From November 4, 2026, a store that takes SNAP under the usual stocking test, Criterion A, has to keep at least seven varieties of staple food in each of four categories: protein, grains, vegetables or fruits, and dairy, 28 in all, with three units of each on the shelf and a perishable variety in at least three of the categories. The numbers have been in the rules since 2016 but weren't enforced; USDA's 2026 rule settles how varieties are counted and when they apply. What counts is narrower than food: accessory foods, chips, candy, cookies, muffins, soda, coffee, condiments, jam, honey, cooking oil, butter and jerky, never count, and brands, flavors and sizes of the same food are one variety. A store whose staple foods are more than half its sales can qualify under Criterion B instead. New stores are checked when they apply and current stores at reauthorization, though FNS can check at any time. In the example below, a Maine corner store counts its shelves.
The short version
- From November 4, 2026: seven varieties in each of four staple categories, 28 in all.
- Three units of each variety on the shelf, 84 at least.
- A perishable variety in at least three of the four categories.
- Accessory foods never count: snacks, sweets, most drinks, condiments, oils, butter, jerky.
- Brands, flavors and sizes of one food are one variety.
- Or Criterion B: staple foods more than half of sales.
- TaroStack keeps every item counted and every delivery dated. More below.
What counts
| Category | Counts, as separate varieties | Doesn't count |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | Shell eggs; fresh chicken, beef or fish, one variety for each animal; canned tuna; dry beans, peas and lentils; peanut butter and other nuts; tofu | Jerky and meat sticks |
| Grains | Bread, whole grain bread, pasta, breakfast cereal, rice, oats, flour for each grain, corn tortillas | Muffins, doughnuts, cookies, crackers, pretzels, chips |
| Vegetables or fruits | One variety for each kind of plant: apples, bananas, potatoes, canned corn, frozen peas | Fruit chips, jam, salsa |
| Dairy | Milk, shelf-stable milk, cheese, shredded cheese, yogurt, sour cream, plant-based milks up to three | Butter, ice cream, whipped cream |
What a corner store sells and keeps is in convenience store profit margin, and counting the shelves in convenience store inventory spreadsheet.
The rules
| Rule | Where |
|---|---|
| Criterion A | Seven varieties in each of four staple categories, three stocking units of each, and a perishable variety in three categories, offered continuously (7 CFR 278.1(b)(1)(ii)) |
| Recent deliveries | Stock ordered or received up to 21 calendar days before a store visit counts, with invoices or receipts (278.1(b)(1)(ii)(B)) |
| Counting varieties | By kind of plant or animal, or a multi-ingredient food's main ingredient, its first ingredient other than water, broth or stock; brands, flavors, packaging, cuts and sizes are one variety (278.1(b)(1)(ii)(C)) |
| Criterion B | More than 50 percent of total gross retail sales in staple foods (278.1(b)(1)(iii)) |
| Categories and eligible foods | Protein, grains, vegetables or fruits, and dairy; hot foods prepared for immediate consumption aren't eligible (7 CFR 271.2) |
| Dates | Effective July 7, 2026, implemented by November 4, 2026; current stores checked at reauthorization or at any time (FNS final rule) |
This is general information, not legal advice.
An example: a corner store's count
Penobscot Corner Store, the made-up corner store in Bangor, Maine, I use in these examples, sells drinks, snacks, dairy, bread and local products, and takes SNAP. Staple foods are well under half its sales, so it qualifies under Criterion A. Its owner counted the shelves in October:
| Category | Counted before | Added | Now | Perishable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 4: eggs, peanut butter, canned tuna, hot dogs; the beef jerky doesn't count | Dry black beans, canned chicken, tofu | 7 | Hot dogs, tofu |
| Grains | 4: white bread, breakfast cereal, pasta, rice; the local bakery's muffins don't count | Whole grain bread, oats, corn tortillas | 7 | |
| Vegetables or fruits | 5: bananas, apples, canned corn, canned tomatoes, canned peaches | Potatoes, frozen peas | 7 | Bananas, apples, potatoes, frozen peas |
| Dairy | 3: milk, sliced cheese, yogurt; butter and ice cream don't count | Shredded cheese, sour cream, oat milk, shelf-stable milk | 7 | Milk, yogurt, sour cream |
Twelve varieties short in October, the store added them over two deliveries, three of each on the shelf, and keeps the invoices, since stock received in the 21 days before a visit counts. The local blueberry jam and honey stay, but neither counts: jams and sweeteners are accessory foods. The coffee bar's hot drinks aren't SNAP-eligible at all. Opening a store like this is in how to open a small grocery store.
Get the checker
Download the SNAP stocking checker. Two sheets. Stock: each staple variety, its category, the units on the shelf, whether it's perishable and whether it's an accessory food; whether it counts fills in. Summary: varieties that count in each category against seven, perishable categories against three, and whether the store meets Criterion A. It's an ordinary Excel file with no macros, and it works in Google Sheets, LibreOffice and Numbers.
Where this stops working
The checker counts one day's shelf. A slow week sells the last tofu, a delivery comes short, and a variety that counted on Monday is gone by Friday, the day the visit comes.
How TaroStack does it
TaroStack keeps every item counted and every delivery dated, so a short shelf shows before a store visit does.
Counts by item. Each item is counted in its own units, so three on the shelf is on record.
A reorder list. Items come up to reorder in days of cover, worked out from how fast they go, so the last tofu is reordered before it's gone.
Receiving with dates. Each delivery is received with its supplier and date, so what came in over the last three weeks is on record.
| The job | Notebook | In TaroStack |
|---|---|---|
| Three of each on the shelf | Walk the aisles | Counts by item |
| When to reorder | When it's gone | A reorder list in days of cover |
| Deliveries in the last 21 days | A folder of invoices | Receiving with dates |
Counts, reorder lists and receiving are on every plan, from $49 a month. The first 30 days are free, with no credit card. If you'd like a hand setting up, ask, and we'll do it with you.