"Big changes are coming to how shoppers can use SNAP food benefits in some states. Starting on January 1, some states are planning to implement new rules limiting purchases of soda, energy drinks, candy, and other foods for people who receive SNAP benefits, according to a list of changes provided by the Department of Agriculture. In total, 18 states plan to introduce new restrictions in 2026."
"Nearly 42 million people, or about 12% of the US resident population, relied on SNAP benefits each month during the 2024 federal fiscal year, according to the Department of Agriculture. The coming changes are in line with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again effort. Along with skepticism of vaccine mandates, Kennedy has highlighted the importance of limiting the consumption of certain food ingredients, such as sugar and some food dyes, as a priority."
"Whether clamping down on purchases of sugary drinks and other foods will make people who rely on SNAP to buy food healthier remains unclear. In many cases, shoppers and retailers haven't been provided with a list of which products would no longer be eligible for purchase with SNAP dollars, the anti-hunger advocacy group Food Research and Action Center, or FRAC, wrote in a blog post on December 29."
Starting January 1, some states will implement new rules limiting SNAP purchases of soda, energy drinks, candy, and other foods, with 18 states planning restrictions in 2026. Nearly 42 million people relied on SNAP monthly during the 2024 federal fiscal year. States requested waivers from the federal government to change SNAP eligibility rules. The changes align with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again effort emphasizing limits on sugar and certain food dyes. Public-health impact on SNAP recipients' health remains unclear. Anti-hunger group FRAC says many shoppers and retailers lack specific product lists, citing Iowa's removal of vitamins and candy-coated products as an example.
Read at Business Insider
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]