Des Moines Register
09-19-06
WIC proposal shells out less for eggs
Revisions would cut consumption of eggs, dairy products
By PHILIP BRASHER
Register Washington Bureau
Washington, D.C. — For low-income women like Rebecca Ledvina of
Marshalltown, the federal nutrition program known as WIC has not only helped
her make ends meet, it has also improved her diet and the diets of her two young
children.
The program will be even better, she thinks, under a government plan to reduce
the amount of eggs, milk and cheese that participants can get each month and
instead give them fruits, vegetables and whole grain bread. Recipients will also
be allowed to substitute soy milk and tofu for dairy products.
The proposal will take a bite out of a significant market for dairy farmers and egg
producers, which is a blow to Iowa, the nation's largest producer of eggs.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs the program, says the fruits and
vegetables would provide poor women and children with badly needed nutrients.
Cutting back on eggs and dairy products would reduce the amount of saturated
fat and cholesterol in the program and prevent the addition of fruits and
vegetables from costing taxpayers more money, the department says.
"I know for me it would increase me offering those foods to my kids and my kids
having those foods more often," said Ledvina, 23.
WIC (Women, Infants and Children), one of the government's largest nutrition
assistance programs, provides food and nutrition counseling to more than 8
million pregnant women, new mothers, babies and young children each month,
including about 68,000 in Iowa.
Participants receive vouchers to buy certain foods that contain nutrients they are
likely missing. Approved foods have to meet strict criteria. Sugary cereals, for
example, are ineligible for purchase.
The proposed changes are in line with recommendations made last year by
scientists convened by the Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academy of
Sciences.
Experts say they will not only improve the health of the poor but could also have
a long-term impact on dietary habits and the nation's obesity problem.
"It's an endorsement of a lot of nutritional research and guidance that's
available," said Helen Jensen, an Iowa State University economist who
served on the panel. "The committee worked very hard to tailor a package that
would meet the needs of today's population."
The changes would be the most significant in the program since it was created in
the early 1970s.
At the time, the concern was whether poor women were getting enough protein
and nutrients like calcium, so the program emphasized dairy products and eggs.
Now, the poor are getting plenty of protein, but need more iron, vitamin E,
potassium, fiber and other nutrients, and also need to be encouraged to eat more
fruits and vegetables, the experts say.
The USDA is proposing to cut the amount of eggs recipients can buy with WIC
vouchers to a dozen a month per person, down from the 2 dozen to 2dozen they
can buy now.
In exchange, women on the program would get $8 a month worth of fruits and
vegetables. Children would get $6 worth. Infants would receive the fruits and
vegetables in the form of baby food.
For the egg industry, that means farmers would lose much of their WIC market,
now worth about $158 million, or 3.5 percent of total egg sales, according to the
USDA. "We don't mind them adding the fruits and vegetables, but don't whack
the eggs," said Howard Maguire, director of government relations for United Egg
Producers, the industry's trade group. "We think that's a heck of a bargain right
there, a really good food source."
He said the industry worries that the reduction in WIC sales will have a long-term
impact on the eating patterns of low-income people. "We'd lose more egg
consumption that nationally is affected by the WIC program," he said.
That is one of the things the government is after - long-term changes in the way
people eat. "We would really like these small children from 1 up to 5 to be
exposed to fruits and vegetables. They're more apt to eat them later in life," said
Judy Solberg, who oversees the WIC program in Iowa for the state Department
of Public Health.
Some critics say the Bush administration was too stingy with the proposed
changes.
The Food Research and Action Center, a Washington-based advocacy group,
said the proposed allowance for fruits and vegetables will supply about threequarters of the amount that children need under the Institute of Medicine's
recommendations.
The institute's panel said the program should provide $2 a month more in fruits
and vegetables than the administration has proposed.
Ledvina, who is studying at Marshalltown Community College to become a
registered nurse, said the WIC program helped her know how to feed her
children, and made it possible for her to afford child care. She has a 6-year-old
daughter and a 5-month-old son who are on the program.
She agrees the changes would have a long-term impact, especially on the
children.
"If you expose them to (fruits and vegetables) early and you get the different
varieties of stuff, they're going to be more willing to eat them when they are
older," she said.
What would change?
The USDA is specifically proposing:
• Cutting the amount of eggs to 1 dozen a month per person, down from the 2
dozen to 2 1/2 dozen allowed now.
• Women would be given $8 a month worth of fruits and vegetables. A child
would get $6 worth.
• Soy milk and tofu could be substituted for dairy products.
Why make changes?
The government wants people to eat more healthfully. Many recipients need
more nutrients than are provided under the current guidelines. The proposed
changes to add more fruits and vegetables are in line with recommendations
made last year by scientists.
What's next?
The government isn't sure when the change would take effect. It is soliciting
comments until Nov. 6.