Arkansas Rice Federation Meets State WIC Director
10/02/09 08:19 PM Filed in: Meetings
WIC Program Interim Director Susan Handford greets Arkansas Rice Federation Executive Director Ben Noble.
The two discussed the launch of the revised WIC Food Program packages that, for the first time, will offer a wider range of healthy foods — such as fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods, including brown rice — to the state’s 95,000 WIC recipients who are at nutritional risk.
WIC is a federally funded, state administered supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children up to age five.
“As the leading rice-producing state, Arkansas farmers and millers are proud that nutritious brown rice is now included in the state’s WIC food packages,” Noble said.
“Arkansas WIC is pleased to offer nutritious new foods to the participants our program serves,” Handford said. “We have appreciated the rice industry’s support during this time.”
The rice industry worked with state WIC staff as they developed the new food packages, and donated hundreds of one-pound bags of brown rice for training sessions of dietitians and staff who work with WIC recipients.
For more information about the rice industry and WIC, please visit usarice.com/WIC .
Chuck Wilson, (870) 673-7541, cwilson@usarice.com
