Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Senator Collins' Request to Include Fresh White Potato in WIC Program

Today, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bipartisan agreement, authored by Senators Susan Collins (R-Me) and Mark Pryor (D-AR), that would allow families using the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program to purchase all fresh, healthy vegetables, including the white potato, which has been excluded from the program:

The agreement, included in the Fiscal Year 2015 Agriculture appropriations bill, would allow all fresh vegetables, including the fresh, white potato to be included in the WIC program immediately upon enactment of the bill.

It’s important to note that the language also states that vegetables with added sugars, fats, or oils cannot be purchased using WIC vouchers.

The provision also requires USDA to commence the next scheduled regular review of the WIC food package, including an evaluation of the nutrient value of all fresh fruits and vegetables, to determine the long-term inclusion or exclusion of any fresh fruit or vegetable. USDA would be required to report back to Congress with its findings.

National Potato Council 2014 Potato D.C. Fly-In