Starting Jan. 1, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah, and West Virginia are the first states to restrict purchases of soda, candy, and other foods considered unhealthy with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
The waivers are part of a movement led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to remove unhealthy foods from SNAP, aiming to combat obesity and diabetes.
The big picture: Up to 1.4 million SNAP recipients in the five states will be affected by these new rules, with variations in restrictions covering soda, candy, energy drinks, and some prepared foods.
- The National Grocers Association estimates an initial implementation cost of $1.6 billion for retailers nationwide, plus $759 million annually.
Driving the news: Historically, federal law permitted SNAP benefits to be used for almost all foods except alcohol, tobacco, and hot prepared foods, and previous attempts to restrict items were rejected as too costly and complex.
- The new waivers mark a shift towards state-level experimentation encouraged during the second Trump administration, with states required to assess their impact over the next two years.
