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GAO-18-125R 1 (2017-11-30)

handle is hein.gao/gaobacshh0001 and id is 1 raw text is: G A O U.S. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE 441 G St. N.W. Washington, DC 20548 November 30, 2017 Congressional Committees WIC: USDA's Review of Vegetables Available under the Program Followed Leading Research Practices The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides supplemental foods, nutrition education, including breastfeeding promotion and support, and health and social service program referrals to low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are found to be at nutritional risk.' In fiscal year 2016, WIC provided food and services to about 7.7 million participants, and the federal government spent approximately $6 billion on the program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service oversees WIC at the federal level and provides grants to state agencies which, in turn, provide food benefits and services to participants through 1,900 local agencies in 10,000 clinic sites. The federal law authorizing WIC specifies that the supplemental foods provided through the program contain nutrients determined by nutritional research to be lacking in the diets of pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children, and promote the health of the population served by the program. As such, the foods available under WIC are designed to supplement participants' diets with specific nutrients. USDA regulations establish the types and maximum amounts of supplemental food participants may receive. Further, federal law requires USDA to conduct a scientific review of the foods available under WIC at least once every 10 years and amend the foods available, as necessary, to reflect nutrition science, public health concerns, and cultural eating patterns.2 USDA contracted with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (National Academies) for several recent reviews. Among other changes, the 2005 review recommended that fruits and vegetables, with the exception of the white potato, be made available under WIC to better address participants' nutritional needs.4 The National Academies recommended excluding the white potato based on food intake data for women and young children that showed white potatoes were the most frequently consumed vegetable and average consumption of starchy vegetables met or exceeded recommended 1WIC is authorized by section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, as amended, codified at 42 U.S.C. § 1786. Federal regulations implementing the program may be found at 7 C.F.R. pt. 246. 242 U.S.C. § 1786(f)(11)(C). 3In July 2015, the Institute of Medicine changed its name to the National Academy of Medicine as part of a broad reorganization of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (National Academies). The Institute of Medicine is the author of the reports published before that date, and the National Academies is the author of the reports published after that date, although for ease of reference we generally refer only to the National Academies. The mission of the National Academies is to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to inform public policy decisions. 41nstitute of Medicine, WIC Food Packages: Time fora Change (Washington, D.C.: 2005). GAO-18-125R WIC Page 1

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