US food companies brace for a sales dip with shutdown set to cut off SNAP food aid

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. grocers and food companies ranging from Walmart (WMT) to Smithfield Foods (SFD) are bracing for a dip in November sales if federal food aid benefits lapse for the first time due to the ongoing government shutdown. The shutdown has imperiled next month's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, which serves nearly 42 million people.