USDA Proposes Science Driven Updates to Foods Provided Through WIC | What They’re Saying

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29, 2022 – This month, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack introduced that USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service is proposing modifications to the meals prescribed to members within the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, often called WIC. These science-based revisions incorporate suggestions from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.

The WIC meals packages are particularly designed to complement the meals and drinks members already devour and fill in key dietary gaps to assist wholesome development and growth. Food and Nutrition Service, or FNS, is proposing changes to align the meals packages with the newest vitamin science and assist equitable entry to nutritious meals throughout important life levels.

Taken collectively, the modifications will enhance the present degree of help whereas offering WIC state companies with extra flexibility to tailor the packages to accommodate private and cultural meals preferences and particular dietary wants and enhance selection and selection for WIC members, making this system extra interesting for present and potential members.

“USDA is dedicated to advancing maternal and little one well being by way of WIC, serving to moms, infants and younger children thrive,” stated Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “These proposed modifications will strengthen WIC – already an extremely highly effective program – by making certain it gives meals that replicate the newest vitamin science to assist wholesome consuming and vivid futures.”

“For the greater than 6 million mothers, infants and younger kids who take part in WIC – and the thousands and thousands extra eligible to take part – these proposed revisions have the potential to make optimistic, life-long impacts on well being and well-being,” stated Stacy Dean, deputy undersecretary for meals, vitamin, and client companies.

The proposed revisions assist fruit and vegetable consumption by growing the quantity supplied and the varieties out there for buy. Congress beforehand carried out a big however non permanent increase to the profit supplied to WIC members for buying vegatables and fruits. FNS proposes making that enhance everlasting, offering members with as much as 4 occasions the quantity they’d in any other case obtain. FNS additionally proposes revisions that give members a larger number of fruits and veggies to select from and modify the amount of juice to replicate vitamin steering, which emphasizes entire vegatables and fruits.

To view a media toolkit with extra info on the WIC meals packages announcement, please view the WIC Food Package Media Toolkit page. For a Q&A on the proposed modifications to the WIC meals packages, please view the WIC Food Packages Proposed Revisions Q&As page.

See under for what they’re saying:

House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro

“WIC reaches over 6 million moms, infants, and kids – and is an important instrument in our work to finish starvation within the United States. The program is proof and science based mostly and delivers life sustaining outcomes for moms and their kids. The rule introduced at this time will construct on the National Strategy launched on the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, and supply extra selection and suppleness to program members. I’m particularly proud that it extends the will increase within the money worth voucher, which we established within the pandemic response payments and which I helped keep by way of our authorities funding payments as Chair of the House Appropriations Committee. I thank my buddy Secretary Vilsack for his work to supply this rule that can transfer ahead our work to finish starvation.”

House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern

“The historic reforms introduced at this time by the USDA show we’re making thrilling progress following September’s profitable White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Strengthening the WIC program and lowering disparities inside our current anti-hunger security web construct on the convention’s momentum and instantly replicate key aims inside the Administration’s new nationwide technique. Together, these modifications will make a tangible distinction within the lives of low-income moms, infants, and kids in communities the place high quality meals is usually too costly or not out there.

“My honest thanks go to Secretary Vilsack and the Administration for making certain everybody on this nation has entry to nutritious meals. This takes us one other step nearer in our battle to finish starvation and enhance the well being of each American.”

House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott

“The Food and Nutrition Service’s (FNS) proposed rule makes important enhancements to the Special Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). By advancing a science-based evaluate of the meals out there and increasing choices that align with dietary pointers, extra households will be capable of entry the meals they should reside more healthy lives. These steps are significantly essential contemplating the continued inequities in entry to nutritious meals and disproportionate affect of diet-related circumstances in low-income areas. Today’s announcement is additional proof that the Biden-Harris Administration is dedicated to serving to each household put nutritious meals on the desk.”

Civil Rights and Human Services Subcommittee Chairwoman Suzanne Bonamici

“Today’s replace to the WIC meals package deal is an important replace to reinforce wholesome meals entry a number of the most weak in our nation, together with infants and pregnant and nursing mothers.”

Senator Cory Booker

“It is nice to see USDA’s new proposed rule enhance WIC’s fruit and vegetable profit. The new WIC package deal will strengthen a program that’s confirmed to assist moms and infants flourish.”

Congressman Joaquin Castro

“I applaud USDA for its proposed updates to WIC, which is able to improve the dietary high quality of meals packages and enhance assist for dietary wants & cultural preferences. These key modifications will assist households throughout the nation lead more healthy lives.”

Senator Lisa Murkowski

“Since 2014, I’ve been advocating that extra low-mercury fish, like Alaska wild salmon, be included within the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. I’m happy that USDA’s proposed rule for updating WIC meals packages will just do that. Once this rule is closing, mothers and younger kids throughout the nation will be capable of add extra wholesome Alaska wild salmon to their diets.”

Congresswoman Kim Schrier

“Last 12 months my bipartisan invoice was signed into regulation that permits WIC households to obtain larger advantages to buy vegatables and fruits through the pandemic. I’m thrilled that USDA is making this variation everlasting. So many pregnant girls and younger kids will profit!”

Former Agriculture Secretaries Dan Glickman and Ann Veneman

“The proposed rule launched by USDA on the WIC meals packages is a win for meals and vitamin safety for the over six million WIC members. With the rise within the total worth of the WIC profit and up to date meals packages that align with present vitamin science, together with the 2017 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine suggestions and the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, these updates keep WIC’s position as a robust public well being vitamin program. We are happy to see that these modifications align with our coverage suggestions from our Strengthening Child Nutrition Programs report launched earlier this 12 months.”

American Heart Association Executive Vice President of Advocacy Mark Schoeberl

“A nutritious diet is essential to selling correct growth, development and total well being. The WIC program performs a significant position in offering dietary assist to pregnant, postpartum and nursing girls, and infants and younger kids. The American Heart Association strongly helps USDA’s efforts to replace the WIC meals package deal to replicate present vitamin science and enhance entry to nutritious, culturally acceptable meals.”

American Academy of Pediatrics President Moira Szilagyi, MD, PhD, FAAP

“The American Academy of Pediatrics has lengthy championed the significance of the WIC program, which gives nutritious, wholesome meals for moms and infants. Pediatricians work together commonly with WIC and routinely refer sufferers to this system. WIC is efficient as a result of its meals packages are based mostly on what scientific specialists suggest to satisfy the dietary wants of pregnant and breastfeeding girls and younger kids. We assist USDA’s efforts to maneuver ahead with a science-based course of to replace WIC meals packages and stay up for offering suggestions on the rule.”

American Public Health Association Executive Director Georges C. Benjamin, MD

“Ensuring that households have entry to satisfactory vitamin is a key technique to selling well being fairness and making certain more healthy future generations. The WIC vitamin program is science-driven and addresses vitamin gaps confronted by weak households and kids – growing the worth of the WIC program would additional increase its public well being attain and is a change totally supported by the American Public Health Association.”

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics President Ellen R. Shanley

“Increasing entry to healthful meals is an crucial step to reaching well being fairness. Serving thousands and thousands of members daily, WIC improves well being outcomes for pregnant moms, infants and kids. So it’s important that the WIC meals packages comprise essential vitamins and enhance food plan high quality whereas additionally being aware of individuals’s cultural preferences and customs. The modifications introduced at this time will present welcome developments in every of those areas.”

Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs CEO Terrance E. Moore

“Access to contemporary vegatables and fruits is important to the well being and wellbeing of pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding people, as they want substantial quantities of vitamins to assist each their very own well being and the well being of their growing child […] By establishing a everlasting enhance to fruit and vegetable advantages for WIC members, the USDA can considerably deal with disparities in well being fairness by offering all households the chance to realize a wholesome dietary standing throughout being pregnant and the important first 12 months postpartum.”

Bread for the World President and CEO Rev. Eugene Cho

“Making the WIC ‘fruit and vegetable bump’ everlasting will enhance households’ entry to vitamin at a time when meals costs proceed to rise. The 1,000 days between being pregnant and a baby’s second birthday is essentially the most important interval of their growth. Children who lack good vitamin throughout this time are considerably extra prone to expertise lifelong well being issues, together with bodily and mental delays. A everlasting fruit and vegetable bump will guarantee thousands and thousands of kids obtain the vitamin they should thrive.”

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities President Sharon Parrott

“The proposed modifications, really useful by the National Academies, place WIC to strengthen its confirmed file of bettering start outcomes, diets, and growth and assist cut back racial disparities in maternal and little one well being outcomes. We will proceed to work to ensure low-income households get and keep related to WIC to assist them keep wholesome and thrive.”

Center for Science within the Public Interest Executive Director and President Dr. Peter Lurie

“We commend the USDA for proposing an replace to the WIC meals package deal that’s achievable and science-based. It will make sure that girls, infants, and kids collaborating in this system get the vitamin they want, significantly with a rise in fruit and vegetable advantages and strengthening key vitamin requirements, whereas honoring meals selections and cultural preferences.”

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Senior Director Rev. Amy Reumann

“The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America acknowledges that households want entry to ample and nutritious meals to thrive. As a society, we should dismantle the limitations to well being that stand in the way in which of every individual reaching their potential. This mission is instantly supported by the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program in its goal to assist and promote maternal and little one vitamin. The proposed WIC meals package deal rule comprises important enhancements which can be very important to making sure a wholesome begin for all kids, regardless of their financial standing.”

Feeding America Chief Government Relations Officer Vince Hall

“For practically fifty years, WIC has labored to place meals on the desk for households and guarantee kids have entry to the nutritious meals they should develop and thrive. The Feeding America community has lengthy partnered with WIC suppliers to strengthen meals safety in communities throughout the nation. USDA is now delivering on a key dedication included within the National Strategy by working to increase entry to wholesome meals in long-overdue updates to the WIC meals packages. Coupled with new investments in WIC program modernization, we’re inspired {that a} stronger and extra strong WIC program can proceed to scale back starvation and enhance well being outcomes for the following technology.”

Food Research and Action Center

“The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) commends the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for at this time’s announcement of the proposed meals package deal for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which is able to go a great distance in making this important program even more healthy, extra accessible, and simpler to make use of.

The proposed WIC meals package deal will construct on the White House “National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health” to modernize WIC by supporting the elevated worth of WIC’s fruit and vegetable profit, permitting extra flexibility in meals package deal sizes, growing accessibility to culturally related meals choices, and fastening alignment with the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

This package deal is a step in the proper path towards growing program participation, bettering WIC members’ well being outcomes, addressing well being inequities, and finally, serving to finish starvation on this nation.”

Hennepin County Medical Center Chair of Pediatrics and Co-Lead Principal Investigator for Children’s Health Watch Dr. Diana Cutts

“I see the facility of WIC to advertise well being in my clinic daily. Boosting advantages for vegatables and fruits in WIC has a profound affect on a household’s capacity to supply their little one all kinds of meals, that are vital for establishing a robust basis of wholesome consuming.”

Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative Executive Director Erin Parker

“WIC’s focused vitamin assist is especially essential for strengthening being pregnant and start outcomes in Indigenous communities. WIC meals packages’ inclusion of extra fruits, greens, seafood and entire grains furthers the closing of disparities in entry to wholesome meals whereas respecting cultural consuming patterns and tribal customs. With greater than thirty tribes and intertribal councils instantly administering WIC companies, strong WIC advantages translate to more healthy outcomes and return cash to native companies and farm economies in Indian Country.”

Leslie, a mom of three collaborating in Arkansas WIC

“The enhance for buying vegatables and fruits has been so useful! My two-year-old has had the possibility to strive new vegatables and fruits that I might not have been in a position to buy for her in any other case. She loves making an attempt new meals and I like getting to provide her wholesome choices.”

March of Dimes Senior Vice President for Public Policy and Government Affairs Stacey Brayboy

“As a company main the battle for the well being of all mothers and infants, March of Dimes applauds the Biden Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for its proposed rule revising the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program in an effort to achieve extra pregnant and postpartum girls, and their infants. As preterm start charges proceed to rise within the U.S., the nation wants management to make sure that anticipating mothers are supported all through their complete being pregnant, together with entry to wholesome meals, particularly for households in underserved communities. This proposed rule will assist deal with this disaster by growing entry to wholesome meals for pregnant girls and their households.”

MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger President and CEO Abby J. Leibman

“The Biden-Harris Administration clearly understands the effectiveness of federal vitamin help packages like WIC, which gives important assist to thousands and thousands of households across the nation. USDA’s proposed modifications construct on the longstanding success of WIC, promising to enhance and strengthen this system in some important methods. We are significantly happy to see the proposals to completely enhance the worth of the WIC profit that can allow more healthy meals purchases, align the elevated worth with science-based suggestions, improve the WIC procuring expertise, and assist the completely different wants of the varied WIC inhabitants with a larger vary of culturally and religiously-appropriate meals choices. In mild of the latest White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, it’s clear that charity alone can’t finish starvation — we should strengthen our nation’s security web and advance daring options to enhance the programs that enable starvation to persist.”

MomsRising Executive Director and CEO Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner

“Millions of mothers and households are fighting the excessive value of groceries and different requirements,” stated MomsRising Executive Director and CEO Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner. “Moms assist the brand new proposed rule as a result of it can – in the end – enhance the worth of the WIC profit and incentivize and assist the acquisition of wholesome meals. Moms welcome the flexibleness to maximise selection and selection so we will buy the meals that our households need and wish most. In flip, these modifications would offer a big and great addition for our youngsters’s well being. Nothing is extra essential than ending starvation and meals insecurity and maintaining children and households wholesome.”

National WIC Association President and CEO Dr. Jamila Taylor, PhD

“USDA’s motion at this time to revise the WIC meals packages underlines what the White House made clear of their National Strategy: WIC will play a important position in constructing a more healthy future for households. WIC’s focused vitamin intervention is already confirmed to scale back healthcare prices, shut nutrient consumption disparities, and enhance well being outcomes for low-income households and communities of coloration. The proposed revisions will construct on this robust file of public well being success by following unbiased, evidence-based suggestions from the National Academies. We applaud USDA’s considerate steps to strengthen WIC by enhancing the worth of advantages for underconsumed meals teams like vegatables and fruits, strengthening vitamin requirements to enhance entire grain consumption and reduce consumption of added sugars and saturated fat, and increasing wholesome selections by way of package deal dimension flexibility and inclusion of a broader vary of cultural meals.”

National Indian and Native American WIC Coalition Chair Cheri Nemec

“Fruits and greens have been staple within the conventional diets of Native Americans. The elevated money worth profit has given households the chance to deliver extra vegatables and fruits into the house, particularly as entry to reasonably priced vegatables and fruits is a problem in rural tribal communities. This helps our Indigenous households present extra meals from these conventional diets that promote good well being. With an excellent stronger meals package deal, WIC can have an extra attain to make sure households have the meals and complementary vitamin training on the best way to put together nutritious meals that highlights and respects the meals of their ancestors.”

NETWORK Lobby Executive Director Mary J. Novak

“Our Catholic religion holds that kids are a blessing and a present from God. As such, particular care should be taken to make sure that kids and their households have what is critical to reside wholesome lives together with combating illness brought on by low-quality meals.  NETWORK welcomes the Biden Administration’s newly proposed WIC regulation to extend the greenback quantity of the money voucher and replace meals pointers in step with the science permitting a greater variety of meals, together with greens, fruits, and entire grains. This regulation is grounded in the very best of our values. Since it serves greater than 6.2 million folks, moms and their infants, and younger kids, it can have a transformative affect on numerous lives each within the quick and long run. As folks of religion we are saying, Amen.”

Oklahoma State Department of Health’s Jennifer Ortiz, MS, RD, LD

“Oklahoma WIC is proud to supply nutritious supplemental meals and vitamin training to households throughout our state. We are happy that USDA is shifting to replace the meals packages we offer to households in a way in step with the newest science. In explicit, the growth of the Cash Value Benefit for vegatables and fruits has been tremendously helpful for the meals safety and promotion of well being for our households over the previous 17 months. We are excited that USDA acknowledges the profound affect of this enhance and can make this variation everlasting. Additionally, Oklahoma WIC has lengthy prioritized the availability of entire grain cereals to members as consumption of entire grains is prioritized by the Dietary Guidelines and related to lowered threat of a myriad of power illnesses. We welcome USDA’s steps to align each WIC program in offering entire grain-rich cereals so that each one WIC members could get pleasure from the advantages of elevated entire grain consumption.”

Salud America! National Latino Health Equity Program at UT Health San Antonio Director Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez

“WIC stays one of many nation’s most profitable, cost-effective public well being vitamin packages. WIC members, together with those that are Hispanic/Latino, usually tend to have a extra nutritious food plan and higher well being outcomes, with participation tied to fewer toddler deaths, fewer untimely births, elevated start weights, and decrease well being care prices, in line with analysis.”

Share Our Strength Senior Vice President Lisa Davis

“The WIC Cash Value Benefit permits households to buy contemporary vegatables and fruits their rising kids want, offering flexibility to purchase these which can be culturally related and their children will eat and luxuriate in. Permanently growing this essential and valued profit will ensure households have much more entry to contemporary vegatables and fruits; it additionally helps native farmers and meals distributors, resulting in stronger native economies.”

Texas Association of Local WIC Directors Benny Jasso

“As vitamin professionals, we see the consequences of meals insecurity in households that can’t afford nutritious meals. The new WIC meals package deal permits households extra flexibility to make sound meals selections in line with the household well being wants, tradition, and preferences. The elevated entry to fruits, greens, entire grains, protein, and dairy choices will assist the vitamin messaging in public well being vitamin to handle the well being disparities in our communities by eradicating limitations which might make sustaining good well being tough.”

Tufts University’s Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, Dean for Policy and Jean Mayer Professor of Nutrition on the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and Co-Chair of the Task Force on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health

“WIC is a cornerstone of American well being coverage, the place science-based vitamin requirements and public well being programming meet to supply moms and kids with important entry to the wholesome meals they should develop and thrive. I applaud the Administration for advancing its National Strategy dedication to make significant enhancements to WIC, growing vitamin safety for American households and permitting our nation to construct a stronger, more healthy future.”

UnidosUS Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy Eric Rodriguez

“As it has previously, if adopted, the proposed package deal will advance well being fairness because it brings more healthy meals choices to many lower-income, Latino neighborhoods all through the nation. By giving Latino households improved entry to reasonably priced fruits, vegetable, and entire grains, USDA’s proposed requirements will decrease charges of illnesses like diabetes, coronary heart illness, and weight problems that disproportionately hurt low-income Hispanic households, primarily due to limitations they face to accessing wholesome and reasonably priced meals.”

U.S. Breastfeeding Committee Executive Director Nikia Sankofa

“The WIC program contains a important piece of the nationwide infrastructure supporting toddler and younger little one vitamin safety. The WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor program and different WIC breastfeeding promotion and training assets function a vital lifeline for thousands and thousands of households who need to breastfeed. WIC is an apparent and efficient conduit for advancing lactation and different science-based vitamin requirements outlined within the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.”

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