Six additional U.S. states have received approval for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food-choice waivers that restrict the use of benefits on certain processed foods and beverages, reports Baltimore Chronicle with reference to ABC News.
The U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, Brooke L. Rollins and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced that Hawai’i, Missouri, North Dakota, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee will amend the federal program’s statutory definition of “food for purchase” starting in 2026. This expansion increases the total number of states with approved SNAP food-choice waivers under the Make America Healthy Again initiative to 18.
These waivers permit states to define which items beneficiaries can purchase using SNAP benefits, commonly referred to as food stamps. Rollins stated that the initiative aims to restore SNAP’s focus on nutrition and reduce chronic disease nationwide. She emphasized that the waivers empower states to protect children from highly processed foods while promoting healthier dietary choices.
Kennedy expressed gratitude to the governors of the 18 states implementing these changes, noting that they lead the effort to reform SNAP and improve Americans’ health, particularly among children.
Earlier in 2025, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, and Utah were granted similar waivers, and in August, Rollins and Kennedy announced that Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Colorado, Florida, and West Virginia would introduce restrictions on junk food purchases with SNAP funds starting in 2026.
The USDA also highlighted the “Laboratories of Innovation” initiative, introduced by Rollins on her first day in office, which encourages state-driven solutions to enhance federal nutrition programs while safeguarding taxpayer resources.
Earlier we wrote that doctors perform miraculous surgery delivering baby while removing 22-pound tumor.
