BATON ROUGE - Gov. Jeff Landry signed an executive order Thursday that requests the federal government to ban soda and candy purchases from Louisiana's food stamp program, despite saying in a public statement that the order would outright ban the practice.

Landry's executive order cites Arkansas and Indiana as states that have requested United States Department of Agriculture waivers to ban sugary drinks and other unhealthy items from Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program purchases. The order also says that Idaho, Utah, Iowa, Nebraska and West Virginia have also expressed intentions to seek waivers.

His order also cites President Donald Trump's own executive order signed Feb. 13 that "acknowledged the current health crisis facing the United States." The order references a 2014 Harvard study that says banning the purchase of sugary foods through food stamps "is likely to reduce obesity rates and type-2 diabetes among low-income Americans."

The order says that the state Department of Children and Family Services should submit a request for a waiver no later than Oct. 1. 

"The Secretary of DCFS shall also determine ways to incentivize the purchase of fruit and vegetables, such as a Double Up Program, providing participants money back for every dollar spent on fruits and vegetables, up to a certain monthly limit," the order reads. 

In a video posted to social media, Landry said his order would be "banning soda and candy purchases from Louisiana’s food stamp program," despite the order only requesting DCFS to file for a waiver to ban the practice.

See his full statement here:

The Make America Healthy Again movement is not one of words, but of action!

That is why today I signed an Executive Order banning soda and candy purchases from Louisiana’s food stamp program.

A healthy Louisiana ?? a stronger Louisiana pic.twitter.com/XMQBIXC8QI

— Governor Jeff Landry (@LAGovJeffLandry) May 1, 2025

In the video, he claims ultra processed foods and chemicals cause heart disease, diabetes, anxiety and cancer; he also said concerns about these foods and chemicals were "drowned out by Big Pharma and Big Food."

Landry credited the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary and Louisiana State Senator Patrick McMath's SB14 bill proposal, which prohibits public schools from using certain dyes and additives as well as making retailers display warnings of certain ingredients in items, as an influence. 

"I realized there is more that we can do, and we can do it right now," Landry said.

Landry said people who wanted to consume these items should have that come out of their own pockets instead of the state paying for it.

"Why should we stand idly by while the least fortunate in our state are solicited to eat things that make them less healthy and vulnerable to chronic diseases?", Landry said.

The governor also said this was "just the start of our plans to make Louisiana healthy."