U.S. agriculture officials proposed changes Thursday to the federal program that helps pay the grocery bills for low-income pregnant women, babies and young children, including extending a bump in payments for fresh fruits and vegetables allowed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The update also adds more whole grains, canned fish and
non-dairy options to their shopping carts. The effort is aimed at expanding the
number and type of healthy foods available to families who get assistance from
the Agriculture Department’s program known as WIC, officials said.
“These proposals will promote healthier lifestyles and
brighter futures for millions of children,” said Stacy Dean, deputy
undersecretary for food, nutrition, and consumer services.
The revisions would make permanent payments authorized by
Congress during the COVID-19 pandemic that increased vouchers for fruits and
vegetables to $25 a month for children ages 1 to 5 and to $49 a month for
breastfeeding women.
“This increase in fruits and vegetables has really made it
attractive for families to have their children in the program longer,” said
Geraldine Henchy, director of the nonprofit Food Research and Action center,
who applauded the changes. “Kids really love fruit.”
At the same time, the plan would reduce the amounts of some
foods, for example reducing or eliminating juice allowed for some recipients.
It also reduces the amount of milk and cheese covered under the program, a move
that drew immediate criticism from the dairy industry.
“It is unfortunate for WIC participants that the proposed
rule would decrease access to dairy products and the unique nutrient profile
they provide,” the International Dairy Foods Association and the National Milk
Producers Federation said in a statement.
More than 6.2 million pregnant women, mothers, babies and
young children participate in the program annually. The federal government
currently pays about $5 billion a year to run the program, which is
administered through states and other jurisdictions. The Supplemental Nutrition
Program for Women, Infants and Children provides vouchers to mothers and
children who qualify and specifically lists the amount and types of food they
can buy.
The proposed changes to WIC would also expand access to
whole grains, encompassing foods from different cultures, including quinoa,
blue cornmeal and teff, an ancient East African cereal grass. The plan also
allows more non-dairy options, including soy-based yogurts and cheeses, and
requires lactose-free milk to be included.
“It reflects the fact that different people have different
capacities to tolerate different kinds of food,” Agriculture Secretary Tom
Vilsak said.
More canned fish, such as tuna, would be available as well
as easy-to-prepare canned beans, in addition to dried beans, officials said.
The plan would also change the amount of infant formula provided to partially
breastfed babies.
Increasing the voucher for fruits and vegetables to $25 a
month during the pandemic has allowed Elizabeth Loya, 28, of Los Angeles, to
encourage her 4-year-old daughter, Gisselle, to sample new foods.
“She tried Brussels sprouts and, two weeks ago, she tried
asparagus,” Loya said. “She liked them.”
The proposed changes are based on a 2017 report from the
National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine and the national
Dietary Guidelines for Americans. They’ll be evaluated after a three-month
public comment period. -AP