More produce, less dairy for low-income families under US nutrition
program changes
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[April 10, 2024]
By Leah Douglas
(Reuters) -Nearly 7 million low-income women and children will be able
to purchase more fruits and vegetables but less dairy after the U.S.
Department of Agriculture finalized changes to a key federal nutrition
program on Tuesday.
The updates to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,
Infants and Children (WIC), the first since 2014, were made to better
align the program's food packages with the best dietary science, USDA
said.
"These participant-centered changes will strengthen WIC by ensuring the
foods participants receive reflect the latest nutrition science to
support healthy eating and the brightest futures," Agriculture Secretary
Tom Vilsack said in a statement.
WIC participants receive benefits to purchase certain food items
depending on age and dietary needs. The USDA proposed changes to the
program in November 2022 and received over 17,000 comments, it said.
The final provision increases allowances for fruits, vegetables, and
seafood, and decreases the amounts of juice, dairy and cheese. It also
adds more non-dairy options like plant-based and lactose-free milk.
"The National WIC Association applauds USDA for adhering to an
independent, science-based review process that led to these stronger
standards, and we urge swift implementation," said Georgia Machell,
interim president and CEO of the group, in a statement.
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A person shops in a supermarket selling fruit and vegetables in
Manhattan, New York City, U.S., March 28, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew
Kelly/File Photo
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2024/Apr/10/images/ads/current/fcs_funeral_lda_border_04029022.png) The changes were criticized by dairy
promotion groups.
"(The National Milk Producers Federation) is disturbed by the
decision to reduce access to the essential nutrients dairy adds to
the diet," said Gregg Doud, president and CEO of the group, in a
statement.
A USDA spokesperson said that the agency expects dairy purchases
through WIC to rise by as much as $400 million by 2025 due to
projected increased participation, and that WIC participants were
typically not redeeming the full volume of milk provided under the
earlier allowances.
WIC is administered by the USDA and serves 6.6 million pregnant,
breastfeeding and postpartum women and children up to age 5.
Congress recently expanded the amount of money for WIC after the
White House and nutrition advocates warned a budget shortfall put
millions of eligible families at risk of being turned away.
(Reporting by Leah Douglas; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Andrea
Ricci)
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