Florida became the first state to bar SNAP recipients from buying soda, energy drinks, candy, and ultra-processed shelf-stable desserts with food benefits, under a federal waiver that took effect April 20, 2026.
What the Waiver Restricts
Under Florida’s approved SNAP waiver, benefits can no longer be used to buy a defined list of items: soda, energy drinks, candy, and certain ultra-processed, shelf-stable prepared desserts. Everyday grocery items outside those categories are unaffected — the restriction targets specific product categories rather than broad nutrition classes like sugar or fat content generally.
This is a purchase restriction, not a benefit cut. A household’s monthly SNAP amount doesn’t change because of the waiver; what changes is which items ring up as eligible at checkout.
Why It’s a First
States have asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture for permission to restrict SNAP-eligible items before, but Florida’s waiver is the first of this kind to actually take effect, making it a test case other states are watching. Several other states have pursued or discussed similar waivers targeting soda and candy specifically, following the same general approach — use the existing federal waiver process rather than separately legislating what counts as "food" under SNAP.
How It Works at the Register
Florida’s SNAP administrator worked with the USDA and retailers to update point-of-sale systems so restricted items no longer clear on an EBT card, the same way SNAP already excludes non-food items like alcohol, tobacco, and household goods. Shoppers who want a restricted item still can — they just have to pay with cash, debit, or another non-SNAP method for that specific item, the same way they already would for anything SNAP has never covered.
What Florida SNAP Recipients Should Know
Nothing about applying for or keeping SNAP eligibility changed — this is purely a change to what the benefit can buy, not who qualifies or how much they get. If a purchase is unexpectedly declined at checkout, it’s worth checking whether the item falls into one of the restricted categories before assuming it’s an account or eligibility issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this reduce how much SNAP money I get?
No. It only changes which products you can buy with that money — the benefit amount itself is set by the normal SNAP formula and is unaffected.
Can I still buy soda or candy at all?
Yes, just not with SNAP/EBT funds. Any other form of payment still works for those items, the same as it always has for things SNAP never covered.
Does this apply outside Florida?
Not yet — this is a Florida-specific waiver. Other states have discussed similar restrictions, but as of this waiver taking effect, it has not been applied nationwide.
Source: Florida Healthy SNAP