Key Points:
- Republican-led states are proposing bans on using government food assistance benefits to purchase candy and soda, sparking backlash from industry giants who argue that it won’t improve health outcomes and would be challenging for grocers to implement.
- Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, and West Virginia governors have either submitted or plan to submit waivers to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to restrict the types of foods that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients can buy.
- These potential bans align with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, which aims to address chronic disease and obesity by cracking down on ultra-processed foods.
Insight:
Industry groups representing soda and candy manufacturers are pushing back against limiting SNAP purchases, arguing that it unfairly targets specific foods and won’t significantly improve health outcomes.
The American Beverage Association, representing companies like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, criticized the bans for allowing desserts but not soda and candy, questioning the logic behind such restrictions.
Implementing these restrictions could be challenging, especially in defining what qualifies as “candy” across different states, according to the National Confectioners Association.
Experts believe that restricting SNAP purchases is unlikely to enhance the health of low-income Americans, as food purchasing patterns are similar between SNAP and non-SNAP families.
Additionally, limitations do little to address the root causes of food insecurity, as many SNAP recipients already struggle to access affordable and nutritious foods.
As Republicans aim to cut SNAP benefits by up to $230 billion over the next decade, affordability of healthy foods becomes a growing concern for those relying on food assistance.
Crystal FitzSimons, FRAC interim president, criticized the move to ban certain foods under SNAP, calling it a costly and ineffective restriction that ignores data on promoting healthy food access through incentives.
She emphasized that affordability is the primary barrier to healthier food choices, and incentive-based approaches are more successful in encouraging nutritious food purchases.