The US Department of Agriculture would move "very, very quickly" to approve state requests to remove soda and candy from food-stamp programs, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
Arkansas and Indiana were among the first in line for the agency's approval, the report said.
Arkansas is seeking the exclusion of candy and all sodas from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, beginning in July 2026, the report said.
Indiana wants to implement similar changes but didn't say what type of sodas it would restrict, the report said.
West Virginia and Utah said they plan to pursue similar restrictions in food-aid programs, the report said.
American Beverage, an industry group representing soda makers such as PepsiCo (PEP) and Coca-Cola (KO), said the restrictions "won't make an ounce of difference on health." Arkansas and the USDA "are choosing to be the food police rather than take truly meaningful steps to lift people off SNAP with good-paying jobs," the group said in a statement.
The USDA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from MT Newswires.
(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)
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