Particle.news
Download on the App Store
8 ARTICLES
·
3w ago

Arkansas Seeks USDA Approval to Ban Soda and Candy from SNAP

The state’s waiver request, aimed at improving public health, could make Arkansas the first to restrict SNAP purchases of unhealthy items if approved.

FILE - Soft drinks fill a drink cooler in a convenience store in Kent, Wash., Oct. 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders attends a campaign rally of Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S., November 4, 2024. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon/File Photo
Brooke Rollins, U.S. President Trump's nominee to be secretary of agriculture, testifies before a Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Kaylee Greenlee Beal/File Photo
Image

Overview

  • Arkansas has submitted a waiver to the USDA requesting a ban on soda, candy, and other unhealthy items for SNAP participants.
  • The proposal, announced by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, aims to improve health outcomes for the state’s 350,000 SNAP recipients.
  • If approved, the restrictions would take effect in July 2026 following a USDA review and a 30-day public comment period.
  • The plan aligns with national public health initiatives, including the 'Make America Healthy Again' agenda supported by federal officials.
  • Critics argue the restrictions undermine recipient autonomy and lack evidence that SNAP participants purchase unhealthy items at higher rates.