Shoppers in Colorado who use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will soon be barred from using their benefits to buy certain junk foods.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday approved a waiver from Colorado seeking to exempt soda and sugary beverages from SNAP beginning in 2026.
Gov. Jared Polis, in a statement, said the waiver marks a “big step towards improving the health of Coloradans, and reducing obesity rates, diabetes and tooth decay.”
The governor added that he hoped the change will help alleviate food deserts in the state by reducing shelf space for soda and increasing it for other nutritional food products eligible for SNAP.
The USDA on Monday also approved waivers for West Virginia, Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas to amend the statutory definition of food for purchase under the federal food-assistance program.
“For years, SNAP has used taxpayer dollars to fund soda and candy — products that fuel America’s diabetes and chronic disease epidemics,” said Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services, in a statement. “These waivers help put real food back at the center of the program and empower states to lead the charge in protecting public health. I thank these governors who have stepped up to request waivers, and I encourage others to follow their lead. This is how we Make America Healthy Again.”
Colorado is still waiting for federal approval for two additional waiver provisions that would allow SNAP recipients to use their benefits to buy hot, prepared foods from grocery stores, and streamline the process for farmers market vendors to accept SNAP payments.
Polis has long sought these changes to the federal food program. A decade ago, while serving as a congressman, he brought forward an amendment that would have made junk food and soda ineligible for SNAP.
“Giving states the opportunity to focus on having healthier foods in SNAP should be our priority,” he on X in December.
