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WIC Food Changes: A Healthy Opportunity

WIC Food Changes: A Healthy Opportunity. WIC 101: America’s Premier Public Health Nutrition Program. Started in 1972 as a Congress-legislated pilot program.

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WIC Food Changes: A Healthy Opportunity

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  1. WIC Food Changes:A Healthy Opportunity

  2. WIC 101: America’s Premier Public Health Nutrition Program • Started in 1972 as a Congress-legislated pilot program. • Greatest single point of nutrition and health care access for low-income, pregnant and postpartum women, breastfeeding mothers, infants and children. • Over 30 years of preventing maternal and child health problems and improving long-term health of its participants.

  3. What are the Benefits? • Quality nutrition education and services; • Breastfeeding promotion and education; • Monthly food package; • Links to maternal and pediatric health-care and other social services.

  4. WIC Participation Nationally, WIC serves: • 1 out of 2 infants born in the US, • 1 out of 4 children aged 1- 4, • Over 8 million women, infants, and children every month.

  5. Who’s Eligible? • Pregnant or postpartum women, infants, and children up to age 5; • Income level up to 185% of the poverty level – $37,000 for a family of four; • Documented state residency; • Documented nutrition risk.

  6. California WIC Facts • America’s largest WIC Program, administered by California Department of Health Services (will soon be in Department of Public Health); • 82 WIC Agencies, through 623 local WIC sites, serve 1.38 million mothers and children, partering with over 4,000 grocery stores; • Over 60% of children born in California receive WIC

  7. WIC Enrollment:Reflects California’s Diversity

  8. The WIC Food Packages: The Time For Change Is Now

  9. Current WIC Food Packages • Seven different monthly food packages—based on participant categories. • Include nutrients that were commonly lacking in the diets of low-income populations. • Iron-fortified infant formula and infant cereal, milk, eggs, cheese, peanut butter, dried beans and peas, 100% vitamin C-rich juices, iron-fortified cereals, tuna fish, and carrots.

  10. Time for a Change • Since WIC’s inception more than 30 years ago: • significant demographic changes have occurred, • new nutrition science information has emerged, • obesity epidemic has become a major public health concern, • diet-related chronic diseases have increased, • changes in the dietary pattern and food supply have been observed.

  11. IOM Food Package Study • In September 2003, the IOM was asked by the USDA to evaluate the WIC food packages to determine if revisions were needed, and to keep recommended changes cost-neutral. • In April 2005, the IOM released a report that proposed significant reforms, entitled WIC Food Packages: Time for a Change.

  12. Proposed IOM Food Packages • The Committee proposed that WIC foods be consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005; • Fruits and vegetables for participants 6 months of age and older, • Only whole-grain cereals and additional whole-grain products, • Milk and cheese in reduced quantities and fat content.

  13. Proposed IOM Food Packages • They urged a wider variety of foods: • Increased cultural acceptability and appeal, • Increased intakes of inadequate nutrients, • Alternative calcium-rich food sources: lower fat yogurt, calcium-set tofu, and fortified soy beverages, • Different forms of beans and peas (canned or dry).

  14. Proposed IOM Food Packages • IOM wanted WIC foods to align with recent American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations on early feeding: • Fruit juice for children in recommended quantities, • Complementary foods to infants starting at 6 months.

  15. Proposed IOM Food Packages • The Committee proposed food packages that better promote and support breastfeeding: • Exclusively breastfeeding mother/infant pairs receive greater quantities and wider varieties of foods, as an additional incentive; • Formula not provided to exclusively breastfed infants.

  16. USDA Proposed Rule Published 8/7/06! Largely follows the IOM recommendations. The changes will, if implemented: • reinforce the nutrition education/counseling provided by WIC staff, • help participants establish dietary patterns that promote life-long good nutritional health, • supply a reliable source of supplemental nutritious foods.

  17. New USDA Food Package Rules Addition of: Vouchers for fruits and vegetables for $6 per child and $8 per woman/month • Fresh, processed or combined fruits and vegetables for children and women; • Baby foods, including meats, for fully breast-fed infants; • Baby foods (fruits and vegetables) for all infants 6-11 months

  18. New USDA Food Package Rules Addition of: • Alternatives to milk – calcium-set tofu, calcium and Vitamin D-rich soy beverage • Canned or baked beans or peas allowed as an alternate to dried legumes. • Canned fish choices beyond tuna – salmon, sardines • Whole wheat bread and other whole grain options: tortillas, brown rice, etc.

  19. New USDA Food Package Rules Reductions in: • Infant formula for partially breast-fed infants, and for fully formula-fed infants 6-11 months old • Quantity of eggs • Milk for children and women • Juice for children and women

  20. New USDA Food Package Rules Elimination of: • Juice for all infants, substituting baby food fruits and vegetables • Whole milk for participants age 2 years and older – lower fat milks only.

  21. WIC Community Position WIC providers support the proposed USDA Rules that reflect science-based recommendations of IOM, because they: • Align WIC Foods with the current national dietary guidelines; • Provide greater consistency with the feeding guidelines of the AAP for children < 2 years • Reinforce WIC nutrition education messages and positively impact the health of WIC families

  22. WIC Community Position Support for the proposed Rules that reflect science-based recommendations of IOM: • Promote, incentivize and support long-term successful breastfeeding; • Address the cultural food preferences of diverse WIC populations through dairy substitutions and whole grain options; • Is cost-neutral.

  23. What Can You Do? • Support USDA’s historic reforms to the WIC Food Packages! • Access the complete Proposed Rule at: • www.fns.usda.gov/wic/regspublished/foodpackagesrevisions-proposedrule.htm. • Adapt CWA model comments and urge all partners and participants to write to USDA, at www.calwic.org. • Public comments are due by November 6, 2006.

  24. Thanks for your support! • For more information, contact: www.calwic.org California WIC Association 1107 Ninth Street, Suite 625 Sacramento, CA 95814 916/448-2280

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