From 1995 to 2010, taxpayers spent $16.9 billion to subsidize four common food additives: corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, corn starch and soy oils — the kinds of things that are found in “junk” food like Twinkies, according to a report by U.S. Public Interest Research Group. During that same time frame, only $262 million was spent on subsidizing apples — the only significant federal subsidy of fresh fruits or vegetables for human consumption, according to the report. If these subsidies went directly to consumers to allow them to purchase food, each of America’s 144 million taxpayers would get $7.36 to spend on junk food and 11 cents for apples each year, amounting to about 19 Twinkies and only a slice of an apple, according to the report.
Read the article: What are your tax dollars funding?
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