Arkansas will move forward with a ban on using SNAP for candy and soda despite recent court ruling
The state says the waiver-based rules will target sugary drinks and candy to curb obesity and diabetes, affecting nearly 42 million SNAP users nationwide.
- Starting Wednesday, Arkansas will prohibit Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits from purchasing candy and soda. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced the policy on Monday, citing an urgent need to combat a "chronic disease epidemic" in America.
- Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins pushed for the ban as part of the "Make America Healthy Again" campaign. Sanders argued the state was simultaneously approving candy purchases via SNAP while spending Medicaid funds treating resulting diseases.
- The state launched the AR SNAP Companion app, created by Chicago-based Sifter Solutions, to help families identify eligible products at more than 2,500 SNAP-authorized retailers. The app will scan barcodes, displaying eligibility status for 223,490 Arkansans enrolled in SNAP.
- Despite a federal judge vacating similar restrictions in other states last week, Arkansas is proceeding with the ban. Christin Harper, policy director at Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, warned the administrative complexity could cause independent retailers to stop accepting SNAP.
- The USDA-approved waiver also prohibits fruit and vegetable drinks with less than 50% natural juice. While Sanders dismissed legal challenges as "crazy," critics contend the state lacks evidence that restrictions effectively improve diet quality and long-term health outcomes.
42 Articles
42 Articles
Arkansas bans soft drinks and candy from food stamps
Arkansas SNAP recipients will no longer be able to use their benefits to buy soft drinks or candy starting Wednesday, under a waiver submitted by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-AR). “We want to make Arkansans more and more healthy, and by incentivizing those types of purchases, that is exactly what we’re going to do,” Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday in a video posted on X. Sanders submitted a waiver to ban junk food in April 2025, and it was signe…
Arkansas Moves Ahead With SNAP Ban on Soda and Candy
Little Rock, Arkansas — Arkansas is moving ahead with new SNAP purchasing limits that will block beneficiaries from using food aid to buy candy, soda, and certain sugary drinks beginning Wednesday, despite a recent federal court ruling against similar waiver-based restrictions in other states. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced the rollout Monday, arguing that public assistance should not subsidize products tied to obesity, diabetes, and othe…
Arkansas will move forward with a ban on using SNAP for candy and soda despite recent court ruling - Regional Media News
Arkansas is moving forward with its plan to ban government food aid from being used to buy candy and soda beginning on Wednesday, even though a federal judge ruled last week that similar restrictions in other states violated federal law. Announcing the plan on Monday, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders cited an urgent need to combat a "chronic disease epidemic" in America, including high rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. On one floor of the…
Associated Press News
Arkansas will move forward with a ban on using SNAP for candy and soda despite recent court ruling
Arkansas is moving forward with a ban on allowing government food aid to be used for candy and soda. The ban starts Wednesday.
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