In 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (USDA FNS) announced proposed changes to the foods prescribed to participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC. FNS encouraged all interested parties to provide feedback on the proposed changes via www.regulations.gov. These are the comments submitted by Drs. Marissa Hall, Shu Wen Ng, Barry Popkin, and Lindsey Smith Taillie on behalf of the Global Food Research Program. Key recommendations include to:
- Establish permanent, higher amounts of the CVB
- Allow substitution of 100% juice and baby food fruits and vegetables for more CVB
- Provide greater flexibility to accommodate participants’ personal and cultural food preferences and special dietary needs, such as expanding whole grain options and providing more non-dairy substitution options for dairy components
- Add canned fish to more food packages, creating more equitable access to this under-consumed food
- Adjust the dairy issuance to promote participant choice
- Build additional flexibilities into the food package to promote participant choice and benefit redemption.