INDIANA—Indiana will significantly restrict the use of federal food assistance benefits after receiving approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for a two-year pilot program.
The new policy, which aims to promote healthier eating among low-income Hoosiers, will prohibit the purchase of soft drinks and candy using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
The restrictions are set to take effect on January 1, 2026.
Governor Mike Braun announced the approval as a key component of his “Make Indiana Healthy Again” initiative, stating that the move is a common-sense step to align the SNAP program with its intended purpose of providing nutrition. Data cited by the administration suggests that SNAP dollars nationwide are spent more frequently on sugary drinks and candy than on fruits and vegetables.
Detailed Restrictions and Definitions
The approved ban will adhere to Indiana’s state definitions for the restricted items, creating specific purchasing rules for retailers and recipients:
- Soft Drinks Banned: This category includes nonalcoholic beverages containing natural or artificial sweeteners.
- Exclusions: The ban does not apply to beverages that contain milk or milk products, milk substitutes (such as soy or rice milk), or any drink that is composed of greater than 50% fruit or vegetable juice by volume. This means items like most 100% fruit juices and milk-based shakes will remain eligible for purchase with SNAP.
- Candy Banned: This is defined as a preparation of sugar, honey, or other natural or artificial sweeteners, combined with chocolate, fruits, nuts, or other ingredients, in the form of bars, drops, or pieces.
- Exclusions: The definition of candy excludes any preparation requiring refrigeration (such as ice cream or frozen desserts) or any preparation containing flour (meaning certain popular candy bars that include flour, like Kit Kat or Twix, may still be eligible).
The new policy is authorized as a two-year pilot program under Section 17 of the Food and Nutrition Act, which allows the Secretary of Agriculture to approve state-level demonstration projects.
The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has approved the waiver, noting that the purpose is to evaluate the project’s impact on participants’ purchasing habits and diets. The state is tasked with developing metrics and collecting data on how the exclusion of these items affects SNAP recipients and retailers.
Indiana joins a handful of other states that have recently received or are seeking similar waivers to limit the use of SNAP benefits on items classified as having low nutritional value.
