Florida has received federal approval to prohibit SNAP recipients from using their benefits to buy junk foods such as soda and candy.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture signed off on the request Monday, allowing the state to move forward with the policy starting Jan. 1.
The waiver was submitted by the state Department of Children and Families in late May amid a broader effort led by the Trump administration to reshape the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and reduce rates of chronic disease.
"In Florida, we are ensuring SNAP supports nutritious options that help families thrive, not unhealthy products that lead to long‑term health problems," Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a statement.
The change marks a significant shift in how SNAP is administered in Florida, reflecting both a political and public health goal of aligning taxpayer‑funded food assistance with national dietary guidelines.
As DeSantis put it, "We're not just giving people food — we're helping them lead healthier lives."
DCF Secretary Taylor Hatch is expected to oversee the rollout. The agency is responsible for the program, which is used by some 2.9 million Florida residents, according to the USDA.
The USDA, which is responsible for SNAP, must sign off on the state's waiver requests.
Florida was one of six states granted waivers this week, along with Colorado, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia. Twelve states can now ban junk food purchases, following earlier approvals this year for Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska and Utah.
Trump administration officials framed the waivers as part of a coordinated federal effort to reduce the burden of chronic illnesses through better nutrition.
"We play a key role in supporting Americans who fall on hard times, and that commitment does not change," Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement Monday. "Rather, these state waivers promote healthier options for families in need."
Under the new rules, SNAP recipients will no longer be able to use the benefit on soda, energy drinks, candy or prepared desserts like packaged cakes and cookies.
The USDA noted that the exclusions are limited to processed items with little to no nutritional value and will still allow access to staples such as fruits, vegetables, meat, grains and dairy.
"For years, SNAP has used taxpayer dollars to fund soda and candy — products that fuel America's diabetes and chronic disease epidemics," Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said, noting the waivers are designed to "put real food back at the center of the program."
Critics have long argued that such restrictions within SNAP, also referred to as "food stamps," could be difficult to enforce, may stigmatize recipients could increase food insecurity. They also warn of logistical challenges in monitoring and updating lists of ineligible products, which number in the thousands.
Cindy Huddleston, an advocate for low-income assistance programs with the nonpartisan Florida Policy Institute, has called the junk food waivers "troubling."
"Studies suggest that SNAP participants spend their grocery assistance in the same way that other people shop at grocery stores, and that it is really intrusive to kind of be in someone's grocery cart," she said during an April webinar.
"At some point during the month, people really end up having to concentrate on foods that fill their children up and keep them from experiencing hunger, because that is something that is very important to the family."
Craig Gundersen, a Baylor University economics professor who has focused on food insecurity, cautioned that the restrictions could "demean vulnerable households."
He emphasized that SNAP is meant to supplement household food budgets — and that removing choice "takes away dignity and autonomy" from recipients.
Despite such concerns, the USDA emphasized that the program will be closely evaluated over the two‑year demonstration period. Florida will be required to submit quarterly reports tracking impacts on participants and retailers, with USDA analysts monitoring both nutritional outcomes and program feasibility.
WUSF's Gabriella Paul contributed to this report.
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