USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also colloquially known as the “Food Stamps” Program.  SNAP, through State Agency partners, offers nutrition assistance to more than 47 million eligible, low-income individuals and families. Under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (the Act) and corresponding SNAP regulations, states have little room to modify eligibility standards or otherwise dictate what foods may be purchased with SNAP benefits.

The State of Maine is requesting a waiver from the USDA that would allow the state to ban its SNAP recipients from purchasing candy and soda using the federal benefits.  Under the previous administration, the USDA denied a similar waiver from Maine last year.  USDA is currently considering the state’s new request.

With a new administration at the helm, changes to SNAP could be forthcoming, including perhaps endowing states with more freedom to modify the rules of the program as they see fit.  The food industry, of course, has a vested interest in how this all transpires and would likely coalesce to oppose any legislative or policy initiatives – at the federal, state or local level – that would have the effect of curtailing eligible products and hence restricting consumer choice.