The USDA Food and Nutrition Service is trialing contactless SNAP payments in Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri and Oklahoma that will allow users to pay via their mobile devices as opposed to using their physical SNAP cards. "We want to ensure SNAP leverages the latest technology to improve access to benefits, reduce fraud, and provide a better overall experience for the families we serve," said Stacy Dean, USDA deputy undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services. Full Story: Progressive Grocer

Supermarket Employee Day is a time for the food industry to recognize employees at every level for the work they do feeding families and enriching lives.

It can be simple to acknowledge and celebrate your employees for their hard work.

• Highlight employees' achievements on social media with #CelebratingIowaGrocers and #SupermarketEmployeeDay
• Share infographics or boost posts from the IGIA and FMI to help spread the word of Supermarket Employee Day across Iowa communities
• Treat employees to lunch, treats, or Supermarket Employee Day merch
• Send a card or give an award to standout members of your team
• Find more ideas to celebrate and appreciate here

Click here to view Proclamation

Kraft Heinz's fourth-quarter net dollar sales grew 10%, and the company projects 2023's organic sales to increase 4% to 6% year over year with no additional pricing action planned for North America, Europe, Latin America and much of Asia this year, said CEO Miguel Patricio. 

Full Story: The Wall Street Journal 

Existing regulations from USDA-FSIS require that all facilities that grind beef maintain records regarding the source materials. Records must also indicate cleaning and sanitation practices. Although this rule has been around for more than seven years, FSIS still finds retailers that are not aware of the requirements or that have not implemented them correctly. Learn more here.

As a result of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, there will be a new Summer EBT program, along with changes to SNAP benefits.. The SNAP emergency allotments (EAs) will end nationwide after the February 2023 benefit month, though in Missouri SNAP emergency allotment ended December 31, 2022. That means in March 2023, SNAP benefit amounts will be returning to normal for all SNAP households. Under the new guidance, states are not allowed to issue EA benefits for a phase-out month after benefit month February 2023, which was in previous guidance when EAs were to end after the public health emergency expires. This will be an impactful change for many SNAP households in those states still issuing EAs that will see their benefits dropping by $95 or more in some cases. Please read the SNAP benefit Changes 2023 FAQs for more information about the changes, which includes both SNAP and Social Security benefit changes. 

Guidance for the Summer EBT for Children (SEBTC) program, which will be a permanent, nationwide program, is still under development. FMI is reaching out to USDA to learn more information about when the program will start, if states will have to apply or if the benefits will be automatic and eligibility guidelines for children. USDA has repurposed a landing page for the SEBTC program which currently contains information from the 2018/2019 demonstration pilots, however it appears that this is where the new program information will be posted when available. Once we have additional clarity on this program, we will send out the information. 

Resources:

• SNAP Emergency Allotment Provisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 Letter to State Agencies
• Changes to SNAP Benefit Amounts 2023 Memo and FAQs – Will be updated with additional information and resources as they become available 
• Summer EBT for Children (SEBTC) Page (not updated yet, more information to come)

As nationwide staffing shortages and labor challenges impede retailers, Schnucks reports year-over-year growth in its number of employees thanks, in part, to a new flexible employment option.

Lawmakers reconvened in Jefferson City on Wednesday for the start of the 2023 legislative session. This year's agenda includes a renewed effort to legalize sports betting in the state and a push to raise starting pay for teachers. Also, Missouri's $6 billion budget surplus has new House Speaker Dean Plocher eyeing additional tax cuts. Plocher has not outlined a specific plan, but he sees more room to slash income, sales or personal property tax rates following nearly $800 million in cuts approved by lawmakers in September.

In a 10-minute speech in the Senate, new President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, asked members to consider their place in history and to reject the factional splits that undermined the chamber’s work in 2022.

In anticipation of FDA's publication of the Food Traceability Final Rule (FSMA Section 204), our partners at FMI will be hosting a digital seminar on Thursday, Dec. 1, at 2:00 PM ET to discuss the elements in the final rule, review what has changed and begin the discussion about regulation implementation. We welcome attendees to register to join the discussion. The digital seminar will be recorded and available in the FMI archives after the event. Register here.

The rule aims to establish additional traceability recordkeeping requirements for persons who manufacture, process, pack or hold foods the FDA has designated for inclusion on the Food Traceability List (FTL). Specifically, the rule requires these entities to establish and maintain records containing Key Data Elements (KDEs) associated with different Critical Tracking Events (CTEs). The compliance date for all persons subject to the recordkeeping requirements is Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026.