South Carolina Blocks $89 Million in SNAP Spending on Candy and Soda

The South Carolina Department of Social Services will exclude candy, soft drinks, energy drinks, and sweetened beverages from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program starting Nov. 1. The change, designated as the Healthy Food SC project, was authorized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. Recipients can still use their benefits to purchase diet and zero-sugar soft drinks.

Gov. Henry McMaster initiated the process in August 2025 when he announced his intent to seek a federal waiver. He issued an executive order in September of that year, directing state officials to submit the request to federal regulators. The USDA subsequently granted the waiver, allowing the state to modify its standard SNAP rules.

All SNAP-approved retailers in the state must participate in the new restrictions. Households receiving benefits will not have the option to opt out of the program. The changes affect the entire state, applying uniformly to every store that accepts the electronic benefit transfer system.

In June 2026, the program supported 235,235 households, representing a total of 481,856 individuals. Those households received $89,341,975 in federally funded benefits for that single month. The new rules will apply to all future transactions processed through the system from Sunday onward.

The department has published a list of items that can no longer be purchased with the benefits. The restrictions target specific categories of sugary goods while leaving other food groups unchanged. The state will monitor compliance at the point of sale to ensure the correct items are excluded from eligible transactions.