Soda, sugary drinks, and candy will no longer be eligible for purchase with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, a significant change that will impact millions of families across the United States.
On Tuesday, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins signed waivers to remove the unhealthy foods and drinks from SNAP in Arkansas, Idaho, and Utah. This decision follows similar exclusions that have already been implemented in Nebraska, Iowa, and Indiana.
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The new regulations come as part of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s initiative, "Make America Healthy Again." Kennedy claims that not allowing SNAP recipients to use food stamps to purchase junk foods would "clean up" the nation's food supply.
“Thank you to the governors of Indiana, Arkansas, Idaho, Utah, Iowa, and Nebraska for their bold leadership and unwavering commitment to Make America Healthy Again,” Secretary Kennedy said in a statement. “I call on every governor in the nation to submit a SNAP waiver to eliminate sugary drinks—taxpayer dollars should never bankroll products that fuel the chronic disease epidemic.”
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According to USDA stats, SNAP served an average of 42.1 million people per month in 2023, representing 12.6% of the U.S. population.
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