Latest news with #SNAP-eligible
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Nebraska banning soda, energy drinks from SNAP under first federal waiver
Nebraska has received the first federal waiver to ban soda and energy drinks from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. The move is set to take effect on Jan. 1 as a part of a broader effort to restrict taxpayer dollars from contributing to the purchase of sugary drinks and junk food under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). 'SNAP is about helping families in need get healthy food into their diets, but there's nothing nutritious about the junk we're removing with today's waiver,' Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) said in a Monday press release. Governors in Iowa, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, West Virginia and Colorado are also considering similar changes to SNAP benefits. Program funds are supplied by the USDA and administered individually by states. Recipients right now are able to buy anything except alcohol, tobacco and hot foods. Researchers have long argued that SNAP restrictions are unlikely to change eating patterns, and that it will be costly for the federal government to track 650,000 food and beverage products on the market and 20,000 new products introduced annually, according to economic policy researcher Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach's 2017 testimony before the House Committee on Agriculture. 'The complexity is multiplied because there is no clear standard for defining foods as 'healthy' or 'unhealthy,' or as luxury goods. Creating such standards would be difficult at best, and would entail substantial administrative costs to categorize and track the nutritional profile of each good to produce a SNAP-eligible foods list,' she told lawmakers. 'The list would have to be maintained continuously and communicated to retailers and consumers in real time.' However, Trump administration officials say Nebraska's new initiative falls in line with the 'Make America Healthy Again' agenda of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has largely focused on eliminating disease through food consumption since his confirmation. 'The one place that I would say that we need to really change policy is the SNAP program and food stamps and in school lunches,' Kennedy said in February on Fox News's 'The Ingraham Angle.' 'There, the federal government in many cases is paying for it. And we shouldn't be subsidizing people to eat poison,' he added. Prediabetes now affects 1 in 3 children aged 12-19, while 40 percent of school-aged children and adolescents have at least one chronic condition, according to the USDA. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
20-05-2025
- Health
- The Hill
Nebraska banning soda, energy drinks from SNAP under first federal waiver
Nebraska has received the first federal waiver to ban soda and energy drinks from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. The move is set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2026 as a part of a broader effort to restrict taxpayer dollars from contributing to the purchase of sugary drinks and junk food under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). 'SNAP is about helping families in need get healthy food into their diets, but there's nothing nutritious about the junk we're removing with today's waiver,' Gov. Jim Pillen (R-Neb.) said in a Monday press release. Governors in Iowa, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, West Virginia and Colorado are also considering similar changes to SNAP benefits. Program funds are supplied by the USDA and administered individually by states. Recipients right now are able to buy anything except alcohol, tobacco and hot foods. Researchers have long argued that SNAP restrictions are unlikely to change eating patterns, and that it will be costly for the federal government to track 650,000 food and beverage products on the market and 20,000 new products introduced annually, according to economic policy researcher Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach's 2017 testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture. 'The complexity is multiplied because there is no clear standard for defining foods as 'healthy' or 'unhealthy,' or as luxury goods. Creating such standards would be difficult at best, and would entail substantial administrative costs to categorize and track the nutritional profile of each good to produce a SNAP-eligible foods list,' she told lawmakers. 'The list would have to be maintained continuously and communicated to retailers and consumers in real time.' However, Trump administration officials say Nebraska's new initiative falls in line with the Make America Healthy Again agenda, trademarked by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has largely focused on eliminating disease through food consumption since his confirmation. 'The one place that I would say that we need to really change policy is the SNAP program and food stamps and in school lunches,' Kennedy previously said during a February appearance on Fox News's 'The Ingraham Angle.' 'There, the federal government in many cases is paying for it. And we shouldn't be subsidizing people to eat poison,' he added. Prediabetes now affects one in three children ages 12 to 19 while 40 percent of school-aged children and adolescents have at least one chronic condition according to the USDA.
Newsweek
16-05-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
SNAP Ban on Unhealthy Foods Nears in Texas
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has formally asked the Trump administration to approve new restrictions on food purchases made with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, a move that could ban the use of SNAP to buy items such as candy and soda. In a letter on Wednesday addressed to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Abbott requested a waiver from the Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service to "prohibit the purchase of unhealthy, highly processed food" with SNAP benefits. Why It Matters Several states are either considering SNAP bans on soda and other items or have already submitted waiver requests to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as part of Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "Make America Healthy Again" initiative. SNAP supports more than 3 million Texans and over 40 million people across the United States each year. What to Know A waiver grants flexibility by modifying specific U.S. Department of Agriculture program rules, enabling states to administer the SNAP program in different ways. Various states currently have SNAP waivers in place, and they were widely implemented during the coronavirus pandemic to enhance access to food benefits. In his letter, Abbott wrote: "SNAP serves more than 3.2 million Texans each year and provides more than $7 billion in taxpayer funding to support access to food for those in need. SNAP was create to increase access to nutritious food; however, many SNAP purchases are for food with little or no nutritious value." The governor said Texas should be granted a waiver to "prohibit SNAP benefits from being used to purchase sweetened drinks and candy." In April, Agriculture Secretary Rollins and Health Secretary Kennedy Jr. published a joint article in USA Today calling on "all governors to submit waivers to help promote access to these critical sources of nutrition, including waivers that can limit what can be purchased with food stamps." Arkansas and Indiana have both formally requested waivers. Bottles of Dr. Pepper soda are displayed on a shelf at a grocery store on June 03, 2024 in San Rafael, California. Bottles of Dr. Pepper soda are displayed on a shelf at a grocery store on June 03, 2024 in San Rafael, California. Justin Sullivan/GETTY In Idaho, Governor Brad Little signed a bill in April mandating the state to seek a federal waiver to exclude candy and soda from SNAP-eligible items. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry has signed an executive order to ban purchasing soft drinks and candy using SNAP. In March, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey, a Republican, also submitted a waiver to the federal government to block the use of SNAP benefits to purchase soda as part of new food and nutrition legislation, Food policy advocates are sharply divided. Supporters argue that the restrictions align with dietary guidelines and could reduce the long-term cost of obesity-related diseases. Critics argue the policy is paternalistic and fails to address the core issue: many low-income communities lack access to healthy, affordable food options. What People Are Saying In his letter Abbott said: "Under the Trump administration, for the first time since the program was authorized, states can take steps to eliminate the opportunity to buy junk food with SNAP benefits and assure that taxpayer dollars are used only to purchase healthy, nutritious food. We appreciate your efforts to allow states to implement innovative changes to support our citizens to lead healthy and productive lives." Abbott's letter was welcomed by State Senator Mayes Middleton, who introduced a bill to the Texas Legislature seeking to restrict when SNAP benefits can be spent on. On X Middleton shared Abbott's letter, adding: "Thank you @GregAbbott_TX Taxpayer funded soda and junk food turns into taxpayer funded healthcare! Let's put this waiver into law and pass my bill (SB 379) to prohibit using food stamp $ for soda and junk food." The Make Texas Healthy Again campaign also supported Abbott's move commenting: "Gov. @GregAbbott_TX is right: taxpayer dollars should help families buy real food, not soda and candy. Texas is leading the way to make SNAP about nutrition—not junk." During a 2024 House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture meeting, Representative Sanford Bishop, a Democrat, commented: "If the other side is going to argue that people using SNAP should be limited to healthier options they need to join us in the 21st century and realize that a healthy diet costs more than the average of $2 per person per meal that SNAP provides." Marion Nestle, nutrition expert who used to teach at New York University: "Under ordinary circumstances, I would favor a pilot project to take sodas out of SNAP because they are so well documented to be associated with poor health (except in small amounts). Candy makes less sense. Nobody eats that much. But coming from Texas, this looks like just another attack on the safety net for poor Americans. The push to cut SNAP benefits so the rich don't have to pay as much in taxes makes no sense to me." Professor of food studies Anne C. Bellows from Syracuse University: "I will say that instead of telling SNAP beneficiaries what they can buy, USDA should be slashing its price supports and other benefits to industrial-scale corn, soybean and other commodity and industrial-scale agriculture that produces the bulk of the material, especially sweeteners and highly processed foods, that are addictive and detrimental for public health writ large. Instead, USDA should be supporting small and medium-scale farmers' production of the fruits, vegetables, and whole grain products recommended for public health. With such a shift in support, these smaller and medium scale farmers are the most likely to grow culturally relevant and price competitive foods, with lower transport costs, to the Texas venues SNAP recipients frequent as customers." What's Next Texas is awaiting a decision from the USDA on its waiver application.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Boston Just Lost Every Location Of This Beloved Grocery Chain
The impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic are still lingering in the U.S. for many individuals and small businesses alike. This combined with rising food costs means grocery stores — especially small, local stores — are struggling to stay afloat, with many across the country closing their doors. Unfortunately, this is the case for the beloved Boston grocery chain, Daily Table. The company recently announced in a letter to the community on May 9, 2025, that it is shutting down along with every single one of its locations. The chain officially closed all of its stores on Monday, May 12, according to its website. Daily Table was founded in 2012 by the former president of Trader Joe's, Doug Rauch, who aimed to create a store where people could buy healthy and nutritious food that was accessible regardless of income. The company largely succeeded in this mission, sharing on its website that the stores served over 10,000 customers each week in 2024. The reach and impact of this nonprofit grocery store is what makes it closing particularly sad, and it's a change that will certainly affect the communities Daily Table has been serving for years. The chain had four stores in total across Massachusetts located in Boston, Cambridge, Roxbury, and Salem. Read more: 13 Trader Joe's Prepared Foods, Ranked Daily Table was remarkable in its mission to supply local communities with nutritious and affordable food. Through donor funding and distributor and supplier partnerships, Daily Table was able to provide all kinds of fresh and healthy foods at ultra-low prices, all while being SNAP-eligible. And, despite growing its customer base in the 2024 fiscal year according to the Daily Table impact report, it still wasn't enough to combat the debilitating effects of the pandemic and historically high modern food costs. With 26% percent of Daily Table shoppers using SNAP/EBT benefits, it can be assumed that low-income households that relied on Daily Table have been hit hard by the local chain shutting down. When announcing the closing in a letter to the community penned by the board of directors, Daily Table urged donors and supporters to transfer that support to other organizations that provide food access and security. The board also expressed continued commitment to the mission that Daily Table represented, saying that they "... firmly believe that this model can be replicated elsewhere." With the prices of groceries rising and the middle and lower classes being hit hardest, we hope more nonprofit grocery stores like Daily Table can make space and get the support they need to thrive. Read the original article on Tasting Table.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Local Boston Grocery Store Chain That Just Closed All Of Its Locations
A grocery store chain in Boston known for servicing its community with healthy and affordable food has closed its doors for good. Daily Table has four locations and plans to sell its remaining inventory at a discount until it clears everything off of its shelves. What's notable about Daily Table is its mission, which was to deliver a combination of SNAP-eligible food items such as fresh produce and pantry goods, while keeping prices for other items low at the same time. The reason the grocery store has been forced to close is because it has lost federal funding which it claims it needed to continue operating combined with the fact that food costs continue to rise. While most of the operating costs were covered by store sales, the loss of federal funding and philanthropic support has become a major issue and the business was unable to sustain itself. Daily Table's announcement to the community said that during its time, it was able to serve over three million customers, saving the community over $16 million. Considering how expensive it is to eat healthy, unprocessed food, this is guaranteed to be a big hit to Boston and those who relied on its services. Read more: 7 Must-Buy Aldi Items For First-Time Customers Daily Table has been in operations for 10 years and was founded by Doug Rauch who worked for the wildly-successful Trader Joe's chain for 31 years, serving 13 of those years as president. His approach to Daily Table was to use high quality, nutritious products that would potentially go to waste. In an interview with Acumen Academy's ReFED, Rauch said he "realized that hunger in America is really not a shortage of calories, it is a shortage of nutrients." It wasn't about feeding those in need with expired or otherwise undesirable goods, either. Rauch achieved his goal by going up the supply chain and getting products straight from manufacturers and farmers. Some of these items were ones manufacturers wouldn't have been able to move to retailers before their expiration -- essentially getting that food directly to customers with time to spare. Negotiations with farms allowed Daily Table to sell perfectly good produce to the community as well without necessarily having to resort to food which would otherwise be thrown away. The organization hopes there'll be another way to fill the community gap, but for now, there aren't any other groups like it in Boston. As it stands, Daily Table's loss is one the community will definitely feel. For more food and drink goodness, join The Takeout's newsletter. Get taste tests, food & drink news, deals from your favorite chains, recipes, cooking tips, and more! Read the original article on The Takeout.
