South Carolina gets green light to exclude candy and sugary drinks from SNAP

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved Governor Henry McMaster’s waiver to exclude the purchase of candy, energy drinks, soft drinks and sweetened beverages from the list of eligible foods under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, in South Carolina.

The announcement came Wednesday from the USDA, which approved South Carolina and five other states for the waiver.

Governor McMaster announced his intent to pursue the waiver in August and issued an executive order in September directing the South Carolina Department of Social Services to submit the waiver request.

The order said they hope to have the change implemented by August 31, 2026. 

State and national health data were cited in support of the policy change. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, South Carolina has one of the highest adult obesity rates in the nation, with about 36% of adults classified as obese. A recent report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation found that 38% of children in South Carolina between the ages of 10 and 17 are considered obese.

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, SNAP enrollees consume significantly more sugary drinks than nonrecipients, with children enrolled in SNAP consuming 43% more than children not enrolled in SNAP with similar incomes.

“By encouraging families to purchase healthy, nutritious food – and not junk food – we ensure federal taxpayer dollars are used to their maximum benefit and keep South Carolina at the forefront of the effort to Make America Healthy Again,” Gov. McMaster said. 

This follows a trend by states to submit such a waiver to the USDA that began back in July. Most all of them followed a similar pattern of banning soda, candy, and energy drinks. It also follows a push by the Trump Administration, led by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., to stop the purchase of such items. 

A copy of the submitted waiver can be found here.