SNAP crackdown: 5 states implement soda and candy ban effective immediately

More than a dozen states have signed SNAP Food Restriction Waivers banning the use of federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funds for " non-nutritious items like soda and candy. "

Starting Jan. 1, 2026, five states are actually implementing those restrictions.

Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah, and West Virginia are enforcing the new SNAP rule effective immediately while an additional 12 states will implement the rule later in the year.

The policy comes as part of the Trump Administration's SNAP reforms, aimed at boosting nutrition and strengthening program integrity, the USDA claims.

These 18 states have signed waivers as of Jan. 1, 2026:

• Arkansas

• Colorado

• Florida

• Hawaii

• Idaho

• Indiana

• Iowa

• Louisiana

• Missouri

• Nebraska

• North Dakota

• Oklahoma

• South Carolina

• Tennessee

• Texas

• Utah

• Virginia

• West Virginia

A majority of states included on the list have requested to restrict purchasing soda and soft drinks while some have requested to expand that restriction to candy and prepared desserts.

Iowa's restrictions include all taxable food items defined by the Iowa Department of Revenue except food producing plants and seeds for food producing plants.

Implementation dates for the ban range from Jan. 1, 2026, and Aug. 31, 2026.

Among the most recent to join the list are Hawaii, Missouri, North Dakota, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee, which were approved for waivers last month.

• Read more: 6 more states ban using SNAP for soda and candy as list grows to 18

In a December press release , USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said "President Trump has made it clear," that the administration is "restoring SNAP to its true purpose – nutrition."

Rollins said the new waivers "empower" states to lead and are "protecting our children from the dangers of highly-processed foods, and moving one step closer to the President's promise to Make America Healthy Again."

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