Florida has implemented new SNAP restrictions which remove soda and candy from food assistance. The change has brought concerns from families living in areas with limited grocery access.
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Florida implements new SNAP restrictions on certain foods, impacting families living in food deserts
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The Florida Department of Children and Families received approval from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to ban items like soda, candy, energy drinks, and some packaged desserts.
Officials at the Florida Department of Children and Families hope this change will encourage healthier food choices.
Items still allowed under the program include fruits and vegetables, meat and seafood, dairy products, bread, rice, and pasta.
“I mean, there are a lot of different things that I think have not been thought about in there… the justice issue of being able to choose what I want to eat and what I want to serve my children,” one neighbor said.
The changes are already in effect across Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau says tens of thousands of neighbors in Leon County rely on SNAP benefits, with more than 2.7 million people using the program statewide.
However, the impact can look different depending on where people live. Parts of zip codes 32304 and 32303 in Northwest Tallahassee have limited access to full-service grocery stores, with some neighborhoods classified as low access by the USDA Economic Research Service.
This means many residents rely on corner stores or dollar stores, where options are more limited and some of the newly restricted items are more common.
Talethia Edwards, the executive director of Good News Outreach, says, for many families, the impact will show up at the register.
“You’re going to have more families that are hungry because they can’t get to a grocery store,” Edwards said. “They don’t have the option close enough to their neighborhood. They can’t get it, or you’re also talking about budget restrictions paying someone to take them to the grocery store or having to buy items out of their regular budget because the SNAP is not allowed about the certain things that are only available in those small stores.”
For some, transportation helps bridge that gap, but neighbor Mary Prater says not everyone has that option.
“They’re going to have to catch the bus or the children are going to be without,” Prater said. “Because children look forward to their snacks, going to the grocery store with their momma and picking out their special snacks.”
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