WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a report released last Tuesday, the National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) allow fresh, white potatoes to be eligible for purchase under the USDA Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), consistent with the most current 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommendations. The white potato had been the only vegetable or fruit excluded from the WIC program.
Officials with the Maine Potato Board (MPB) called the recommendation a “victory” for both the industry and consumers alike.
“This is a major victory for the potato industry and the consumers who have previously not been able to procure white potatoes with a WIC voucher,” said Don Flannery, executive director of the MPB. “For years our industry has urged the USDA to utilize current information regarding the special nutritional needs of low-income pregnant, breast feeding, non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and infants and children up to five years of age who are at nutritional risk. Today’s announcement underwrites what we have said for years. It’s great news!”
The MPB also thanked the Maine Congressional delegation for its continued support at the national level for this critical change.
“Our entire Congressional delegation has been extremely supportive and encouraging to our industry as we have tried for years to get this change implemented,” said Flannery. “We — in particular — thank U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) for her leadership on the issue.”
Gregg Garrison, MPB president, emphasized that Collins’ role was invaluable to the process.
“As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Collins late last year successfully secured language in the Fiscal Year 2015 federal funding bill that allowed families using the WIC program to purchase fresh, white potatoes and required that USDA guidelines be reviewed utilizing current data,” he said. “We — as an industry — are indebted to her leadership and unwavering support.”
Collins has argued for years that USDA used antiquated rules based on outdated, 20-year-old consumption data when it banned the fresh, white potato from the WIC program.
The updated 2010 DGA recommended five to six cups per week of a certain class of vegetable that includes the white potato, for women with a daily caloric intake of 1,800-2,400 calories. This reflects an increase of two to three cups per week from the outdated 2005 DGA. Yet, USDA continued to ban the white potato from the WIC program.
In December 2014, Collins successfully secured language in the fiscal year 2015 federal funding bill that allowed families using the WIC program to purchase fresh, white potatoes. The language also specified that vegetables with added sugars, fats, or oils cannot be purchased using WIC vouchers. The provision also required USDA to commence the next scheduled regular review of the WIC food package, including an evaluation of the nutrient value of all vegetables, to determine the long-term inclusion or exclusion of any fresh fruit or vegetable.
“As I have said all along, USDA’s decision ought to be driven by nutritional facts and the latest, accurate food science. In that kind of review, the fresh, white potato wins, hands down,” said Collins. “The IOM review confirms my belief that USDA’s decision was based on the outdated recommendations from the 2005 DGA.
“IOM concludes that increased consumption of fresh, white potatoes could improve potassium intake for both women and children, and recommends that USDA allow white potatoes as a WIC-eligible vegetable,” she said. “Instead of prohibiting the purchase of the fresh potato, USDA should encourage its healthy preparation as it can help improve the nutrient intake and diet quality of WIC participants.”
U.S. Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) agreed.
“This study further confirms what we have known and consistently advocated for over the years — that fresh, white potatoes are indeed a nutritious and beneficial food that low-income families should have access to through the WIC program,” said King. “As we have said repeatedly, decisions about which foods are included in the WIC package should be based solely on science. And the science here is irrefutable. I applaud Sen. Collins for her hard-fought efforts on this issue and will continue to stand with her on behalf of Maine families and potato growers.”
