Interim Rule Bans WIC Participants from Buying Potatoes

The Associated Press reports that the Institute of Medicine, "the health arm of the National Academy of Sciences recommended that the U.S. Department of Agriculture stop participants of the federal Women, Infants, and Children program, known as WIC, from buying potatoes with federal dollars."

Consequently, an interim rule bars WIC participants from buying potatoes and next year a final rule on the WIC program will be implemented.  WIC served 9.3 million children and pregnant and breast-feeding women considered at risk for malnutrition last year.

The Institute of Medicine also recommended that the national school lunch program limit the use of potatoes.  Christine Stencel, spokeswoman for the Institute, said that the recommendation was "made to encourage consumption of other fruits and vegetables" and that "consumption of white potatoes was already adequate."

Some potato growers oppose this decision, noting that "potatoes have more potassium than bananas, and that one serving provides roughly 45 percent of the daily recommended value for vitamin C" along with fiber and other minerals and vitamins.

One Washington Grower is "in the midst of a 60-day, all potato diet to demonstrate that potatoes are nutritious."

To read the Associated Press story, click here.

Posted: 9/20/2010