US farm agency to allow Iowa, Indiana to bar junk food and soda from food aid

By Leah Douglas

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Thursday that she had signed waivers from Iowa and Indiana that would allow the states to bar the purchase of some processed foods and sugary drinks with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.

President Donald Trump's administration has encouraged states to submit such waivers to the Department of Agriculture as part of its Make America Healthy Again initiative led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Rollins said at a White House event celebrating the release of a report on childhood disease that she had signed the two waivers earlier in the day and that more approvals would be forthcoming.

"We are on track to sign multiples of SNAP waivers to get junk food and sugary drinks out of our food stamp system," Rollins said.

Rollins on Monday announced she had signed a similar waiver from Nebraska. The state will exclude all sodas and energy drinks from SNAP purchases beginning January 1, 2026, according to a copy of the waiver on the USDA website.

More than 42 million Americans receive benefits through SNAP, the nation's largest food aid program.

(Reporting by Leah Douglas in Washington; Editing by David Gregorio)