Starting January 1, five states—Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah, and West Virginia—will implement new restrictions on what SNAP recipients can purchase, banning items like soda and candy. This policy, aimed at reducing diet-related health issues, has raised concerns among retailers about implementation challenges, potential shopper confusion due to varying state rules, and longer checkout lines. Studies on the effectiveness of such bans in improving health outcomes remain inconclusive, and state SNAP programs are already facing budget cuts.