Washington, Aug. 7 - Fruits, vegetables and whole grains will be added to the grocery list of items covered by the U.S. government's Women, Infants and Children program, which provides vouchers and food checks to more than 8 million Americans, the Agriculture Department said Monday.
The proposed changes, the WIC program's first major overhaul since it was implemented in 1974, will now include these items while paying less for milk, eggs and juice.
USDA said the changes were needed to better meet science and dietary guidelines issued in recent years showing the growing obesity epidemic in the United States.
The new WIC proposal is based on recommendations by the Institute of Medicine, which was assigned to review the program in 2003 by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service.
"This proposal brings the WIC Food Packages in line with current dietary science," said Peggy Lewis, president of the National WIC Association.
The proposed changes to WIC would reduce milk, for example, to 2.1 cups a day for children and post-partum women from 3.2 cups. The amount of eggs covered for children, pregnant and partially breast-feeding women would be cut in half from its current level of 2 to 2-1/2 dozen per month.
Some industry groups said the cuts were too severe and deprived mothers and their children of necessary nutrients.
"Eggs provide several nutrients ... which play an important role in the health of the women and children enrolled in WIC," said Donald McNamara, executive director of the Egg Nutrition Center.
"A reduction in eggs would make it more difficult for WIC participants to meet their nutrient needs," he said.
The government's WIC program provides an estimated $35 per month to qualifying low-income pregnant women, infants and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk. The money can be used to purchase baby formula and certain foods.
"This is a deliberative process intended to address the health and nutrition needs of WIC participants," said Kate Coler, a USDA undersecretary in charge of the program.
USDA's proposal was published on Monday in the government's Federal Register and is open to public comment through Nov. 6.