TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Shoppers in Florida who use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are now under new guidelines that took effect Monday.
Outlined in an approval letter from the USDA, it was announced last year that Florida would be allowed to limit what consumers can buy under a new federal pilot program.
The USDA said it is an effort to improve access to nutritious foods and support the health of low-income families.
Effective Monday, the following items are now excluded from SNAP purchases in Florida:
- Soda, including Coca-Cola and Pepsi products, Dr. Pepper and Canada Dry. This also includes store brand varieties of regular, diet, and zero sugar sodas.
- Energy drinks, including Monster, Red Bull, Celsius, 5-Hour Energy, C4 Energy. This also includes store-brand varieties of energy drinks
- Candy, including Hershey's, Snickers, Nestle Crunch, Milky Way
- Ultra-Processed Prepared Desserts, including doughnuts, cookies, Twinkies, Oreos, Chips Ahoy!, etc.
"Florida made this change to better align SNAP with its intended purpose: providing low-income households access to a more nutritious diet to help alleviate hunger and combat malnutrition. By excluding soda, energy drinks, candy, and ultra-processed shelf-stable prepared desserts, the state is taking a proactive step to ensure SNAP benefits are used for more nourishing foods," a statement on the Healthy Snap Florida website says.
The pilot program is scheduled to last for two years, concluding April 19, 2028.
Florida will have to report data and impacts of the changes to the USDA, including providing quarterly reports.
Last year's approval letter said USDA reserves the right to withdraw its waiver approval and terminate the project at any time.
