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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to take sugary drinks out of the shopping carts of food-stamp recipients. Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Keurig Dr Pepper are mobilizing to stop him.
Kennedy, the president-elect’s nominee to run the Health and Human Services Department, aims to remove soda and processed foods from federal programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. The move could have big repercussions for the beverage industry.
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Lobbyists for Coke and its biggest rivals are pressing their case on Capitol Hill, highlighting the fact that the soda companies are selling more zero-sugar drinks. These, combined with clear calorie labels on beverages, allow consumers to make healthier choices, they say. Soda lobbyists also point to anti-hunger advocacy groups such as Share Our Strength, which argues that instead of restricting SNAP recipients’ options, Congress should fund programs that help low-income families access healthier foods. Coke and PepsiCo are corporate sponsors for Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign.
Coke is looking to hire additional lobbyists from among a small and exclusive group who have close relationships with Trump, according to a person familiar with the matter. Lobbyists for the big soda companies are also trying to get in front of people close to Kennedy and Brooke Rollins, Trump’s nominee to head the Agriculture Department, which administers SNAP benefits. Rollins hasn’t endorsed Kennedy’s agenda, and it is unclear where she stands on the idea of making sugary drinks and foods ineligible for food stamps.
The American Beverage Association, an industry group that represents Coke, PepsiCo and Keurig Dr Pepper, plans to donate money to Trump’s inauguration, as it has for past presidents, said Kevin Keane, chief executive of the group.
Coca-Cola “is always active in engaging on policies important to our business,” a company spokeswoman said. PepsiCo and Keurig referred questions to the beverage association.
SNAP is a federally funded food-benefits program that provides money for low-income families to buy groceries. In fiscal year 2023, an average of 42.1 million people a month, or 12.6% of Americans, used the benefit, according to data from the Agriculture Department. Federal spending for the program was $112.8 billion and benefits averaged $211.93 per participant a month, the data show. The USDA said it doesn’t have national data on how much of that is spent on soft drinks.