In response to rulemaking in regards to the WIC food package, NCAH has submitted the following comment in support of the proposed changes.
WIC is one of our most successful and effective public health and nutrition programs. WIC is correlated with better outcomes for mothers and children. Participants are more likely to have a more nutritious diet, better health outcomes, fewer premature births and infant deaths, and more optimal birth weights.
Despite positive strides in food security and health for families and children, WIC remains the most underutilized food assistance program in North Carolina, and we continue to have significant health disparities. Improving the food package for WIC with the recommendations of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will improve the health of our most vulnerable families. We support these efforts to increase access to whole grains and increase the fruit and vegetable cash value voucher in particular. These improvements to the WIC package will make healthier food options more accessible to North Carolinians.
We encourage our partners to comment on the proposed changes here before February 21, 2023.