FR WIC Rule

Here is the link for the WIC fruit and vegetable voucher rule, as published in the Federal Register today. From the executive summary:

This interim rule revises regulations governing the WIC food packages to align the WIC food packages with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) \1\ and current infant feeding practice guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics, better promote and support the establishment of successful long-term breastfeeding, provide WIC participants with a wider variety of food, and provide WIC State agencies with greater flexibility in prescribing food packages to accommodate participants with cultural food preferences.

DATES: Effective Date: This rule is effective February 4, 2008.Implementation Date: State agencies must implement the provisions of this rule no later than August 5, 2009. Comment Date: To be considered, comments on this interim rule must be postmarked on or before February 1, 2010.

Here is the USDA response about white potatoes.....

Under the proposed rule, white potatoes would have been excluded from authorization in the WIC food packages. A total of 324 commenters (of these 291 were form letters) opposed the restriction of white potatoes. Twenty-four commenters stated that white potatoes should be included in the WIC food packages because they are versatile, economical and contain key nutrients. Thirteen commenters (1 form letter) from WIC State and local agencies stated that the exclusion of white potatoes would be hard to administer.
The restriction of white potatoes, as recommended by the IOM, is based on the amounts suggested in the DGA\(1)\ for consumption of starchy vegetables; food intake data indicating that consumption of starchy vegetables meets or exceeds these suggested amounts; and food intake data showing that white potatoes are the most widely used vegetable. Therefore, this provision is retained in the interim rule as proposed in Table 4 of 7 CFR 246.10(e)(12).

TK: An 18-month period was set up for states to implement the rule, and so one thinks the final rule - after the comment period that ends Feb. 4 - won't be much different than this interim rule. Considerable pressure will be applied on the USDA to bend, not only by dairy and juice interests (their packages were reduced) but also by the potato industry (white potatoes excluded from the voucher). Lorelei DiSogra and others will attend a briefing about the rule this morning, prior to the reception hosted by the USDA. More observations from Lorelei later in some Packer coverage I'm developing.