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DES MOINES — Soda and sweets soon will be off limits for purchase with taxpayer-funded food assistance benefits in Iowa, and the state said Friday it is working to implement those restrictions for the Jan. 1 implementation date.

Soft drinks, candy, gum and many other foods — most of which are generally deemed to be unhealthy — will be ineligible for purchase with SNAP benefits starting Jan. 1.

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services said in a release Friday that the agency is working proactively with retailers to educate them about the new rules.

The restrictions were designed, HHS says, to “promote healthier eating habits among Iowans receiving SNAP benefits.”

“As obesity and chro

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