‘A step in the right direction’: USDA directed to consider funding multi-vitamins for WIC Program
The announcement has been met with support from the Natural Products Association, with Dr Dan Fabricant, CEO and Executive Director of NPA, calling the instructions a “step in the right direction towards addressing the crisis of undernourishment in America”.
“Women, infants, and children utilizing the WIC program deserve equal access to and should be allowed to purchase vitamins,” he said.
“The Natural Products Association would like to thank Congressman Dent for his leadership and commitment to finding common sense policy solutions to our country’s biggest challenges,” said Dr. Fabricant. “We will continue to look for policy options to improve access and availability to products that support a healthy lifestyle for American consumers.”
In a letter to Harold Rogers, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, and Nita Lowey, its Ranking Member, Dr Fabricant noted that vitamin are proven to have many health benefits relevant to WIC programs, including
• Classic nutrient deficiency diseases (scurvy, pellagra, and iron deficiency anemia);
• Improve appetite and growth rates in low-income children;
• Prevent neural tube birth defects;
• Protect against heart disease and stroke; and
• Build bone mass in the young.
To read the full letter, please click HERE.
