March 02, 2022
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) joined a bipartisan, bicameral letter urging U.S. Division of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack to difficulty revised WIC meals packages underneath the proposed rule, Particular Supplemental Vitamin Program for Ladies, Infants and Youngsters: Revisions within the WIC Meals Packages.
WIC is likely one of the most profitable federally funded vitamin packages within the nation, bettering dietary and well being outcomes for roughly 6 pregnant and postpartum ladies, infants, and kids as much as age 5. The letter requests that the proposed rule revise the WIC meals packages to align with dietary suggestions from the Nationwide Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Drugs (NASEM) by permitting beneficiaries to buy extra fruits, greens, and lower-mercury seafood and imposing stronger requirements for entire grains, sugar content material, calcium, and protein.
“With meals costs rising, many households are extra reliant than ever on WIC and different federal vitamin packages to place wholesome meals on the desk. Extra youngsters are benefitting from WIC, with a 7.5 p.c nationwide enhance in baby participation for the reason that starting of the pandemic,” the Senators wrote. “…We subsequently urge USDA to promulgate a regulation that features the issuance of advantages that may incorporate fruits, greens, and lower-mercury seafood at quantities above NASEM’s cost-neutral suggestions in a way according to the scientific foundation of NASEM’s overview.”
They continued: “We urge USDA to behave expeditiously to promulgate a proposed rule that may improve the well being of low-income ladies and kids. We respect your well timed consideration to our request.”
The complete textual content of the letter is accessible here or under:
Expensive Secretary Vilsack:
Thanks in your ongoing work to deal with vitamin insecurity and enhance entry to nutritious meals as a way to boost long-term well being outcomes, together with by means of the Particular Supplemental Vitamin Program for Ladies, Infants, and Youngsters (WIC). As one of many largest meals help packages within the nation, with the strongest vitamin requirements throughout federal packages, WIC is a confirmed and efficient vitamin intervention that improves dietary and well being outcomes for six.1 million pregnant and postpartum ladies, infants, and kids as much as age 5.
To additional enhance WIC contributors’ entry to wholesome meals, we urge the Division to take swift motion to difficulty the proposed rule, Particular Supplemental Vitamin Program for Ladies, Infants and Youngsters: Revisions within the WIC Meals Packages, with the intention to difficulty revised WIC meals packages that construct on the suggestions by the Nationwide Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Drugs (NASEM). We’re disillusioned that the proposed rule has now been delayed twice from projected publication dates in August and December 2021.
The final overview of the WIC meals packages occurred in 2009 and considerably shifted the accessible WIC meals to align with meals patterns within the Dietary Tips for People (DGAs). The 2009 revisions launched fruits, greens, and entire grains to the WIC meals packages, leading to improved dietary high quality and selection, particularly for youngsters. More healthy choices offered by means of WIC resulted in improved well being outcomes, with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) measuring an total discount in childhood weight problems amongst WIC-enrolled toddlers after the 2009 meals package deal revisions. We imagine that the upcoming proposed rule, if based mostly on the NASEM suggestions, will make further important enhancements for our nation’s susceptible ladies and kids.
As required underneath the Wholesome, Starvation-Free Youngsters Act of 2010, the WIC meals packages have been reviewed by an unbiased skilled panel of NASEM, which issued its remaining report in 2017. USDA took the constructive step to make sure that the 2020-2025 DGAs are largely according to the NASEM’s suggestions. Nevertheless, the NASEM panel was charged by USDA to develop cost-neutral suggestions. Of their report, NASEM famous that funding constraints significantly restricted their potential to suggest quantities of fruits, greens, and seafood at ranges that will greatest align WIC contributors’ eating regimen patterns with one of the best science and the suggestions of organizations such because the World Well being Group.
We observe that in recent times, the present meals package deal rules restricted WIC beneficiaries from buying meals within the quantities and selection anticipated by the appropriations offered for this system. Within the fiscal 12 months 2021 omnibus laws, for instance, $1.25 billion in unspent fiscal 12 months 2020 meals funding was returned to the Treasury.
For these causes, we subsequently urge USDA to promulgate a regulation that features the issuance of advantages that may incorporate fruits, greens, and lower-mercury seafood at quantities above NASEM’s cost-neutral suggestions in a way according to the scientific foundation of NASEM’s overview.
Particularly, we urge you to make sure that the brand new proposed rule consists of: elevated fruit and vegetable advantages; elevated lower-mercury seafood choices as a definite meals class throughout baby and grownup meals packages on a month-to-month foundation with no rotating substitution with legumes and peanut butter; further package deal measurement choices, significantly for yogurt and grains; a further substitution sample, together with the choice for folks to buy recent vegetables and fruit instead of jarred toddler meals to advertise better alternative for folks; and stronger requirements for entire grains, sugar content material, calcium, and protein in order that WIC-approved meals help WIC households in reaching DGA-recommended eating regimen patterns.
With meals costs rising, many households are extra reliant than ever on WIC and different federal vitamin packages to place wholesome meals on the desk. Extra youngsters are benefitting from WIC, with a 7.5 p.c nationwide enhance in baby participation for the reason that starting of the pandemic. The great 2017 NASEM report is a powerful basis for added steps that USDA can take to boost the dietary worth of WIC meals packages by rising common entry to wholesome meals like fruits, greens, and lower-mercury fish to advertise eating regimen patterns which can be even additional aligned with NASEM’s suggestions and the DGAs.
We urge USDA to behave expeditiously to promulgate a proposed rule that may improve the well being of low-income ladies and kids. We respect your well timed consideration to our request.
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