Governor Tate Reeves has submitted a request to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service for two waivers affecting the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in Mississippi. The first waiver would prohibit SNAP recipients from purchasing certain processed foods and beverages considered unhealthy, specifically those with sugar or corn syrup listed as the primary ingredient. The second waiver would allow hot prepared chicken, such as rotisserie chicken that is not fried or breaded, to be bought with SNAP benefits.
Governor Reeves explained his rationale by stating, “Welfare benefits are a hand-up for those in desperate, temporary need. When taxpayers fund these things, they do so strategically. They’re trying to help their neighbors into a better life – a more fulfilling one. That means a job you can be proud of, and a lifestyle that is healthy: on a physical and spiritual level.”
He further added, “In a nation that is printing money daily just to make our debt payments, it doesn’t make sense to throw your tax money at anything other than the true necessities. So it makes no sense at all to fund sugar instead of hearty nutritious meals. That’s why we’re amending our food stamp rules to allow good sustaining food like rotisserie chickens and disallow sugary candy and drinks. If the first ingredient is sugar or corn syrup, it won’t be available with taxpayer money any more. This has been approved by the Trump administration in 12 states, and I expect Mississippi to be the next. It’s just common sense.”
If approved by the USDA, items containing sugar, cane sugar, corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup as their first ingredient will no longer be eligible for purchase using SNAP benefits in Mississippi. However, single-ingredient sugars intended for cooking and baking will not be affected by this change.
The proposed beverage restrictions would bar purchases of drinks where carbonated water combined with sugar or similar sweeteners are among the top two ingredients. Drinks featuring low- or noncaloric sweeteners such as aspartame within their main ingredients will remain eligible.
The waiver also includes provisions for making hot prepared chicken available through SNAP benefits—a move not previously permitted under existing program guidelines—and aims to support healthier eating habits by collaborating with initiatives like Double Up Food Bucks Program that incentivize buying fresh fruits and vegetables alongside eligible prepared foods.
Governor Reeves noted that these changes align with broader efforts supported by both former President Donald Trump’s administration and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., aimed at improving public health nationwide.
