BATON ROUGE – A request to extend a waiver to allow the purchase of hot foods with SNAP and DSNAP benefits has been approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service.

The purchase of hot foods for SNAP and DSNAP benefits will be available through eligible retailers through Dec. 31.

Normally, federal regulations define eligible food purchases with SNAP and DSNAP benefits as "any food or food product intended for human consumption except alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and hot foods and hot food products prepared for immediate consumption."

The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services requested an extension to the waiver specifically to allow the purchase of hot food and hot food products with SNAP benefits to avoid hardship for those residents who were impacted by the severe weather and flooding in August. The waiver has served an estimated 572,064 Louisiana households.