More Than 2 Million to Face Major SNAP Changes: What to Know
Retailers in five states will block specified products from being paid for with SNAP at checkout.
Nearly 2.7 million people in South Carolina, North Dakota, Montana, Ohio and Virginia who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits face new restrictions on what they can purchase over the next six weeks. The changes, a result of the Trump administration's efforts to limit the types of products eligible for SNAP, come into effect on different dates in each state, starting August 31 in South Carolina and ending October 1 in Ohio and Virginia.
The USDA's current list of SNAP food restriction waivers shows that these five states had more than 2.6 million SNAP participants as of April.
SNAP benefits, commonly known as food stamps, help over 35 million low- and no-income Americans afford groceries. However, these new restrictions do not affect the total value of monthly benefits; instead, retailers will be barred from accepting specific products at checkout. The exact definitions of restricted items differ by state.
South Carolina will prohibit the purchase of candy, energy drinks, sweetened sodas and other high-sugar beverages, while North Dakota extends the ban to energy drinks, specific sweetened drinks, and calorie-rich drinks. Montana's restrictions include candy, high-sugar beverages, energy drinks, and shelf-stable processed sweets, while Ohio will ban beverages with sugar or similar caloric sweeteners as their primary ingredient and all fountain drinks.
Virginia's restrictions cover soda, diet soda, zero or artificially sweetened soda, carbonated energy drinks, and carbonated drinks with at least five grams of added sugar per serving.
The aim of these changes is to refocus SNAP on promoting healthier nutrition, with USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins arguing that SNAP should prioritize nutrition. However, critics argue that such restrictions may limit consumer choice and should instead focus on empowering lower-income households to make healthier choices. The expansion of these restrictions has faced legal challenges, with a U.S. District Judge ruling that the USDA exceeded its authority in approving these health-focused restrictions.
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