The Biden-Harris Administration recently announced the final science-based food package updates for the Women’s, Infant’s and Children’s Supplemental Nutrition program, also known as WIC. The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute has been awaiting the release of the proposed rule updating the WIC packages, after a long review process. ASMI commends the Biden-Harris Administration and USDA for improving the nutrition value of the WIC food packages and further by adding more seafood to their entire array of nutritional programs.
This is the first update since 2009 and will go a long way to improve nutrition equity with expanded access to health-promoting seafood for all WIC participant groups. To date, canned fish has been included only for fully breastfeeding participants since a pilot initiative in the early 2000s by the late Senators Ted Stevens of the state of Alaska and Daniel Inouye of the state of Hawaii. Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski has been a champion of women and children’s health, leading a 15-year effort with the Alaska delegation to expand seafood access to all WIC participants.