Arkansas recently became the first state in the country to request permission from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ban purchases of soda and candy from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
If approved, the waiver would make the products ineligible for SNAP purchases for five years, starting in July 2026. The waiver specifically asks that the state be allowed to exclude “non-staple food and beverage items,” including soda, low and no-calorie soda, fruit and vegetable drinks with less than 50 percent natural juice, “unhealthy drinks” and candy, including candy that is artificially sweetened and confectionary products that contain flour. Officials said the ban would not extend to flavored water, carbonated flavored water and sports drinks.
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said the USDA will move quickly to approve the waiver as part of the Trump Administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” efforts. Rollins and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., have called on all states to submit similar waiver requests.
The request is being met with resistance from convenience stores.
“These waivers raise questions about the workability of SNAP,” Margaret Mannion, National Association of Convenience Stores Director of Government Relations. “We hope that the Department will consider the impact on small format stores when considering these potential changes.”
If approved, NACS said, the waiver could set a precedent that would affect how retailers are able to serve SNAP customers and to navigate lists of what is allowed and what is not allowed. The organization said retailers in states where waivers are approved with face operational and compliance challenges. Several states are poised to consider similar waiver requests, the organization said. Additionally, companies with stores in multiple states could potentially face different requirements in different states, requiring further challenges.