Updates to WIC Allots more Funds for Fruits and Vegetables but less Dairy

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) got its first update since 2014. WIC beneficiaries get monetary handouts to purchase certain food items depending on dietary needs and age. The U.S. Department of Agriculture finalized changes to the program which supports nearly 7 million low-income women and children.

In the update, the government will allocate more funds to the beneficiaries for the purchase of more fruits and vegetables but less dairy. The changes were made to better align the program’s food packages with the recommendations from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and based on the prevailing federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans, according to the USDA.

“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.

Changes to the program were proposed by the USDA in November 2022. The agency said the proposal received more than 17,000 comments. The final provision raised the allowances given to beneficiaries for fruits, vegetables, and seafood. On the other hand, it lowered the allowances for juice, dairy, and cheese.

“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 National WIC Association, in a statement.

“In a time of rising food insecurity and high food costs, increasing participants’ purchasing power for healthy foods is critical.”

WIC update criticized by dairy promotion groups

The changes to WIC will give participants increased flexibility in their dietary needs, which have been expanded to include cultural preferences. For example, whole grain options now include blue cornmeal and quinoa, nondairy alternatives like plant-based yogurts and cheese, lactose-free milk, canned beans and fish, and dried beans. 

The changes to the WIC program which now offers participants up to four times the amount of fresh produce than they received before the pandemic were criticized by a group that promotes dairy products.

“(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.

In response to the concerns raised by the National Milk Producers Federation, a spokesperson for the USDA said the agency expects the dairy purchases through the WIC program to jump by up to $400 million by 2025. The agency attributes the projected greater dairy purchases to increased participation in the program. Also, the agency revealed that WIC participants were not fully redeeming the volume of their milk allocation before the update. 

For the most part, state WIC has two years to implement all the changes. However, the bump to the fruit and vegetable benefits, which all stats are currently in compliance, must be implemented in the next 60 days.

The changes provide $52 monthly cash-value benefits to breastfeeding participants, $47 for pregnant and postpartum participants, and $26 for children participants to purchase fruits and vegetables.

“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,” said administrator of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service Cindy Long in a statement.