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The victory of Make America Healthy (Maha) supporters has resulted in six more states being exempted, allowing soda, candies and other high sugar junk foods to be banned through the federally funded supplementary nutritional assistance program known as SNAP.
The exemption to amend the statutory definition of eligible foods purchased under Snap was granted to West Virginia, Florida, Colorado, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. New restrictions on what can and cannot be purchased will come into effect in 2026.
Six new exemptions will bring the number of states that have tried to limit junk food snap purchases to 12. Other states that received exemption from the Trump administration earlier this year were Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, Arkansas, Idaho and Utah.
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Arkansas is one of 12 states that have received exemptions restricting certain food purchases under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as SNAP. On the right is Arkansas GOP Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. (Getty Images)
“For years, SNAP has been using taxpayer dollars to fund soda and candy, products that promote the outbreak of diabetes and chronic diseases in the United States,” said Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“These exemptions will help bring authentic food back to the heart of the program and ensure that the nation leads accusations to protect public health.”
Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins praises historic efforts to help people with primarily Republican leaders improve the health and nutritional support provided through SNAP.
On average, 42 million low-income Americans receive food stamp support, including one in five Americans under the age of 17, according to a Trump administration report released earlier this year.
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Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins praises historic efforts to improve the health and nutrition support provided by people with primarily Republican leaders through SNAP. (Getty Images/Istock)
“It’s incredible to see so many states take action at this critical moment in our country’s history and do something to start addressing chronic health issues,” Rollins said after the latest announcement of the new exemption. “President Trump is changing the status quo, and the entire cabinet is taking action to make America healthy once again. … These state exemptions promote healthier options for families in need.”
Of the 12 states that have been granted SNAP exemptions so far, they all restrict SNAP funds from being used to purchase sugary drinks containing soda, but at least eight states have indicated plans to ban SNAP funds for the purchase of candy. Some states, such as Florida, Louisiana, and Nebraska, also expressly ban energy drinks, while others, such as Arkansas, indicate that less than 50% of natural juice drinks are banned.
Darien Sutton, medical correspondent for ABC News, argued that the move is being promoted as an effort to improve health outcomes, but there is no evidence.
The USDA exemption allows states to use the benefits of SNAP to limit the purchase of soda and energy drinks. The program is federally funded, but is a national operation. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, file)
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“There is no evidence that depriving access to soda actually combats these conditions,” he said, according to ABC News. “Sugar is one of the perpetrators you have to worry about all the time.”
Sutton pointed out that US dietary guidelines recommend that men do not have more than 35 grams of sugar per day, but women are told to limit it to 25 grams per day.
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