White potatoes to be included in WIC program
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced Dec. 10 that she has secured language in the Fiscal Year 2015 federal funding bill that would allow families using the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program to purchase all fresh, healthy vegetables — including the white potato, which had been excluded from the program. This language was based on a bipartisan agreement reached earlier this year and originally included in the FY15 Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill.
Under the provision, all fresh vegetables will be included in the WIC program following enactment of the bill. The language also specifies that vegetables with added sugars, fats, or oils cannot be purchased using WIC vouchers. In addition, the USDA will be required 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. USDA will be required to make publicly available all scientific research and data used to make the final recommendations and explain the results of the review to Congress.
“USDA’s decision ought to be driven by nutritional facts and food science. In that kind of review, the fresh, white potato wins, hands down,” said Collins. The potato has more potassium than bananas, a food commonly associated with this nutrient, which is important for pregnant women and new mothers. Potatoes are cholesterol-free, fat-free, and sodium-free, and can be prepared in countless healthy ways.
“A medium baked potato contains 15 percent of the daily recommended value of dietary fiber, 27 percent of the daily recommended value for Vitamin B6, and 28 percent of the daily recommended value of Vitamin C,” Collins said. “It also defies logic that WIC participants may purchase fresh white potatoes sold at a farmers’ market but may not purchase fresh white potatoes sold in grocery stores. Potatoes are an affordable and nutrient-dense food that all WIC participants should be able to purchase regardless of the where they are sold.”
Currently, fresh white potatoes are the only fresh fruit or vegetable excluded from the approved WIC food package, which sends a message to Americans that potatoes are not nutritious and inappropriately limits the choices of those using WIC vouchers, according to industry leaders. Potatoes’ exclusion from the U.S. Department of Agriculture rule went into effect in December 2009 and is based on recommendations of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans report, which uses consumption data that is nearly 20 years old. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, however, recommends five to six cups of these vegetables per week for women with a daily caloric intake of 1,800 to 2,400 calories — an increase of two to three cups per week from the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
U.S. Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) hailed the inclusion of white potatoes in the WIC program.
“With the enactment of this bill, low-income families will finally have access to yet another healthy and inexpensive food option,” King said. “I’m thrilled Sen. Collins successfully secured this provision, which will finally fix what has all along been considered a misguided policy based on outdated science.”
Last year, King co-sponsored an amendment with Collins to the Senate Farm Bill which would have included white potatoes in the WIC program. In October 2013, King wrote a letter to Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Thad Cochran, chairwoman and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry, respectively, outlining several farming and food issues of particular importance to Maine, including that all white potatoes be included in the WIC program.
According to Tim Hobbs, director of development/grower relations for the Maine Potato Board, the decision to include white potatoes is a smart one.
“Will it sell any more potatoes in Maine? I don’t know; that was never the goal,” said Hobbs. “The goal was we didn’t want potatoes to be disparaged because it was the only vegetable left out of the WIC program. To exclude it sends the message that there’s something wrong with it. That was our issue. There’s nothing wrong with the potato; they’re actually healthy and good for you. In fact, with all the nutritional data out there, anybody that would think that would either be uninformed or have an agenda.”
The Fiscal Year 2015 funding bill also continues to support important agricultural research and extension activities including language and funding on a range of issues from potatoes to wild blueberries to aquaculture to forest products important to the state of Maine.
