SNAP Ban On Candy, Soda, And ‘Junk Foods’ Goes Into Effect Jan. 1

The first five state bans will impact about 1.4 million people.

The New Year is bringing new restrictions and bans for Americans living in five states who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Starting Jan. 1, 2026, people living in Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah, and West Virginia will not be able to purchase soda, candy, or other “junk food” items.

These states are the first five of at least 18 states that have enacted waivers prohibiting certain foods for SNAP recipients. According to the Associated Press, it’s part of a push by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to eliminate what they deem as unhealthy foods from those who receive benefits on the federal program.

“We cannot continue a system that forces taxpayers to fund programs that make people sick and then pay a second time to treat the illnesses those very programs help create,” Kennedy said in a statement in December.

In Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again initiative, the health secretary, who has no formal medical or public health training, says this effort will help reduce chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes associated with sweetened drinks and foods.

But industry experts, including retail and health policy leaders, say banning certain foods will not solve these problems.

“Broadening restrictions essentially tells these families they can’t be trusted to make their own food choices, which is both demeaning and, according to the evidence, ineffective at improving nutrition behaviors,” said Kate Bauer, associate professor of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, in a statement. “We all deserve dignity.”

Even more concerning is that a report from the National Grocers Association and other trade groups estimates the restrictions would cost U.S. retailers $1.6 billion initially and an additional $759 million every year after.

The first five state waivers will impact about 1.4 million people. Utah and West Virginia will reportedly ban SNAP benefits from being used to buy soda and other soft drinks. Recipients in Nebraska will prohibit the sale of soda and energy drinks. In Indiana, soft drinks and candy cannot be purchased.

Iowa has the most restrictive rules. SNAP restrictions target taxable foods, including soda, candy, and certain prepared foods. Since 2008, under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, SNAP benefits could be used for “any food or food product intended for human consumption.” The only exceptions were alcohol, ready-to-eat hot foods, and tobacco.

The new ban will last for at least two years. States will have the option to extend them for an additional three. Each state will be required to assess the impact of the changes.