first ingredient of a food with multiple components that each have their own ingredients? For example, what is the first ingredient in a package of lunch meat or chicken salad with crackers and cheese?
If the main component (i.e., the food component listed first) on the ingredients list is an accessory food, like crackers, the entire package counts as an accessory food, which does not count towards the staple food stocking requirements. If the main component is a staple food, the entire package counts as a staple food stocking unit. For example, if the main component is deli meat with turkey listed as the first ingredient for the deli meat, the package counts as a perishable, multi-ingredient turkey variety.
- Do banana chips and apple chips count in the vegetables or fruits staple food category, or are they accessory foods?
Fruit chips and other chip-style fruit products are accessory foods, which do not count towards the staple food stocking requirements. However, not all dried fruit products are considered chips or snack foods. Dried fruits that remain identifiable as fruits, such as raisins and dates, generally count as fruit varieties within the fruits and vegetables staple food category.