THE U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE

The USDA’s proposed rule reflects the scientific advice of the NASEM report and the most recent edition of the DGAs, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to build upon the public health advances secured in the 2009 food package review. [...] According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, if the WIC food packages were adjusted for annual inflation to maintain the same purchasing power, the total value of the food benefit would be over $100 today.16 Instead, the average WIC benefit in FY 2021 was only $35.58 across eight adult/child food categories.17 In addition to supporting increased consumption of under-consumed foods, the WIC program. [...] In response to the USDA’s request for public comment to better understand the impact of, and potential barriers to, the proposed change to allow fresh and other forms (frozen and/or canned) of fruits and vegetables as an option in the infant food package, CSPI recognizes the importance of convenient packages for WIC families. [...] Reducing the milk allowances in the WIC food package would still provide the majority of recommended dairy intake for children and fully breastfeeding women (75 percent and 71 percent, respectively).46 The NASEM report proposed that only unflavored milk be permitted to align with the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) standards, which at the time only allowed unflavored low-fat milk, and to. [...] The 2020 DGA recommends that at least half of grains consumed be whole.49 According to the USDA, eating more whole grains is associated with reduced risk of heart disease and is a healthful source of fiber.50 The addition of whole grains to WIC’s offerings roughly doubled the associated effect of WIC participation on the purchase of whole grain products51 and resulted in a 17 percent increase in w.