(The Center Square) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins approved six waivers to exclude sodas and energy drinks from federal nutrition programs on Monday.
Rollins signed waivers exempting soda and energy drinks from being included in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs in Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia. The six states join Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, Utah and Nebraska in restricting sodas and energy drinks from SNAP.
“Since my confirmation, our department has encouraged states to think differently and creatively about how to solve the many health issues facing Americans,” Rollins said. “One way is by not allowing taxpayer funded benefits to be used to purchase unhealthy items like soda, candy and other junk food.”
Critics of the new push to ban soda and energy drinks under SNAP say it unfairly targets lower income families, limits consumer choice and won’t result in better health outcomes.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is the first Democrat governor to request a waiver of sugary drinks from the states SNAP program.
“This is not red or blue, Republican or Democrat. We are discussing and working with every state. So [I am ] really excited to continue to work with Governor Polis,” Rollins said.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey joined Rollins for the announcement.
Morrisey praised his state’s inclusion as part of the SNAP waiver program. He said the lack of access to healthy foods in West Virginia contributes to the prevalence of chronic disease in residents.
“I’m happy now that West Virginia taxpayers are not going to be subsidizing soda and these sugary drinks, things that have no nutritional value and are directly linked to obesity, diabetes, and a lot of other terrible health care outcomes,” Morrisey said.
HHS Secretary Kennedy agreed with Morrisey. He said the inclusion of soda and energy drinks in SNAP increases the cost to medicaid and medicare programs due to increased chronic disease.
“US taxpayers should not be paying to feed kids foods – the poorest kids in our country – with foods that are the gift of diabetes. And my agency ends up through Medicaid and Medicare paying for those injuries,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy also gave an update on the dietary guidelines for Americans that he is working alongside Rollins to complete. He said the guidelines will be complete in late September, “three months ahead of schedule.”
“They will drive changes in the school lunch program, in prison lunches and military food, and they will begin to change America almost immediately,” Kennedy said.
Not everyone agrees.
“Make no mistake, this waiver won’t make an ounce of difference on health,” the trade organization American Beverage said when a waiver was being discussed in Ohio. “Obesity has skyrocketed in the last two decades while beverage calories per serving have dropped by 42% – thanks to our industry’s efforts to empower Americans with more choice and information. In fact, 60% of beverages Americans buy today have zero sugar due to our innovation.”
The U.S. government spent $112.8 billion on SNAP in 2023, covering 100% of the cost of food benefits and 50% of states’ administrative costs.
