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USDA Approves Waivers in Six States to Bar Junk Food Purchases with SNAP Benefits

They mark the latest step in the administration’s effort to reduce diet-related diseases by banning sugary drinks and candy from SNAP.

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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins speaks to the media outside the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May, 5, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo
Stock image/file photo: A woman looks at shelves stocked with soft drinks in a grocery store.
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Overview

  • The approvals for Arkansas, Idaho and Utah are part of the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again initiative, bringing the total to six states with waivers to restrict SNAP purchases of soda, candy and other processed foods.
  • Arkansas’ waiver, effective July 1, 2026, bars standard and low-calorie sodas, fruit and vegetable drinks with under 50% juice, and candy from SNAP-eligible items.
  • Idaho and Utah will implement bans on soda and candy starting January 1, 2026, under the new USDA waivers.
  • States including Colorado, Kansas, West Virginia, Texas, Ohio, Florida and Louisiana are actively seeking similar waivers to limit junk food spending with SNAP benefits.
  • Brooke Rollins and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the USDA will issue updated dietary guidelines this summer emphasizing whole, nutritious foods.