After three decades, WIC foods change

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced its first major revision in nearly three decades in the foods offered in its Women, Infants and Children program.

Acting Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Conner announced publication of an interim final rule revising food packages provided by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for WIC in the Federal Register.

Under the interim final rule, the food packages are revised to add new foods including fruits, vegetables and whole grains, while amounts of some current foods are modified.

Baby foods for infants ages 6 months are included, as are soy-based beverages and tofu for women and children who desire alternatives to milk.

"We received over 46,000 comments on this proposed rule and this feedback was invaluable to us in bringing all the concerns into account when we drafted this interim final rule," Conner said in a news conference. "The foods better reflect the needs of more than 8 million low-income mothers and children in the WIC program, which is designed to improve the nutrition and health of our nation's low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants and young children with nutrition education, and more fruits, vegetables and whole grains to greatly improve dietary quality."