What food stamp recipients can buy
By From staff reports
Published in News on October 27, 2013 1:50 AM
What recipients can buy:
Food stamps can be used to purchase foods for the household to eat. That includes breads and cereals, fruits and vegetables, meats, fish, poultry and dairy products.
* Seeds and plants which produce food for the household to eat are eligible as well.
* Also eligible are ice cream, cookies, candy, soft drinks, snack crackers and bakery cakes. Special occasion cakes, such as birthday cakes, are eligible provided that the value of any non-edible decorations does not exceed 50 percent of the cake's purchase price.
* Energy drinks are eligible if they have a nutrition facts label on them. However, energy drinks with a supplement facts label are classified as supplements by the FDA and are not eligible.
* In some areas, restaurants can be authorized to accept the benefits from qualified homeless, elderly, or disabled people in exchange for low-cost meals.
Items that are not eligible for purchase include:
* Alcohol or food products that contain alcohol
* Tobacco products
* Items not intended for human consumption, such as paper products, pet foods, soaps, household supplies, etc.
* Foods sold hot at the point-of-sale or that food that will be eaten in the store
* Vitamins and supplements and medicines.