People who use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to buy their groceries may soon find their options more limited due to new state efforts to block purchases of sugary drinks, sweet snacks and candies within the government assistance program.
On Friday (June 13), Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced Indiana and Iowa have been approved to block candy, soda and other foods and beverages deemed “unhealthy” from access via SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps.
Effective Jan. 1, 2026, Indiana will ban soft drinks and candy, while Iowa will ban all sweetened beverages and snacks.
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According to Supermarket News, Indiana and Iowa will join Nebraska, Utah and Idaho as the first U.S. states to limit SNAP purchases of sweets.
Other states reportedly seeking approval for similar bans include Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, Texas and West Virginia.
The move to ban soda and candy from SNAP has been controversial, with advocacy groups such as the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) of Washington, D.C. arguing such bans “mark a dangerous step toward dismantling SNAP” and further dehumanize SNAP users by limiting their purchasing autonomy.
FRAC also argues the cuts will only increase food insecurity in the U.S.
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According to the USDA, “SNAP provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford the nutritious food essential to health and well-being.”
SNAP benefits are issued to users via EBT, which is an electronic payment system similar to a debit card.
SNAP benefits as a whole are currently under major reform through President Donald Trump’s tax bill, which passed in the House and is currently being reviewed by the Senate.
The bill calls for more than $1 trillion in federal spending cuts, including major changes to how SNAP is funded as federal cuts could shift the financial responsibility to the states.
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