The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved Indiana鈥檚 ban on 鈥渟ugary sodas鈥� and candy from the state鈥檚 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. Indiana is part of a national wave of nearly a dozen Republican-led states seeking restrictions in the program.
The Braun administration filed the waiver in mid-April alongside directed at SNAP. In a statement, Gov. Mike Braun said the USDA鈥檚 approval of the waiver brings SNAP back to 鈥渋ts intended purpose: nutrition.鈥�
The restrictions are set to take . The waiver is a pilot program, which is approved for two years.
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It bans purchases under Indiana鈥檚 definitions of candy and soft drinks:
- as 鈥渁 preparation of sugar, honey, or other natural or artificial sweeteners in combination with chocolate, fruits, nuts, or other ingredients or flavorings in the form of bars, drops, or pieces. The term does not include any preparation: containing flour or requiring refrigeration.鈥�
- as 鈥渘onalcoholic beverages that contain natural or artificial sweeteners. The term does not include beverages that contain milk or milk products, soy, rice, or similar milk substitutes, or greater than 50 percent of vegetable or fruit juice by volume.鈥�
Indiana, and have all received USDA waivers as part of the Trump administration鈥檚 鈥溾�� initiative. either have submitted or are in the process of submitting similar USDA waivers.
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