City of Minneapolis Request for Committee Action RCA #: RCA-2018-01165 TO COMMITTEE(S): # Committee Name Meeting Date Submission Deadline 1 Public Health, Environment, Civil Oct 15, 2018 Oct 5, 2018 Rights, and Engagement Committee FROM: Health Department LEAD Josh Schaffer - Manager, Health PRESENTED Kristen Klingler - Senior Public STAFF: Administration x2088 BY: Health Specialist x 2910 SUBJECT: Staple Food Ordinance presentation ACTION ITEM(S) Public # File Type Subcategory Item Description Hearing 1 Receive & File Presentation Receiving and filing a presentation No regarding changes to the Staple Food Ordinance from the Minneapolis Health Department. PREVIOUS ACTIONS 2015-00471 - Staple Food Ordinance Research Project Grant 11/4/16 10/24/14
WARD / NEIGHBORHOOD /ADDRESS # Ward Neighborhood Address 1. All Wards BACKGROUND ANALYSIS Background: In Minneapolis, low-income residents and communities of color experience disproportionately high rates of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and other health issues. One contributing factor to these disparities is poor nutrition. Knowing what healthy foods to eat is important, but having access to healthy food options matters too. While it’s easy to find healthy foods at a supermarket, in the Twin Cities Metro area, an estimated 991,177 residents live more than one mile from a large grocery store, supermarket, or supercenter.[1] As well, many areas that lack healthy food retailers are also oversaturated with fast-food restaurants, liquor stores, and other sources of inexpensive, processed food with little to no nutritional value.[2] Lack of access to fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and other foods low in fat, sodium, and sugar can be a significant barrier for individuals and families trying to achieve overall good health and to prevent chronic disease. Over the last decade, the City of Minneapolis has implemented a variety of evidence-based strategies to ensure that people have access to affordable, high quality, nutritious foods such as: • Increasing the acceptance of SNAP/EBT food assistance benefits at farmers markets; • Facilitating access to mobile grocery stores in areas of low food access; • Promoting urban agriculture through zoning code amendments; and • Adopting healthy food standards in government buildings. The Minneapolis “staple foods ordinance” (Minneapolis Code of Ordinances Title 10 Chapter 203: Grocery Stores) is one part of this comprehensive approach. The ordinance, originally adopted in 2008 and significantly revised in 2014, sets minimum stocking standards for licensed grocery stores in the city. Currently, licensed grocery stores in Minneapolis – including supermarkets and co-ops, as well as most corner stores, gas stations, discount stores, pharmacies and general retailers – must stock a minimum quantity and variety of foods in ten categories including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and proteins. These requirements, based on the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program standards and aligned with the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, ensure that residents can find healthier options regardless of where they shop. Since the revised ordinance was implemented in April 2015, the Health Department has provided education, training, and technical assistance to stores to help them comply with the requirements, with an
emphasis on helping small neighborhood corner stores. In addition, Health Department staff and researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health have monitored and evaluated initial outcomes and impacts associated with the ordinance to help inform continuous improvements. Based on the ordinance evaluation and feedback gathered from store owners, shoppers, and City staff, additional changes to the ordinance are recommended to ensure that it is meeting its intended goal of improving access to a wide variety of nutritious foods in the city’s retail outlets. Broadly, the proposed changes to the staple food requirements of the ordinance include: • Eliminating requirements that may not align with consumers’ cultural dietary preferences • Combining categories with similar food requirements • Modifying required package sizes/quantities and expanding the varieties of acceptable products The proposed ordinance changes align with the City’s equity and health values along with its goals of “Living Well” (neighborhoods have amenities to meet daily needs and live a healthy life) and “One Minneapolis” (all people have access to quality essentials, such as housing, education, food, child care and transportation). There is no anticipated negative impact to licensed stores as the changes would reduce or remove restrictions and make it easier to stock the required quantity and variety of staple foods. [1] USDA Economic Research Service, 2015. Additional calculations performed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Numbers are based on 2010 Population Estimates (U.S. Census Bureau) and 2010 Store Estimates (Nielsen Trade Dimensions Data.) [2] Policy Link. Access to Healthy Food and Why it Matters: A review of the research . 2013. Available online: http://thefoodtrust.org/uploads/media_items/access-to-healthy- food.original.pdf. FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT No fiscal impact anticipated
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