| Category/Food | Food Package and Affected Participant Group, Considering the Proposed Food Package Revisions | Selected Current Specifications | Proposed Change to the Specificationsb | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetables and Fruits Purchased with CVV | II Infants | Any variety of fresh, whole, or cut vegetable, without added sugars, starches, or salt Any variety of fresh, whole, or cut fruit without added sugars | Fresh, frozen, or canned forms of vegetables and fruits meeting other specifications may be purchased | Fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables and fruits are suitable for infants and meet developmental needs when prepared appropriately |
| Milk and Milk Alternatives | (as defined in 21 C.F.R. 101.95) | |||
| Cow's milk | IV, V-A, V-B, VI, VII Women and children |
| Only unflavored milk is permitted | Low-fat forms (for children 2 years of age and older, and women) align with CACFP provision of milk and with the DGA; requiring unflavored forms reduces inclusion of added sugars in the WIC food packages |
| Soy-based beverage | IV, V-A, V-B, VI, VII Women and children | Must be fortified to meet the following nutrient levels: 276 mg calcium per cup, 8 g protein per cup, 500 IU vitamin A per cup, 100 IU vitamin D per cup, 24 mg magnesium per cup, 222 mg phosphorus per cup, 349 mg potassium per cup, 0.44 mg riboflavin per cup, and 1.1 µg vitamin B12 per cup, in accordance with fortification guidelines issued by FDA | In addition, the total sugar content of soy-based beverages should be as low as possible, not to exceed 12 g per 8 oz serving | Soy-based beverages are available in the marketplace that contain 12 g or less of total sugars per serving; sugars in soy-based beverages are 100 percent added; intakes of added sugars are excessive in the WIC population, therefore it is appropriate to apply a limit that considers nationwide availability of these products |
| Tofu | IV, V-A, V-B, VI, VII Women and children | Calcium-set tofu prepared with calcium salts (e.g., calcium sulfate); may not contain added fats, sugars, oils, or sodium | Must contain a minimum of 200 mg of calcium per 100 g of tofu (calcium-set is no longer part of the specification); retain the specification that tofu may not contain added fats, sugars, oils, or sodium | Tofu in the food packages serves as a milk substitution; as such, the revised specification ensures that tofu in the food packages provides an amount of calcium as close to that in a serving of milk as reasonable, considering marketplace options |
| Yogurt | IV, V-A, V-B, VI, VII Women and children | Must be pasteurized and conform to standards of identity for yogurt as listed in Table 4 of 7 C.F.R. 246.10(e) (12); may be plain or flavored with ≤40 grams of total sugars per 1 cup of yogurt | Must contain no more than 30 g total sugars per 8 oz serving (≤3.75 g total sugars per oz); soy-based yogurt substitute must contain at least 250 mg of calcium and 6.5 g of protein per 8 oz servingc | The availability of yogurts that contain 30 g or less of total sugars per 8 oz serving has expanded substantially; this amount is more closely aligned with the DGA; soy products meet the needs of individuals with a milk allergy or who consume a vegan diet |
| Cheese | IV, V-A, V-B, VI, VII Women and children |
| In addition, soy-based cheese substitute (not soy curd cheese) is permitted and must contain at least 250 mg of calcium and 6.5 g of protein per 1.5 ounce serving | Soy products meet the needs of individuals with a milk allergy or who consume a vegan diet |
| Breakfast cereal | IV, V-A, V-B, VI, VII Women and children | Must contain a minimum of 28 mg iron per 100 g dry cereal Must contain ≤21.2 g sucrose and other sugars per 100 g dry cereal (≤6 g per dry oz) At least half of the cereals authorized on a state agency's food list must have whole grain as the primary ingredient by weight and meet labeling requirements for making a health claim as a “whole grain food with moderate fat content”:
| All ready-to-eat cereals on a state agency's authorized food list must adhere to the whole grain-rich criteriad and conform to other current specifications (e.g., must be iron-fortified, must not exceed added sugars limitations) | Intake of whole grains is low in the WIC population; whole grain cereal options have expanded substantially since the last review; the same products should qualify while aligning with USDA guidance for CACFP, the National School Lunch Program, and the National Breakfast Program (USDA/FNS, 2016d) |
| Whole grain options | IV, V-A, V-B, VI, VII Women and children | |||
| Whole grain bread | Whole grain bread must conform to FDA standard of identity (21 C.F.R. 136.110) and meet labeling requirements for making a health claim as a “whole grain food with moderate fat content,” as outlined above | Whole grain bread is no longer permitted; only 100 percent whole wheat bread is permitted | Very few states offer whole grain bread options other than 100 percent whole wheat; identification of suitable wholegrain breads (>50% whole grain) is challenging; restricting to 100 percent whole wheat bread aligns with most current state WIC authorized food lists and promotes intake of whole grains by WIC participants | |
| Other whole grain options | Other whole unprocessed grains: Brown rice, bulgur (cracked wheat), oats, whole grain barley, and whole wheat macaroni (pasta) without added sugars, fats, oils, or salt (i.e., sodium) | In addition, teff or buckwheat may be offered; cornmeal (including blue); and corn masa flour meeting specifications outlined below are allowed | Additional options provide culturally suitable alternatives; participants and WIC staff expressed an interest in addition of these grains | |
| Tortillas | Soft corn or whole wheat tortillas may be allowed at the state agency's option. Soft corn tortillas made from ground masa flour (corn flour) using traditional processing methods are WIC eligible, and include whole corn, corn (masa), whole ground corn, corn masa flour, masa harina, and white corn flour. For whole wheat tortillas, ‘‘whole wheat flour'' must be the only flour listed in the ingredient list | In addition, once available in the marketplace, states are encouraged to offer tortillas made with folic acid–fortified corn masa flour | Folic acid is a nutrient of concern for premenopausal women; consumption of folic acid is lower among Hispanic compared to non-Hispanic women (Williams et al., 2015) | |
| Cornmeal | Not yet permitted | Add whole corn meal (including blue) meeting the FDA standard of identity (21 C.F.R. 137.260) and that is in alignment with USDA specifications for corn meal in School Meal Programs (USDA-CNP-01-2008) to current options | Provides a culturally suitable option; similar in nutritive value to some types of permitted corn tortillas | |
| Corn masa flour | Not yet permitted | Add corn masa flour. Once available in the marketplace, states are encouraged to offer folic acid–fortified corn masa flour | Allowing this flour aligns with the allowance of tortillas made with corn masa flour; participants expressed an interest | |
| Fish | IV, V-A, V-B, VI, VII Women and children | May be packed in water or oil. Pack may include bones or skin. Added sauces and flavorings, such as tomato sauce, mustard, or lemon, are authorized at the state agency's option. May be regular or lower in sodium content | Canned fish may be water-packed (not oil packed) and may contain added sauces and flavorings. All other specifications remain unchanged | Few states currently offer oil-packed fish so there is minimal effect on participant choice; water-packed varieties are higher in nutrient-density because water-packed fish is lower in energy but contains the same levels of key nutrients per serving |
NOTES: CACFP = Child and Adult Care Food Program; C.F.R. = Code of Federal Regulations; CVV = cash value voucher; FDA = U.S. Food and Drug Administration; IU = International Unit; NA = not applicable; RACC = reference amounts customarily consumed; RTE = ready-to-eat; USDA = U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The table covers only cases in which a change to a food specification was made. See Appendix P, Table P-1, for a more comprehensive list of food specifications and proposed changes.
Details are provided only for the proposed change. Other components of the specification remain the same.
The committee's rationale for not requiring vitamin D fortification of yogurt is available in Appendix Q.
It is anticipated that changes to the whole grain-rich criteria in alignment with the FDA proposed changes to the RACCs used for food labeling would be applied to the WIC food packages.
SOURCE: For current specifications, see USDA/FNS, 2014.
From: 6, The Revised Food Packages
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