The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has approved a request from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to launch a “demonstration project” that changes what can be bought with SNAP benefits.
Starting October 1, 2026, Ohio will restrict SNAP purchases of sugar-sweetened beverages and all fountain drinks. This pilot program will run for two years.
This Change Has Been Delayed Indefinitely
In an update dated September 4, 2026, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services indicated that these changes have been “put on hold at the request of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA).”
What is Changing?
Ohio is amending the definition of “eligible food” to exclude sugar-sweetened beverages from SNAP purchases.
Ohio defines sugar-sweetened beverages as drinks with sugar, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, or similar caloric sweeteners as the primary ingredient, or as the second ingredient if the first ingredient is carbonated water.
In June 2026, they expanded the definition to also include all fountain drinks, regardless of what is in them.
| Category | ❌ No Longer Eligible (Banned) | ✅ Still Eligible (Allowed) |
|---|---|---|
| Soda & Pop | ❌ Regular soda (Coke, Pepsi, Dr Pepper, Mountain Dew) ❌ All fountain drinks, including diet soda and seltzer ❌ Other fizzy drinks with sugar as a main ingredient | ✅ Plain sparkling water |
| Sugary Drinks | ❌ Drinks with sugar, corn syrup, or high-fructose corn syrup as a main ingredient ❌ Sweetened carbonated drinks | ✅ Unsweetened drinks ✅ Water |
| Juice & Dairy | ❌ Some sugary juice drinks may be affected if added sugar is one of the main ingredients | ✅ 100% juice ✅ Milk and milk products ✅ Milk substitutes like soy or almond milk |
| Other Foods | ✅ Candy, chips, cookies, bread, meat, produce, cereal, pasta, and other groceries are still allowed |
Who is Affected?
Every SNAP shopper in the state of Ohio will be affected by this change. It applies to 100% of the Ohio SNAP caseload.
The restriction is mandatory and there is no opt-out for the food rules themselves. However, if Ohio asks SNAP households to participate in surveys, interviews, or dietary recalls for the project evaluation, those research activities are voluntary.
Critical Things You Need to Know
The USDA approval letter reveals several important details about how this project will work.
You can still shop with SNAP in other states. The waiver specifically says that out-of-state transactions will not be used as a primary indicator of fraud and will not negatively affect eligibility.
Ohio will monitor the program closely. The state must submit regular reports to USDA about complaints, retailer compliance, costs, and other project data.
Retailers will have a 90-day grace period. After the rule begins, retailers will have 90 days to adjust before federal compliance monitoring fully kicks in.
The project could be extended. The initial waiver runs from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2028, but Ohio may request up to three additional one-year extensions, for a total possible project length of five years.
You do not have to participate in surveys. Ohio plans to evaluate the program using surveys and interviews, but participation in those tools is optional.
How to Prepare
Ohio’s rule is narrower than some other states because it focuses only on sugar-sweetened beverages, not candy or snack foods. Here are a few ways to get ready:
- Look at the ingredient label. Ohio’s definition focuses on whether sugar, corn syrup, or high-fructose corn syrup is one of the main ingredients. That means ingredient lists may matter more than product names.
- Plan for regular soda to be off-limits with SNAP. If your household regularly buys Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, or other sugary sodas, you may need to budget cash for those drinks starting in October 2026.
- Watch juice drinks carefully. Some juice drinks may still be okay, but others may be affected if added sugar is one of the main ingredients. Checking the label before checkout may help avoid surprises.
Relief Recap
Ohio’s SNAP restriction is more limited than some of the other state proposals we’ve seen so far. This waiver only targets sugar-sweetened beverages, which means most groceries families depend on every day are still fully covered. The new rules are scheduled to begin on October 1, 2026, so there is time to prepare.
I would like to know what the ODJF demonstration project is. What are they looking for and why? What are the benefits of the “project”? How can someone find out? Our news said the USDA was behind this restriction. It would be so much better for everyone if government agencies worked on bigger issues than micro-managing the poor. I can think of finding a way to lower food costs and providing job skills so people can get a good-paying job would be a good use of the Government’s time. But what do I know?
You’re definitely not alone in wondering about this. The demonstration projects are meant to test how certain changes might impact SNAP, but the exact details—like who qualifies and what the long-term benefits might be—aren’t always fully clear yet. We’ll keep sharing updates as more information becomes available.
It’s a great healthy way and you still can have your drinks and anything without sugar NICE:)