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2h ago

Five States Begin SNAP Limits on Soda, Candy Jan. 1 Under Federal Waivers

The rollout starts a two-year test under the MAHA agenda with mandated state evaluations.

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FILE - A banner reads: "EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) Accepted Here," at El Recuerdo Market in Los Angeles, Oct. 31, 2025, after two federal judges ordered President Donald Trump's administration to continue funding SNAP during the government shutdown. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, file)
FILE - An EBT SNAP sign is shown on a self check out screen at a grocery store in Mount Prospect, Ill., Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
A display on the National Mall, with the U.S. Capitol in the background, references Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits following the longest U.S. government shutdown in U.S. history, in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 14, 2025.

Overview

  • Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah and West Virginia start enforcing new SNAP purchase limits on Jan. 1, affecting about 1.4 million people.
  • Iowa adopts the broadest rules by tying eligibility to taxable items that exclude many prepared foods, while Utah and West Virginia bar soft drinks, Nebraska bans soda and energy drinks, and Indiana blocks soft drinks and candy.
  • USDA and HHS leaders Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Brooke Rollins frame the shift as combating diet-related disease under Make America Healthy Again.
  • Retailers warn of checkout disruptions and costly reprogramming, with industry groups estimating $1.6 billion upfront and $759 million in annual costs.
  • The waivers mark a departure from decades of SNAP practice, run for two years with a possible three-year extension, and are set to expand to 18 states during 2026 with required impact assessments.