Missouri seeks federal waiver to ban candy, soda and desserts from SNAP purchases

Programs to help lower-income Missourians stretch their food benefits allow many families to put fresh produce on their tables.

Those programs, currently supported with $2 million annually of state funds, could get more help under a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP or food stamps, waiver application filed last week with federal officials by the Missouri Department of Social Services.

But that same waiver could bar recipients from buying soft drinks, candy and ready-to-eat desserts. And those restrictions, critics say, could mean even fewer choices for consumers in areas classified as food deserts.

The request was filed after Gov. Mike Kehoe issued an executive order Sunday calling on the department to run SNAP “in a manner that prioritizes healthy foods.”

Read more from the Missouri Independent.