WASHINGTON — Poor women and their children will see fruits, vegetables and whole grains but less dairy and egg products in the Women, Infants and Children program under a change the Agriculture Department plans to adopt today.
"The addition of these foods better reflect the needs of over 8 million low-income mothers and children in the WIC program," acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner said in a statement. The changes, he said, will "greatly improve dietary quality."
The revisions pleased anti-hunger advocates but disappointed milk and egg producers, who will see sales of their products reduced. The WIC program will cut back on purchases of milk, cheese, eggs and juice.
It's the first significant update of the program in nearly 30 years. The department first proposed the changes last year and received 46,000 comments.
