In Martinsburg, West Virginia, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the Trump administration will permit states to prevent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients from using benefits to purchase soft drinks. During his speech, Kennedy also commended West Virginia for passing a law that bans foods containing most artificial food dyes and two preservatives.
The announcement was notable as SNAP is overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), yet Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins was not the one to deliver the news. Several states have previously sought USDA waivers to launch pilot programs restricting SNAP purchases of sodas and certain other foods, though such proposals have faced opposition from anti-hunger advocates and the food industry.
Kennedy is currently in discussions with 15 other governors about implementing similar measures, according to Calley Means, a health food entrepreneur recently brought into the White House to support Kennedy’s initiatives. Addressing the crowd in West Virginia, Kennedy likened the food industry’s use of science to make products addictive to the tactics once employed by tobacco companies.
