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A Top Public Policy Priority
The United Fresh Produce Association's goal is to shape national nutrition policies that will increase availability, accessibility and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. We now have an unprecedented opportunity to ensure that WIC's new food packages include fresh fruits and vegetables and are consistent with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines. The addition of fresh fruits and vegetables to WIC will help 8.2 million WIC moms and kids increase their consumption, eat a healthier diet, reduce their risk of becoming overweight and experiencing obesity and chronic diseases, as well as promote good health. For the produce industry, the policy change in WIC translates into $500 million in incremental sales of fruits and vegetables.
Background
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, is commonly known as WIC. WIC is a federally funded special supplemental nutrition program for low-income and nutritionally-at-risk- pregnant and breast feeding women and their infants and young children (ages 1-5 years). Currently over 50% of all infants born in the U.S. each year and 25% of all young children participate in the WIC program. WIC serves 8.2 million people each year who receive vouchers for specific foods (milk, eggs, juice, cheese, cereal, and infant formula) to improve pregnancy outcome, reduce infant mortality, and improve child health. WIC food packages, valued at approximately $38 per month, currently do not include fruits and vegetables and have not been significantly updated in 32 years!
For more than a decade the National WIC Association, State WIC agencies, WIC moms, medical and public health nutritional leaders and United Fresh have advocated for significant revisions to the WIC Food Packages, including the addition of fresh fruits and vegetables. In 2003 the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) commissioned the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to independently review the WIC Food Packages and make recommendations for changes based on current nutrition science.
IOM Recommended Changes
In April 2005, the IOM released its ?WIC Food Packages: Time For A Change? report recommending significant revisions, including the addition of fresh fruits and vegetables in all WIC packages for participants six months of age or older. The IOM also recommended slight reductions in the amount of milk, juice, eggs, and cheese provided in the food packages. All of the IOM's recommendations were based on current nutrition science and dietary recommendations for good health. Since the release of the IOM's Report calling for the addition of fresh fruits and vegetables to WIC, United Fresh has collaborated closely with the National WIC Association and other committed groups to build strong support in the Administration and in Congress to ensure that the recommendations for including fresh fruits and vegetables in the WIC program are seriously considered by the USDA.
Fruit & Vegetable Demonstration Projects
Three pilot studies conducted in California and New York State, in which cash-value vouchers for fresh fruits and vegetables were provided to WIC participants, had very positive results. These studies demonstrated that WIC participants increased their consumption of a wide variety of nutrient-dense fresh fruits and vegetables and added variety to their diets. The fruit and vegetable vouchers were also shown to be highly acceptable to WIC participants of various ethnic/cultural backgrounds and worked well in supermarkets and small independent markets.
USDA Proposed Rule
On August 7, 2006, the USDA published a proposed rule, Revisions to the WIC Food Packages. For the first time in 32 years, USDA is proposing to add fresh fruits and vegetables to WIC Food Packages to align them more closely with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the American Academy of Pediatrics' infant feeding recommendations. The proposed rule would provide WIC moms and children with a monthly cash-value voucher for $8 and $6 respectively, to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. The USDA also proposed reducing the amount of milk, eggs, juice, and cheese provided in WIC as per the IOM?s recommendation to align the WIC Food Packages with 2005 Dietary Guidelines. The National WIC Association, WIC participants, WIC State agencies and health professionals support the addition of fresh fruits and vegetables and the other revisions proposed to the WIC program.
It is important to note, the proposed rule places some restrictions on participants choice and does not allow WIC recipients to use the voucher to purchase all fresh fruits and vegetables, including fresh white potatoes. Additionally, the proposal reduces by $2 per month the cash-value of the fruit and vegetable voucher for mothers and children and provides State WIC agencies with the option of limiting choice within the fruit and vegetable category. United Fresh opposes these policy recommendations in the proposed rule and will be asking USDA to reconsider these recommendations. We strongly believe that all fresh fruits and vegetables should be eligible for the WIC voucher and that WIC participants should always be provided with maximum choice to select fresh fruits and vegetables that meet their cultural and personal preferences.
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Follow the Institute of Medicine's recommendations for $10 and $8 fruit and vegetable vouchers given that WIC families, and over 75% of all Americans, consume less than half of the fruits and vegetables recommended in the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
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Allow all fruits and vegetables.
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State WIC agencies should maximize choice.
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State WIC agencies should require small vendors offer variety.
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Maintain emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables.
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Maintain proposed prohibition against categorical nutrition tailoring.
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Annual COLA for fruit and vegetable vouchers.
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The WIC Food Package should support nutrition education.
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Issue the final WIC Food Package rule by spring 2007.
Current Status
USDA has received 46,000 comments on the proposed rule from WIC moms, state and local WIC agencies, public health and medical professionals, the food industry, public interest/advocacy groups, trade associations and vendors. Overwhelmingly these comments support the addition of fresh fruits and vegetables to WIC Food Packages. USDA has indicated that they plan to issue the interim final rule by Fall of 2007. United Fresh, together with the National WIC Association and other nutrition advocacy organizations, will monitor and stay engaged with USDA’s progress until the final rule is published.
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