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 signed by the Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins in June 2025, according to a press release.

“It is crazy that hardworking taxpayers pay for the soft drinks and junk food that make people unhealthy and then pay for the healthcare those people need to get better,” Sanders said. “Arkansas is fixing that broken system.”

Food, not junk.

Arkansas is getting soft drinks and candy OFF food stamps starting July 1 – because taxpayer dollars shouldn’t be wasted on unhealthy junk. pic.twitter.com/Y81yryYL98

Under the waiver, SNAP benefits may no longer be used to purchase soft drinks, including low- and no-calorie sodas. It also includes fruit and vegetable beverages containing less than 50% natural juice, candy, or other beverages considered unhealthy.

The Arkansas Department of Human Services launched a mobile app that helps streamline the process for shoppers. The app allows customers to scan products, which tells them if they are eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits.

“Government programs need to recognize the link between nutrition and health, which is why Arkansas is leading with common sense and making this long overdue change to our food stamp program,” Sanders said.