Potato industry digs in for WIC inclusion

Comments support putting potatoes back in program

By DAVE WILKINS

Capital Press

Potato growers still hope their commodity will be included in the USDA's popular Women, Infants and Children food aid program.

There appears to be plenty of public support, industry officials said.

The USDA received more than 4,300 written comments on proposed changes to the program.

The vast majority of the 231 comments related specifically to potatoes were opposed to excluding spuds from the WIC food list, said John Keeling, executive vice president of the National Potato Council.

Many of the comments came from WIC program managers and staff and health science professionals such as registered dietitians.

"I am very concerned about and object to the potato restriction in the new WIC food package," wrote Kelley Knapp, a registered dietitian from Sacramento, Calif. "Potatoes can be part of a healthy diet as they are good sources of both potassium and vitamin C."

One medium-sized potato has just 110 calories and more vitamin C than a medium-sized tomato, according to the U.S. Potato Board.

Many of the commenters said that potatoes seemed to be singled out for exclusion, while other starchy vegetables were included.

As an affordable source of nutrition, potatoes could help WIC recipients stretch limited program dollars, Keeling said.

"A lot of those fruits and vegetables are very expensive," he said in an interview. "Many of them don't have the positive nutritional profile that potatoes have."

Potato officials say spuds are a good fit for the program, both nutritionally and economically.

WIC aid packages provide supplemental food designed to meet the special nutritional requirements of low-income mothers, infants and children up to 5 years of age at risk of nutritional deficiencies.

Historically, the program has provided basic food commodities such as cheese, eggs and milk.

In late 2007 the USDA revised the program to include fresh fruits and vegetables for the first time. Potatoes were specifically excluded largely because the USDA determined that most people already eat enough of the starchy vegetable.

The USDA's Food and Nutrition Service is expected to enact a final rule in February 2011.

Online

Women, Infants and Children program website: www.fns.usda.gov/wic/