"It's part of a push by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to urge states to strip foods regarded as unhealthy from the $100 billion federal program - long known as food stamps - that serves 42 million Americans. "We cannot continue a system that forces taxpayers to fund programs that make people sick and then pay a second time to treat the illnesses those very programs help create," Kennedy said in a statement in December."
"But retail industry and health policy experts said state SNAP programs, already under pressure from steep budget cuts, are unprepared for the complex changes, with no complete lists of the foods affected and technical point-of-sale challenges that vary by state and store. And research remains mixed about whether restricting SNAP purchases improves diet quality and health. 'Disaster waiting to happen' The National Retail Federation, a trade association, predicted longer checkout lines and more customer complaints as SNAP recipients learn which foods are affected by the new waivers. "It's a disaster waiting to happen of people trying to buy food and being rejected," said Kate Bauer, a nutrition science expert at the University of Michigan. A report by the National Grocers Association and other industry trade groups estimated that implementing SNAP restrictions would cost U.S. retailers $1.6 billion initially and"
Five states will begin waivers restricting SNAP purchases of soda, candy and other foods as part of a federal push to remove unhealthy items from the program. The measures target chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes linked to sweetened drinks and treats and affect a $100 billion program serving 42 million Americans. Retail groups and health policy experts warn of implementation challenges including incomplete item lists, point-of-sale technical issues, longer checkout lines and customer complaints. Research on whether purchase restrictions improve diet quality and health remains mixed, and retailers face significant initial costs.
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