By Howard Fischer | AZ Capitol Times
Saying they have no nutritional value, a Lake Havasu Republican is leading the charge to take sodas – with or without sugar – off the list of what Arizonans can purchase with food stamps.
But candy would remain on the list of acceptable items as Rep. Leo Biasiucci found he could not get the support he needed for his original plan, which also would restrict the purchase of candy. Colleagues raised questions about how to define that and whether there’s a real nutritional difference between a Snickers and a granola bar.
And nothing in the bill would prevent those in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the formal name for food stamps, from high-sugar cereals like Fruit Loops, which has 12 grams of added sugar for each 39-gram serving.
Approval of HB 2165 this week by the House Committee on Health and Human Services came over the objections of Mike Gardner, lobbyist for the Arizona Beverage Association. He told lawmakers that his industry has done more to provide sugar-free alternatives than other food manufacturers.
