The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) applauds the release of the proposed rule updating the food packages for the Women, Infants and Children’s Supplemental Nutrition program (WIC). Published on November 17, 2022, the new rule is the first food package update of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) WIC program since 2009. This science-based update adds seafood to more of the packages and strengthens the USDA’s efforts to align its nutrition programs with the latest U.S. dietary and health guidelines.
“Including more seafood in the update and expanding its availability in WIC packages for children, pregnant and postpartum women in addition to breastfeeding mothers will be great for their health,” says Bruce Schactler, director of ASMI’s Global Food Aid Program. “It also is a sound investment that will support the U.S. seafood and retail industries, including many small businesses.”