U.S. Department of Agriculture is updating the parameters of its federal assistance program for women and children, and is considering adding more seafood to its offerings.
The USDA is updating the contents of the food packages it provides through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) for the first time since 2009. The government agency is expected to release details of the update early next year, giving seafood suppliers a chance they will see increased government procurement, WIC Association Senior Director of Public Policy Brian Dittmeier told SeafoodSource.
“There is a unique opportunity right now” to get seafood into all of the food packages that are offered as part of the WIC program, Dittmeier said.
WIC supports the health of six million low-income young children and women with funds for families to purchase nutritious food. It also provides nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding support, and referrals to health and other social services, Dittmeier said.
Currently, seafood is provided in only one WIC food package for breastfeeding women, with the option of purchasing canned or pouched light tuna, salmon, sardines, or mackerel.
“It is popular for participants who get it, with high redemption rates,” Dittmeier said.
While the selection of items is not expected to change with the update, there’s a chance the USDA could expand its provision for seafood in more of its food packages, according to Dittmeier, citing recommendations made by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM).
“NASEM recommended adding fish to the food packages for all women and children,” Dittmeier said.
The addition is necessary because nearly 90 percent of Americans have seafood intakes below the amount recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Dittmeier said.
“The guidelines advise people to consume, on average, two servings a week, encouraging people to shift their protein food group selections and choose seafood more often,” Dittmeier said. “Seafood is a nutrient-dense, lean protein that provides much-needed heart-healthy fats and other essential nutrients.”
The DGA also emphasizes the importance of eating seafood during pregnancy to promote healthy cognitive development in young children.
However, the USDA proposal may now be delayed until April 2022, after the agency first said it would be published this month, and then pushed its deadline to January or February 2022, according to Dittmeier.
“If the rule is delayed until April, that would make it difficult for the updated WIC food packages to be implemented in the beginning of FY2023, significantly delaying an expanded seafood benefit to families,” Dittmeier said.
Image courtesy of Dmitry Kovalchuk/Shutterstock
