Do you have milk? It might be far less if the U.S. The Department of Agriculture prevails.
The amount of milk that women and children can receive each month via the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children has been recommended to be reduced by up to 25% by the USDA (WIC).
The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), a group of independent international experts, made the cuts, according to the USDA, and they are “science-based” recommendations. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans state that milk should be supplied in levels up to 128% of the daily recommended dairy intake.
According to the USDA, the revised recommendations would supply milk in levels ranging from 71% to 96% of the daily recommended dairy intake. The American Academy of Pediatrics claims that because the emphasis on WIC being a “supplemental” nutritional programme makes the planned milk reduction consistent with the program’s goals.
Although WIC isn’t meant to be utilised as a primary food budget, millions of Americans may find that to be the case in practise.
According to the USDA’s Economic Research Division, more than 6 million low-income women and children, including an estimated 43% of all babies in the country, depend on WIC each month.
According to the USDA, 90% of Americans don’t consume enough dairy, and some people think that the cut might make the situation worse and have a long-lasting harmful impact on women’s and children’s health.
76% of 534 WIC participants surveyed by Morning Consult in mid-December expressed concern about the suggested reductions in milk and dairy portions, and 20% indicated they wouldn’t even try to re-apply if the changes were made. One-third of respondents stated they weren’t certain if they would keep using WIC.
Brittany Oxley, a West Virginia WIC mother and medical assistant for Valley Health who works with WIC mothers, stated, “That doesn’t make any sense to me.” “Most women receive milk through WIC. Every month, they depend on this. If it’s cut, they’ll have to pay for it themselves, and everything is so costly right now, said Oxley, a single mother of two children.
What is advised for children and expectant mothers?
The USDA advises:
Toddlers younger than 2 years old: up to 2 cups per day, or 51.5 to 62 glasses per month.
Children between the ages of 2-3 years: up to 62 glasses (or 2 cups) of dairy per month.
Children aged four to eight: 2 1/2 cups daily, or up to 77.5 glasses per month.
9 years and older: 3 cups per day, or 93 glasses maximum per month.
Women who are pregnant or nursing should consume 3 cups each day, or up to 93 glasses, every month.
What fresh recommendations are being considered?
According to the USDA, the suggested monthly modifications are based on advice from NASEM and include:
12 quarts of milk (48 glasses) for children aged one year (12 to 23 months), down from 16 (64 glasses)
14 quarts (56 glasses) for children aged 2 to 4 years, down from 16 (64 glasses)
Women who are pregnant: 16 quarts (64 glasses), compared to 22 (88 glasses)
Breastfeeding, Partly (Mostly) & Fully: 16 quarts (64 glasses), down from 24 (96 glasses)
16 gallons (64 glasses) unaltered postpartum
