Food

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Retailers around the country are scrambling to figure out how to accommodate a wave of new SNAP restrictions limiting purchases of soft drinks, candy and other sugary products in a dozen U.S. states next year. 

Food and agriculture groups say the Trump administration’s attempt to define “ultraprocessed” foods and reduce their consumption isn’t justified by the science and could sweep up a wide range of healthful foods. In formal comments filed with the Food and Drug Administration, the groups note there’s a lack of scientific consensus on how the term should be defined.

Coca-Cola  made with cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup is now for sale in select cities and retailers across the U.S. after a push by President Donald Trump.

More than two dozen U.S. states and the District of Columbia are suing the Trump administration to prevent a lapse in SNAP benefits in November.

The government shutdown heads toward a new crisis point this week with the potential lapse in SNAP benefits, and President Donald Trump is in Asia for meetings that are scheduled to include his face-to-face with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Several Trump nominees of particular importance to food and agriculture policy have hearings on Capitol Hill.

States are beginning to tell residents who get SNAP benefits that they won’t be coming in November, as Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins insists USDA cannot provide benefits during the government shutdown.

Facing growing anger from the cattle industry, the Trump administration released a plan outlining steps it is taking to boost domestic cattle production and beef consumption while lowering retail prices. There is no mention of President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to increase beef imports.

A growing number of states are seeking Agriculture Department approval to restrict purchases of soft drinks, candy and other sugary foods with SNAP benefits. USDA has so far approved requests from a dozen states for SNAP restrictions of various kinds and is considering four more, according to an Agri-Pulse analysis.

Incentives included in the Rural Health Transformation Program may be driving increased support for SNAP restriction waivers.

The partial federal shutdown threatens to block next month's benefits for low-income people who participate in the nearly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is blaming the situation on Democrats.