WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014\u00a0On April 20, changes will be happening to SNAP benefits in Florida.<\/p>\n
Soda, energy drinks, candy, and ‘ultra-processed prepared desserts’ will soon be excluded<\/a>\u00a0from SNAP purchases according to Healthy SNAP Florida.<\/p>\n What You Need To Know<\/p>\n The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved a waiver for Florida to exclude items like candy from SNAP benefits.\u00a0 The Trump administration began approving SNAP food restriction waiver requests for states in May<\/a>, with Florida\u2019s approved in August<\/a>. USDA says the waivers are part<\/a>\u00a0of the \u201cMake America Healthy Again agenda\u201d in an effort to promote healthy eating and reduce chronic conditions in children.\u00a0<\/p>\n “The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program administered by the USDA has been in existence for about sixty years, and what is eligible and ineligible has always been at a federal level and really has not changed much over the last sixty years. So, the state waivers that we’re seeing come through\u2026 the eighteen states, this is completely new,” said Angela Fernandez, Senior Vice President of Market Development at GS1 US, an organization that sets barcode standards.<\/p>\n Healthy SNAP Florida says<\/a>\u00a0on its website that\u00a0\u201cFlorida is making changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to better align the program with its intended purpose: providing low-income households with access to a more nutritious diet to alleviate hunger and combat malnutrition.”<\/p>\n
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The change takes place on April 20\u00a0
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The USDA has approved the SNAP food restriction waivers for eighteen states so far.\u00a0<\/p>\n