Texas SNAP Candy and Soda Ban Takes Effect

The grocery checkout became a different kind of threshold for roughly 3.3 million Texans on Wednesday morning. New SNAP restrictions under Senate Bill 379 now bar Lone Star Card purchases of candy, gum, and any sweetened drink containing five grams or more of added sugar — or any amount of artificial sweetener. The law, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in June 2025 and approved via USDA waiver last August, applies to every retailer in the state. "Texas is leading the way in aligning SNAP benefits with healthier food options," Abbott said in the HHSC press release announcing the effective date.

The ban's reach extends past the obvious. Regular sodas, diet sodas, certain fruit juices with added sugar, taffy, and chocolate- or yogurt-coated nuts are all ineligible. Baking chocolate, granola bars, and curiously milk-based beverages, including chocolate milk, remain covered. "Those categories can be a little confusing," said Theresa Mangapora, executive director of the Brazos Valley Food Bank.

Retailers must attempt to block any restricted items at the register. But recipients who accidentally scan a prohibited product will not lose their benefits. The real-time human math—the moment a purchase is declined in a crowded line—is harder to administer. "You don't want the participant to feel stigma, or shame, or less than," said Eric Cooper, CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank, warning of "education misses" as the policy takes hold.