Some major corporations, including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Keurig Dr. Pepper, are urging lawmakers to keep allowing food stamp recipients to buy sugary drinks. The push comes as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to run the Health and Human Services Department, pledged to remove soda and processed foods from the Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.
The Wall Street Journal reported lobbyists from the American Beverage Association, which represents the beverage industry in the United States, are making a case on Capitol Hill. They pointed out that soda brands are selling more zero-sugar drinks.
Coke said it had an 11% jump in the sale of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar during this year’s third quarter.
Lobbyists claim the increase in sales, combined with clear calorie labels on beverages, allows people to make healthier choices.
Anti-hunger advocacy group Share Our Strength also argues that instead of restricting SNAP recipients options, Congress should fund programs that help low-income families access healthier foods.
Lawmakers have tried to restrict soda, desserts and candy from food assistance programs for years. Most recently, Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders sent a letter to the incoming health and agricultural departments.
In the letter, she called for a ban on buying junk food with food stamps. She claimed these foods contribute to higher rates of obesity and diabetes.
Coke told The Journal it’s always active in engaging on policies important to its business. Representatives from Pepsi and Dr. Pepper declined to comment.
