Food vouchers for women and children overhauled

By Christopher Doering

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fruits, vegetables and whole grains will be added to the grocery list of items covered by the U.S. government's Women, Infants and Children program, which helps more than 8 million Americans buy food each year.

A Reuters-obtained copy of the report, which will be published on Thursday in the government's Federal Register, shows the addition of these items, while less support will be provided for milk, eggs and juice.

The government first announced the proposed changes in August 2006, and USDA is set to unveil them on Thursday.

"The new food packages are 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," Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner said in a statement.

U.S. officials said the changes, the first major overhaul to WIC since it began in 1974, were needed to meet changing science and dietary guidelines, which reflect a growing obesity epidemic in the United States.

"This really updates it and is an important step forward that follows the science. It's overdue," said Jim Weill, president of Food Research and Action Center, a hunger relief group.

States have until August 5, 2009, to implement the new measures.

Key changes include cutting the amount of eggs WIC recipients can buy with their government vouchers, from 2 to 2-1/2 dozen per month to one dozen.

Juice for children ages 1 through 4 years, for example, would be reduced to 128 fluid oz from 288 fluid oz, and milk would be cut from 24 quarts to 16 quarts a month.

It also would allow recipients to substitute items. They would be able, for example, to replace whole wheat bread with brown rice, oatmeal or corn or whole wheat tortillas.

Currently, WIC provides about $37 per month to qualified low-income pregnant women, and children up to the age of 5, deemed to be at nutritional risk. The vouchers can be used to purchase specific food items as well as infant formulas.

The program serves an estimated 8.3 million people.

A third of U.S. adults are obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, compared with 15 percent in the 1970s. The center also has found increases in obesity among children with 13.9 percent of kids aged 2-5 years overweight, up from 5 percent.

(Reporting by Christopher Doering; editing by Matthew Lewis)