USDA finalizes WIC changes, expands fruit and vegetable benefits

Making permanent expanded fruit and vegetable benefits, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the USDA Food and Nutrition Service has finalized updates to the foods prescribed to participants in the Women, Infants and Children program.

The science-based revisions incorporate recommendations from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine and the "Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025," the agency said.

FNS proposed changes in November 2022 to align the food packages with the latest nutrition science and support equitable access to nutritious foods during critical life stages. This effort finalizes the changes in consideration of feedback received through public comment, the agency said.

“The updated food packages provide broad access to the variety of key nutrients found in fruits and vegetables,” FNS said in a summary. “The final changes encourage participants to eat more fruits and vegetables by increasing the cash-value benefit (CVB) amounts — allowing participants to buy and try more. The final changes also expand what participants can purchase through the CVB such as fresh herbs and larger package sizes of fresh produce.”

A table of WIC food package benefits on the USDA website indicates the maximum monthly cash value benefit is $26 for children and $52 for breastfeeding mothers.

“For the 6.6 million moms, babies and young children who participate in WIC — and the millions more eligible to participate — these improvements to our food packages have the potential to make positive, life-long impacts on health and well-being,” Food and Nutrition Service Administrator Cindy Long said in a news release.

The International Fresh Produce Association welcomed the updates to the WIC food packages.

“These updates to WIC will be instrumental in improving nutrition security among some of our nation’s most vulnerable populations,” IFPA CEO Cathy Burns said in a news release. “IFPA members across the supply chain look forward to an implementation of the food package that will allow for continued access to nutritious foods including the full variety of fresh fruits and vegetables available at retail.”

The USDA’s announcement will finalize proposed changes that include providing more flexibility to tailor food packages to accommodate personal and cultural food preferences and special dietary needs and makes permanent the fruit and vegetable increase participants have been enjoying since 2021, IFPA said in the statement.

In addition to making the latest increase to the Cash Value Benefit permanent, IFPA identified four notable additions to the rule:

• It allows participants to substitute their juice allotment for an additional $3 in CVB.
• Infants aged 6-11 months can receive CVB in lieu of half or all of jarred infant food allotment ($10/month for half and $20/month for the full allotment).
• Allows fresh herbs to be purchased with the CVB.
• Allows fresh-cut fruit and vegetable party trays without dressings and dips to be purchased with the CVB.
• Codifies that white potatoes are allowed. This has been true for some time, but now it’s clearly documented.
   

The WIC program benefits millions of women and children in every community across the country at a time when many lack access to healthy food and nearly half of U.S. children already do not eat a daily vegetable, IFPA officials said.

“IFPA has long advocated for the importance of a science-based approach in WIC and today’s announcement delivers on that work,” IFPA Vice President for Nutrition and Health Policy Mollie Van Lieu said in the release. “We already know that WIC works at addressing health outcomes, and the final food package will do even more to boost the general healthfulness of the WIC program and benefit the women and children it serves."

WIC advocates also praised the USDA's announcement.

“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,” Georgia Machell, interim president and CEO of the National WIC Association, said in a news release. “We are pleased that USDA’s final rule makes permanent the enhanced Cash Value Benefit that has in the past few years helped participants afford more fruits and vegetables.”

A survey released by the National WIC Association finds that access to fruits and vegetables is the top reason why WIC participants join the program; in a time of rising food insecurity and high food costs, increasing participants’ purchasing power for healthy foods is critical, the group said in the release. The updates also provide participants with greater choice and flexibility, including a more comprehensive list of culturally appropriate food options, that will make it easier for participants to maximize their benefits.

Past updates to the WIC food package have resulted in significant health benefits, the group said.

Research shows that participants purchased healthier foods and WIC-authorized stores carried healthier products because of updates implemented in 2009. In the decade that followed, obesity rates among children ages 2-4 participating in WIC declined nationwide, the group said.

“We are confident that these newest updates will yield similarly positive outcomes, and we encourage independent evaluations to document their efficacy,” Machell said the release. “Congress’ recent infusion of an additional $1 billion in funding ensures that WIC will remain available for anyone eligible to join the program. The updates to the WIC food package build on that success and are an important reminder that supporting the health and well-being of families across the country is an investment always worth making.”