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- One state wants to ban buying Coca-Cola under SNAP benefits (themirror.com)
Missouri has proposed a significant change to its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), seeking to ban the purchase of certain “junk foods” with state-funded benefits. The waiver application, filed last week, aims to restrict recipients from buying items such as soft drinks, candy, and ready-to-eat desserts, a move that has sparked considerable debate.
The proposed restrictions would apply to the $2 million in state funds that support Missouri’s SNAP program. While a spokesperson for the governor’s office, Gabby Picard, clarified that “no specific food items are being identified at this point in the process,” the restrictions are intended to guide “initial language DSS plans to use to evaluate specific food items, upon USDA approval.”
The waiver requires approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which administers the national SNAP program, with a projected implementation in October 2026.
Critics of the measure, including advocates for low-income residents, argue that these restrictions could lead to negative consequences. Christine Woody, food security policy manager at Empower Missouri, warned that the policy could increase stigma associated with using benefits and deter people from accessing crucial assistance.
She described a scenario where recipients might face embarrassment at the checkout: “You bring a whole cart of groceries, and you put them on there,” Woody told the Missouri Independent. “And then they’re like, ‘You can’t have that,’ or ‘You can’t have that.’”
Concerns have also been raised regarding the impact on consumers in “food deserts,” areas with limited access to affordable and nutritious food options, where such restrictions could further reduce choices.
The changes would affect a substantial portion of the state’s population. According to the Family Support Division, 667,531 Missourians were receiving SNAP benefits in August, with over 41% of them being children.
Dan Shaul, executive director of the Missouri Grocers Association, anticipates “confusion” for both SNAP users and retailers if the waiver is approved. He cited the example of Indiana, where a similar waiver is slated to begin in January, highlighting potential inconsistencies. In Indiana, for instance, Snickers bars will be excluded as candy, while Twix will not, due to specific definitions in the state’s tax code, creating a complex and potentially arbitrary system.
State Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, a Democrat from Kansas City, questioned the effectiveness of the proposed restrictions in promoting healthier eating. “The issue with using a stick instead of a carrot when it comes to this approach of healthy eating is that we are doing nothing, nothing at all, to actually help get healthy food into the household of Missourians,” Nurrenbern stated, suggesting that punitive measures may not address the underlying causes of food insecurity or lack of access to healthy options.
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- One state wants to ban buying Coca-Cola under SNAP benefits (themirror.com)