Congressman Dennis Cardoza
18th Congressional District of California

The purpose of the bill is to promote improved nutrition, better health and prevent an array of chronic diseases in needy Americans, including women, infants and children and students. This is achieved by revising and enhancing federal nutrition programs to provide greater access to nutritionally valuable fruits and vegetables and 100 percent juice products.

"Proper nutrition needs to be emphasized as much as possible, especially with our children," Cardoza said. "Improving nutrition with fruits, vegetables, and juices is a necessary step to promote better health. We are fortunate in America to be able to grow healthy food in large amounts. Yet, we are not doing everything that we can do to improve nutrition. It is time to better utilize our vast agricultural resources."

"Current federal nutrition guidelines need to be revised and enhanced so that they are consistent with current dietary and nutrition science for some of the neediest Americans, including pregnant and nursing mothers, infants and students," Putnam said. "The current WIC (Women, Infant and Children) program is nearly 30 years old and has not been changed in that time. This outdated system does a disservice to those who need help most. My legislation will remedy this."

"There is no more important issue facing our country than investing in our children to fight today's alarming obesity and health crisis," said United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association President Tom Stenzel. "Congressman Putnam and Cardoza have shown great leadership in developing this comprehensive bill, and we salute Congressman Baca and other co-sponsors who are joining in the fight to give children's nutrition the priority it deserves."

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• Expansion of the National School Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program - Authorize national expansion of the Fruit and Vegetable School Snack Pilot Program as a permanent part of child nutrition programs. Direct USDA to develop plans to ensure efficiencies and economies of scale while ensuring maintenance of current flexibility for local school entities within the program. Include in the Summer School feeding programs.

• Summer School Feeding and After school Programs - The Secretary shall facilitate the availability of fruits, vegetables mad 100% juices in Summer School Feeding Programs and After school Programs.

• Women, Infants and Children (WIC):
• Require USDA to update and improve the nutritional quality of the WIC food packages. Require that the food package, target nutrients and nutrient needs of participants be re-evaluated at least every 10 years and revised to reflect current nutrition science.
• Require the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program to allow participants access to fresh fruit and fruits and vegetables, an important nutritional source for this needy population. (Current WIC program guidelines do not allow fresh fruits and vegetables.)
• Revise the containers for WIC juices to reflect modern usage including plastic and cardboard containers. Include not-from-concentrate juice in the WIC program. (Currently only concentrate allowed.) Allow generic or store brands to be eligible under the WIC program for cost efficiencies.
• Provide a more targeted approach to WIC nutrition education efforts with a focus on fruit and vegetable intake.

• State/Local Partnerships - Establish partnerships with State Departments of Agriculture and other state and local government and non-profit organizations for greater access, efficiencies and distribution of fruit and vegetables/juices in schools and feeding programs.

• Department of Defense (DOD) Delivery Access - Expand the DOD fresh program, an efficient way schools can receive frequent small deliveries of fresh produce under USDA programs, from $50 million annually to $100 million annually.

• USDA commodity purchases conformity to U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans - Require USDA to write a report to Congress within six months of enactment to assess current commodity purchasing practices and how purchasing decisions are made, and develop recommendations including a plan of action to align those purchases with dietary recommendations.

• USDA Role in National 5 A Day Partnership - Improve the research and education agenda at USDA to reflect its new commitment to the National 5 A Day Partnership. Require the Secretary of Agriculture to appoint or identify a 5 A Day Coordinator at the national level and urge FNS to appoint or identify a 5 A Day Coordinator in each of the seven FNS regional offices to coordinate and expand USDA efforts to promote fruit and vegetable intake.

• Fruit and Vegetable Research Agenda - Require USDA to develop a fruit and vegetable research agenda that coordinates research between the Economic Research Service, Food and Nutrition Service, Agricultural Research Service and other USDA agencies.