NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 30: A store displays a sign accepting Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) purchases for groceries on October 30, 2025 in New York City. Approximately 42 million Americans rely on food stamps that are deposited monthly onto their EBT cards. On November 1st, that assistance is set to end amid the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, potentially leaving households desperate to find ways to put food on the table.

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Jenni Fink

By Jenni Fink

Senior Editor

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved six states' waivers on Wednesday, allowing them to ban candy, soft drinks and other food from being purchased with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

Why It Matters

SNAP benefits being used for junk food has faced additional scrutiny under the “Make America Healthy Again” movement. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has criticized SNAP benefits being used for such products because they help fuel diabetes and chronic illness.

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Since the start of the year, 18 states have gotten waivers approved to put limits on what SNAP benefits can be used to buy.

What To Know

Hawaii, Missouri, North Dakota, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee had waivers approved, according to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins. An estimated 3 million people receive SNAP benefits in those six states, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

The restrictions are set to go into place next year and Dr. Mehmet Oz, director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services at the DHHS, said at an event Wednesday that states applying for the waiver will be given an advantage when seeking a piece of the $50 billion rural health fund.

A store displays a sign accepting Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) grocery purchases, on October 30 in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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South Carolina officials said they were applying for the waiver due to rates of adult and childhood obesity. States will be amending the definition of “food for purchase,” and candy, soft drinks and even sprinkles could be on the chopping block. However, the specific foods that will be restricted are to be handled on a state-by-state basis.

Along with the six states that had their waivers approved on Wednesday, 12 others added food purchase restrictions:

What They're Saying

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, in a statement on Facebook: “By encouraging families to purchase healthy, nutritious food – and not junk food – we ensure federal taxpayer dollars are used to their maximum benefit and keep South Carolina at the forefront of the effort to Make America Healthy Again.”

Rollins, in a statement: “President Trump has made it clear: we are restoring SNAP to its true purpose – nutrition. Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic diseases epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”

Kennedy, in a statement: “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.”

What Happens Next

Changes are expected to go into place next year, with some taking effect January 1 and others not being implemented until the summer or fall, according to the waivers.

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