T-R PHOTO BY LANA BRADSTREAM
Utilizing a virtual meeting option, Iowa State Manager for Save the Children Action Network Paige Chickering tells the Marshall County Food Access Committee about upcoming changes to the SNAP program for Iowa recipients. The committee met on Tuesday at the Marshalltown Extension office.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, Marshall County residents on SNAP will be restricted in items they can purchase with the food benefit program.
During Tuesday’s Marshall County Food Access Committee meeting, members were given an update on the types of food that will no longer be available through SNAP. Paige Chickering, the Iowa state manager for Save the Children Action Network, said there are some current restrictions on foods which people can purchase with SNAP, such as hot food, soup bars, alcohol and tobacco.
“Essentially, everything else in the grocery store is on the table for folks on SNAP, what used to be called food stamps,” she said. “That’s at the federal level. Now individual states have been sending waivers, asking to restrict which foods folks using SNAP can purchase.”
Chickering said there are 10 states which have restrictions, but Iowa is not alone. The State of Iowa submitted such a waiver to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which runs the program, asking for certain taxable food items to be omitted. The purpose is to make sure that people on SNAP are meeting the purpose of the program, which is to extend food budgets in a household so beneficiaries can afford nutritious food.
“What it amounts to is essentially a soda and candy ban,” she said. “Then there’s a lot of weird regulations within the taxable food list, like a prepared salad that has a fork included is a taxable food. So, those folks cannot buy those prepared salads. There are these weird things written into the taxable food law that expand a little bit, and that’s an area where we think we might be able to do some advocacy to try to change some of that code in Iowa and say those folks in Iowa can buy the salad.”
The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a list of taxable foods, which are:
• Hot items, such as rotisserie chicken, Chinese food, fried chicken and pizza;
• A cold pizza slice which was made on site the previous day, is wrapped in plastic and available from a refrigeration unit;
• Cold Chinese food consisting of multiple items such as chicken, rice and an egg roll. The food was made the previous day and is being sold in a container from a refrigeration unit;
• A fruit cup with an attached spoon;
• Six, eight or 12 pieces of in-store prepared sushi;
• A sandwich assembled and packaged at a factory;
• Sandwich made on-site at a deli and either handed directly to the customer or wrapped in plastic and sold in a refrigeration unit;
• Soda, including those containing 50 percent of or less fruit or vegetable juice;
• Candy and candy-coated items;
• Chewing gum;
• Vitamins and minerals.
“We don’t fully understand why some things are included,” Chickering said. “I think some of these things are a little outdated or not totally sensible anymore, but that is going into effect Jan. 1.”
Chickering told the committee HHS has gotten its list approved by the USDA. There is a quality control evaluation, Chickering added, to determine whether or not the restrictions will improve health.
“They will have to do a lot of data collection, but at the same time, Iowa HHS is also working in the context of HR1, the One Big Beautiful Bill that was passed,” she said. “So, there’s a lot of other changes to SNAP contained within that federal legislation they are trying to implement.”
Marshall County Extension Director Amy Pieper asked Chickering to send her a list of suggested foods which will be easy to stock in the free little pantries.
Chickering told the members they are trying to spread the word of these changes, as communication from the state has been limited. By helping SNAP users understand the new limitations, she said they hope to prevent some possible embarrassments and further program stigma.
“Our concern is folks are going to get in the grocery line with their SNAP dollars, and all the things they have been buying for years . . . all of a sudden it’s not going to be covered,” Chickering said. “That can be a very challenging conversation to have in a grocery store line, especially when they don’t have additional dollars with them to put toward those other items.”
Pieper asked Fareway Manager Derrick Powers if grocery stores have taken any steps to prepare for the Jan. 1 SNAP changes. He told her the system will be updated at the corporate level. They are planning employee meetings to let everyone know, but he is worried about the first month of the new restrictions.
“We’re just as worried about the line, also,” Powers said. “Our goal is never to make people feel a certain way. So, we will have some signage up. But, how much signage – we’re still in talks about how to do that. . . I’m trying to find a good balance, but maybe in the candy and pop aisle, there might be some signage, trying to let people know. The goal at the end is to make it a smooth process. No matter how they’re paying, we want to make it as smooth as we can.”
——-
Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or
lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.
