WASHINGTON — The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved waivers for Arkansas, Idaho and Utah to exclude certain foods and beverages deemed unhealthy from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

For each state, the waiver amends the statutory definition of food eligible for purchase under SNAP and expands the list of products excluded from the federal hunger-assistance program.

Arkansas’ SNAP waiver, effective July 1, 2026, excludes candy, soda, low- and no-calorie soda, fruit and vegetable drinks containing less than 50% natural juice, and other drinks considered unhealthy. The waiver for Idaho prohibits soda and candy purchases via SNAP and goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2026. Utah’s waiver excludes soft drinks from SNAP and also becomes effective at the start of 2026.

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins signed the “food choice” waivers on June 10 at a press conference attended by Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Indiana Governor Mike Braun and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

“This approval sends a clear message: President Trump and his administration are tackling America’s chronic disease epidemic, and Arkansas stands with him in that fight,” said Sanders, who submitted the state’s waiver request in April. “I am incredibly grateful for Secretary Rollins’ quick approval of our waiver. Arkansas leads the nation in getting unhealthy, ultra-processed foods off food stamps and helping our most vulnerable citizens lead healthier lives.”

In May, the USDA approved SNAP waivers for Indiana, Iowa and Nebraska, the first state to be granted a waiver. Other states that have requested or are considering SNAP waivers — for soda, candy and/or other items — reportedly include Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia.

“America’s governors have proudly answered the call to innovate by improving nutrition programs, ensuring better choices while respecting the generosity of the American taxpayer,” Rollins said. “Each waiver submitted by the states and signed is yet another step closer to fulfilling President Trump’s promise to make America healthy again.”

Before the waivers, SNAP recipients could buy most edible groceries except hot and prepared foods, though Kennedy has proposed adding hot rotisserie chicken to the list of eligible items. The waivers are intended to give states — which handle the administration of SNAP payments — more flexibility in managing their programs by excluding “non-nutritious” items such as candy and soda and ensuring that SNAP funds are used to buy nutritious foods that improve health outcomes, according to the USDA.

“Idaho proudly welcomes the MAHA movement because it is all about looking for new ways to improve nutrition, increase exercise, and take better care of ourselves and one another, especially our children,” said Idaho Governor Brad Little. “We are excited to partner with the Trump administration in bringing common sense to the government’s food assistance program with the approval of our SNAP waiver.”

The latest state SNAP waivers come as the MAHA movement, led by Kennedy, has gained momentum. In late May, the White House’s MAHA Commission released a report that singles out ultra-processed grains, sugars and fats as among the foods fueling chronic disease in US children via nutrient depletion, higher caloric intake and consumption of food additives. Rollins and Kennedy are among the top administration officials serving in the commission.

“Thank you to the governors of Indiana, Arkansas, Idaho, Utah, Iowa, and Nebraska for their bold leadership and unwavering commitment to Make America Healthy Again,” Kennedy said at the signing of the new SNAP waivers. “I call on every governor in the nation to submit a SNAP waiver to eliminate sugary drinks — taxpayer dollars should never bankroll products that fuel the chronic disease epidemic.”

Concern over “state patchwork” of SNAP requirements

Currently, about 42 million people — or about one of every eight Americans — receive SNAP benefits, according to USDA data. The program is among a range of federal benefits targeted for spending cuts in President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful” budget bill passed by the House. The House Agricultural Committee has projected that changes to SNAP, including tighter work requirements and transfer of more costs to states, will yield federal savings of $290 billion.

“While these state waiver requests reflect the laudable goal of promoting healthier dietary habits, such policy shifts could lead to significant unintended consequences for grocery stores, SNAP participants and all consumers,” Elizabeth Tansing, vice president of state government relations, and Peter Matz, director of food, pharmacy and health policy at FMI-The Food Industry Association, said in a June 6 blog post. “This is uncharted territory for SNAP and would increase costs, complicate a highly efficient nationwide system shoppers rely on and create a slippery slope of state-by-state variation that undermines the program’s foundation.”

Slapping on more state-specific exclusions to the federal list of eligible SNAP products via waivers “adds significant complexity to a program long praised for its simplicity and administrative efficiency” and may do so “often without clear evidence of improved health outcomes,” Tansing and Matz noted.

“That’s partly because states only have data on what is purchased with the SNAP EBT card, not on the shopper’s full basket,” they explained. “Many SNAP participants use personal payment methods in addition to SNAP benefits in a single transaction, meaning a shopper’s foods like fruits, vegetables or lean proteins might be paid for with personal cash, debit or credit cards.”

More than 20,000 new food and beverage products are launched annually, adding to the 650,000-plus items already on the market and to the average grocery store stock of 32,000 items, FMI reported. 

“Differing state-by-state rules (for SNAP) will require new compliance programs, staff training and monthly point-of-sale software updates as new food products coming into the marketplace will need to be evaluated for compliance,” Tansing and Matz said. “These added burdens could lead to checkout delays, higher costs and customer confusion, especially if SNAP rules differ by the state where a card is issued versus where it is used.

“FMI urges policymakers to understand the real-world operational impacts before allowing a fragmented approach to take hold,” they added.