KANSAS CITY - Twelve states have now removed soda and some types of junk food from their SNAP benefits for residents. KMOX Health Editor Fred Bodimer reports it's all a part of the Trump Administration's Make America Healthy Again plan.
Health Secretary RFK Jr. says this approach just makes sense -- not making taxpayers pay for soda and candy -- products that he says fuel America's diabetes and chronic disease epidemics: "We're spending 40M a day on snap. About 10% is going to sugary drinks. If you add candies to that, it's about 13-17%."
Missouri still allows soda to be bought with food stamps but many of our bordering states do not. Earlier this year an attempt to get soda and candy banned from food stamps in Missouri failed to get out of committee -- although Governor Mike Kehoe has signaled support for a healthier SNAP program in some form.