The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday its approval of a Missouri waiver that disqualifies certain sugary foods from being eligible for the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Missouri submitted that waiver request in October. The waiver states Missouri will classify certain food and beverages as restricted and no longer SNAP eligible.
Six categories of food and beverages would be listed as ineligible. They are: candy, prepared desserts, soft drinks, drinks with 50% or less natural fruit or vegetable juice, beverage mixes and drink concentrates with 50% or less natural fruit or vegetable juice.
“Missouri is proud to partner with the Trump administration on the Make America Healthy Again movement as we refocus SNAP to maximize nutritional health for families while also supporting the abundant agricultural output of our state,” Gov. Mike Kehoe said in a statement Wednesday.
Opponents to the change have said that while promoting healthier food is a worthy goal, it should not be achieved by restricting what food can be bought.
Missouri joined five other states that had a similar waiver approved by the USDA on Wednesday. Those states are Hawaii, North Dakota, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.
According to the Missouri Department of Social Services, the state’s goal is to implement these changes to SNAP next October.
