The U.S. Food and Nutrition Service has announced updates to the foods available to certain recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries. Last Tuesday, April 9, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the updated list of prescribable foods for participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), based on scientific recommendations.
WIC is a federal grant allocated to states to assist low- or no-income women who are pregnant or postpartum, as well as their children at nutritional risk. The funds are intended to provide nutritious foods, healthy eating counseling, breastfeeding support, and other health care-related services. Many SNAP recipients who meet the criteria are also eligible for WIC. According to USDA, the program benefits about 6.6 million mothers, infants and toddlers.
"These improvements to WIC food packages support fruit and vegetable consumption by increasing the amount provided and the varieties available for purchase," USDA explains. This implies a "permanent and significant boost to the fruit and vegetable benefit," which will result in recipients receiving approximately four times more than they normally would.
Changes to WIC benefits may not be instantaneous, as USDA indicates that states have up to two years to implement the modifications. As with SNAP benefits, WIC is federally funded, but is administered at the state or local level.
Included in this new list of foods will be:
The changes followed $1 billion in funding from the Biden-Harris administration for fiscal year 2024.
"WIC has a half-century track record of caring for young families. USDA and the Biden-Harris Administration are committed to ensuring that moms, babies and young children continue to thrive through WIC," explained Tom Vilsack. "These participant-focused changes will strengthen WIC by ensuring that the foods participants receive reflect the latest nutritional science to support healthy eating and a brighter future."
"For the 6.6 million moms, infants and toddlers who participate in WIC, and the millions more eligible to participate, these improvements to our food packages have the potential to generate positive and lasting impacts on health and well-being," said Cindy Long, Food and Nutrition Service administrator.