[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 53 (Monday, March 18, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 10903-10907]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-6178]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Consumer Service

7 CFR Part 246


Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and 
Children (WIC): WIC Cereal Sugar Limit

AGENCY: Food and Consumer Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to propose rulemaking and solicitation of 
comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department is considering revising the Federal regulations 
that limit the amount of sugar in WIC-eligible adult cereals. 
Currently, Federal regulations specify that all adult cereals (hot or 
cold) eligible for use in WIC food packages for women and children must 
contain no more than 21.2 grams of sucrose and other sugars per 100 
grams of dry cereal (i.e., 6 grams of sugar per dry ounce of cereal). 
The majority of recent studies fail to document an association between 
sugar consumption and an increased risk of developing chronic diseases. 
The Department is therefore reviewing whether a revision in the Federal 
limit on the sugar content for WIC-eligible adult cereals is warranted. 
Consequently, the Department is soliciting public comments on the pros 
and cons of revising the current requirement, and is inviting 
suggestions on how the sugar limit should be changed, if a change is 
deemed appropriate.

DATES: To be assured of consideration, comments must be received on or 
before June 17, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Stanley C. Garnett, Director, 
Supplemental Food Programs Division, Food and Consumer Service, USDA, 
3101 Park Center Drive, Room 540,

[[Page 10904]]
Alexandria, Virginia 22302, (703) 305-2746. Comments on this Notice 
should be labeled ``WIC Cereal Sugar Limit Notice.'' All written 
comments will be available for public inspection during regular 
business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday) at the 
above-noted address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Hallman, Branch Chief, Policy 
and Program Development Branch, Supplemental Food Programs Division, 
Food and Consumer Service, USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 542, 
Alexandria, Virginia 22302, (703) 305-2730.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Executive Order 12866

    This Notice has been determined to be not significant for purposes 
of Executive Order 12866 and therefore has not been reviewed by the 
Office of Management and Budget.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    This action is not a rule as defined by the Regulatory Flexibility 
Act (5 USC 601-612) and thus is exempt from the provisions of this Act.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This Notice does not contain reporting or recordkeeping 
requirements subject to approval by the Office of Management and Budget 
in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 (44 USC 3507).

Executive Order 12372

    This program is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance Programs under No. 10.557 and is subject to the provisions 
of Executive Order 12372, which requires intergovernmental consultation 
with State and local officials [7 CFR Part 3015, Subpart V, and final 
rule-related Notice published June 24, 1983 (48 FR 29114)].

References

    Browne, Mona Boyd: ``Label Facts for Healthful Eating: 
Educator's Resource Guide,'' 2nd ed., The Mazer Corporation, Dayton, 
Ohio, 1994, 100 pp. [Copies of this publication may be purchased 
from The Mazer Corporation, 2501 Neff Road, Dayton, Ohio 45414; 
telephone (513) 276-6181.]
    Clydesdale, Fergus M., ed.: Workshop on the Evaluation of the 
Nutritional and Health Aspects of Sugars, Proceedings of a Workshop 
Held in Washington, D.C., May 2-5, 1994, ``Supplement to The 
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,'' vol. 62(1S):161S-296S, 
July 1995. [Copies of this publication may be purchased from ``The 
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,'' 9650 Rockville Pike, 
Bethesda, Maryland 20814-3998; fax (301) 571-8303.]
    National Research Council, Committee on Diet and Health: ``Diet 
and Health: Implications for Reducing Chronic Disease Risk,'' 
National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 1989, 749 pp. [Copies of 
this publication may be purchased from the National Academy Press, 
2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20418; telephone 1-
800-624-6242 or (202) 334-3313.]
    U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 
Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee: ``Report of the Dietary 
Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for 
American, 1995: To the Secretary of Health and Human Services and 
the Secretary of Agriculture,'' U.S. Government Printing Office, 
Washington, D.C., September 1995, 58 pp. [Copies of this publication 
may be purchased from the National Technical Information Service, 
5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, Virginia 22161; telephone (703) 
487-4650.]
    U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service: 
``WIC Food Package and Nutrition Risk Criteria Reviews: Final 
Report,'' U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1991-
1992, 3 volumes, 300 pp. (approximate). [This report to Congress is 
comprised of the following three separate documents: (1) ``1992 
Biennial Report on the Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, 
and Children and on the Commodity Supplemental Food Program'' (NAL 
call number aHV696.F6U625), prepared by the National Advisory 
Council on Maternal, Infant and Fetal Nutrition; (2) ``Technical 
Papers: Review of the WIC Food Packages'' (NAL call number 
aHV696.F6T42 1991), prepared by the Department of Nutrition, College 
of Health and Human Development, Pennsylvania State University, 
under Cooperative Agreement Number 58-3198-1-006; and (3) 
``Technical Papers: Review of WIC Nutritional Risk Criteria'' (NAL 
call number aHV696.F6T425 1991), prepared by the Department of 
Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of 
Arizona, under Cooperative Agreement Number 58-3198-1-005. The 
Department sent copies of the complete report to all WIC State 
agencies in 1992. Copies of the report may be borrowed from the 
National Agricultural Library (NAL) using the NAL call numbers 
listed above corresponding to the three component documents. State 
and local staff of certain USDA programs may borrow materials 
directly from NAL. Others may borrow materials from NAL through the 
interlibrary loan system, making arrangements with their local or 
corporate libraries. To borrow these documents, contact: NAL, 
Document Delivery Services Branch, 10301 Baltimore Boulevard, 
Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2351; telephone (301) 504-5755; fax (301) 
504-5675.]
    U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service: 
``WIC Program Report to Congress: Nutritional Risk Criteria and Food 
Package Reviews,'' Alexandria, Virginia, July 1991, 29 pp. [This 
report constitutes a combination of two of the Department's reports 
to Congress: a preliminary report on the WIC food package review and 
an interim report on the WIC nutritional risk criteria review. The 
Department sent copies of this report to all WIC State agencies in 
1991. Copies of this report may be obtained by contacting: Food and 
Nutrition Information Center (FNIC), NAL, 10301 Baltimore Boulevard, 
Room 304, Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2351; telephone (301) 504-5719; 
fax (301) 504-6409. Also, an electronic copy of the report is 
available via the Internet at [email protected].]
    U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service: WIC 
Program: Report to Congress on Cereals Containing Fruit in the WIC 
Supplemental Food Packages,'' Alexandria, Virginia, December 1991, 
12 pp. [The Department sent copies of this report to all WIC State 
agencies in January 1992. Copies of this report may be obtained by 
contacting: FNIC, NAL, 10301 Baltimore Boulevard, Room 304, 
Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2351; telephone (301) 504-5719; fax (301) 
504-6409. Also, an electronic copy of report is available via the 
Internet at [email protected].]
    U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and 
Human Services: ``Nutrition and Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for 
Americans,'' 4th ed., Home and Garden Bulletin No. 232, U.S. 
Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., December 1995, 43 pp. 
[For a single copy of the bulletin, send your name and address along 
with

[[Page 10905]]

a check or money order for 50 cents payable to the Superintendent of 
Documents to: Consumer Information Center, Department 378-C, Pueblo, 
Colorado 81009. Also, an electronic copy of the bulletin can be 
downloaded via the Internet/World Wide Web from the Home Page of the 
USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion at http://
www.usda.gov/fcs/cnpp.html or from the Food and Consumer Service 
Bulletin Board at FedWorld. FedWorld may be accessed via a modem or 
the Internet. If using a modem, set the modem parity to none, data 
bits to 8, and stop bit to 1. Set terminal emulation to ANSI. Set 
duplex to full, and then set communication software to dial FedWorld 
at 703-321-3339. If using the Internet, you can either telnet to 
fedworld.gov or ftp to ftp.fedworld.gov. After connecting to 
FedWorld, select option D, ``Health, Safety and Nutrition Mall,'' 
from the main menu, then choose option C, Food and Consumer 
Service.]
    Willis, Judith Levine: ed.: ``An FDA Consumer Special Report: 
Focus on Food Labeling,'' Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Public 
Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, 
Maryland, May 1993, 64 pp. [Copies of this publication may be 
purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government 
Printing Office, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15250-
7954.]

Background

    Federal regulations at 7 CFR 246.10 require that a WIC-eligible 
adult cereal be high in iron and low in sugar. The current WIC 
regulations state that WIC-eligible adult cereals (hot or cold) must 
contain a minimum of 28 milligrams of iron per 100 grams of dry cereal 
and contain no more than 21.2 grams of sucrose and other sugars per 100 
grams of dry cereal (i.e., 6 grams of sugar per dry ounce of cereal). 
This Notice focuses only on the Department's consideration of changing 
the sugar limit, not the iron requirement, for such cereals.
    There are currently five WIC food packages designed for different 
participant categories that include the 6-gram sugar limit for WIC-
eligible adult cereals. These WIC food packages are: Food Package III 
for children/women with special dietary needs; Food Package IV for 
children 1 up to 5 years of age; Food Package V for pregnant and 
breastfeeding women (basic); Food Package VI for nonbreastfeeding 
postpartum women; and Food Package VII for breastfeeding women 
(enhanced).
    The basis for Federal regulation of the sugar content of WIC-
eligible adult cereals is three-fold. First, Section 3 of Public Law 
(P.L.) 95-627, enacted November 10, 1978, amended Section 17(f)(12) of 
the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 [42 USC 1786(f)(12)] to say, ``[t]o the 
degree possible, the Secretary [of Agriculture] shall assure that the 
fat, sugar, and salt content of the prescribed [WIC] foods is 
appropriate. * * *'' Second, the Department has been responsive to the 
advice it has received from nutrition and health experts, the WIC 
community and the general public over the years concerning the initial 
establishment and continued retention of a sugar limit for WIC-eligible 
adult cereals. Third, the Department recognized that dental caries is a 
major public health problem in the United States (U.S.) and that sugars 
in foods play a role in the development of dental caries.
    The Federal requirements for WIC-eligible cereals have been issues 
of discussion since the early development of WIC food package 
regulations. The initial legislation for the WIC Program enacted 
September 26, 1972 (P.L. 92-433) did not impose a Federal sugar limit 
for WIC-eligible adult cereals. However, in response to an interim rule 
published January 12, 1976 (41 FR 1743) to implement provisions of P.L. 
94-105, a significant number of commenters objected to the level of 
sugar in cereals allowable by WIC Program regulations. This sentiment 
was cited in the preamble of the proposed rule published February 11, 
1977 (42 FR 8647) in response to the comments engendered by the January 
12, 1976 interim rule. Although in that rulemaking the Department 
proposed no restrictions on the sugar content of WIC-eligible adult 
cereals, State agencies were reminded that they were not required to 
offer cereals high in sugar, but could restrict eligible cereals to 
those low in sugar (42 FR at 8649).
    In June 1977, the Department held public hearings in seven cities 
to solicit oral and written testimony and suggestions for possible 
changes in the WIC Program. A number of commenters at the hearings 
favored USDA setting a maximum level for the amount of sugar allowed in 
WIC-eligible cereals for children and women. The preamble of the final 
regulations published August 26, 1977 (42 FR 43206) to revise and 
reorganize the Program referenced this public response and solicited 
further public comments on the issue of the Federal requirements for 
WIC-eligible adult cereals.
    In October 1978, USDA convened a food package advisory panel 
composed of representatives of WIC State agencies, the food industry, 
the nutrition community, advocacy groups, and WIC participants. This 
panel reviewed in depth the public comments on cereal issues which the 
Department received in response to the August 26, 1977 final rule. The 
Department received 230 comments on the exclusion of high-sugar cereals 
for the WIC food packages. Over 90 percent of the comments (i.e., 208) 
were in support of the Department establishing a maximum level of sugar 
for cereals authorized in the WIC Program. As part of its 
deliberations, the panel recommended a 6-gram sugar limit for use with 
WIC-eligible adult cereals. The 6-gram sugar limit represented a 
moderate sugar content for cereals on the market at that time. In 
response, USDA published a proposed rule on November 30, 1979 (44 FR 
69254) proposing a 6-gram sugar limit for WIC-eligible adult cereals.
    Of the 643 persons who commented on the proposed 6-gram sugar 
limit, 542, primarily representing the nutrition and health care 
communities, supported the 6-gram sugar limit or recommended a more 
stringent one. Some of the reasons cited for supporting this 
requirement were: the association between sugar consumption and dental 
caries; recommendations in the 1979 ``Healthy People: The Surgeon 
General's Report on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention,'' and in 
the National Research Council's ``Recommended Dietary Allowances,'' 
ninth edition, 1980, stating that sugar consumption by the U.S. 
population should be reduced; and knowledge that highly sugared cereals 
tended to be more expensive than cereals containing less sugar.
    The balance of 101 commenters, including 14 State and 53 local WIC 
agencies, the Sugar Association and several cereal companies were 
opposed to the 6-gram limit, or in some cases any sugar limit 
whatsoever. Examples of the reasons given for opposing views were: the 
opinion that the 6-gram sugar limit was chosen in an arbitrary and

[[Page 10906]]

capricious manner; an absence of a specific sugar limit in the USDA 
regulation applicable to ``foods of minimum nutritional value'' sold in 
competition with school lunches and breakfasts (7 CFR 210.11 and 
220.12); and the lack of a clear cut-off point to differentiate low-
sugar cereals from high-sugar cereals.
    After taking into consideration the advice from outside experts, 
advisory groups and the majority of commenters as well as factors 
relevant to the WIC Program (e.g., participant acceptance, versatility, 
cost, and nutrition education efforts to improve eating habits), the 
Department published a final rule on November 12, 1980 (45 FR 74854). 
This rule established the 6-gram sugar limit for WIC-eligible adult 
cereals.
    More recently in 1989, Section 123(c) of P.L. 101-147 mandated that 
the Secretary conduct a review of WIC food packages to determine the 
appropriateness of WIC-eligible foods. Among other things, the review 
was to include consideration of: (1) how effectively protein, calcium 
and iron are provided to participants; (2) the nutrient density of 
foods; and (3) the extent to which nutrients, for which program 
participants are most vulnerable to deficiencies, such as thiamine, 
riboflavin, vitamin A and zinc, are effectively provided to 
participants. Again, USDA formally solicited public comments on whether 
there was evidence to support or refute the regulatory limit on the 
amount of sugar contained in WIC food packages [55 FR 42856, October 
24, 1990; 55 FR 52050, December 19, 1990].
    Of the 97 comment letters the Department received specifically 
addressing the issue of whether the existing regulatory limits/
requirements on components of the WIC foods should be retained, 66 
comments supported retaining the 6-gram sugar limit for WIC-eligible 
adult cereals. Twenty commenters suggested that this sugar limit be 
retained only for WIC participants with weight problems, three industry 
commenters opposed retaining this sugar limit and suggested either 
removing or increasing it, and eight other commenters neither supported 
nor opposed the sugar limit.
    On October 3, 1991, the Conference Report (H. Rep. No. 239, p.47) 
accompanying P.L. 102-142, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and 
Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1992, 
expressed the desire of the conferees that the Department ``make a 
report to the appropriate committees of Congress on the issue of 
cereals containing fruit in the WIC food package by December 31, 
1991.'' In response, on December 31, 1991, the Department submitted to 
pertinent Congressional committees a report that documented USDA's 
broad base of support for retaining the 6-gram sugar limit. Included 
among the letters USDA received encouraging the Department to retain 
this WIC cereal requirement were those from the following non-profit 
public interest groups and professional nutrition, medical and other 
health-related organizations: American Academy of Pediatrics; American 
Association of Public Health Dentistry; American Dental Association; 
American Public Health Association; Association of State and 
Territorial Dental Directors; Association of State and Territorial 
Public Health Nutrition Directors; Bread for the World; Center for 
Science in the Public Interest; Food Research and Action Center; 
National Association of WIC Directors; National Parent-Teacher 
Association; Public Voice for Food and Health Policy; and Society for 
Nutrition Education.
    In 1992, the Department submitted the formal report to Congress on 
the outcome of the WIC food package review required by P.L. 101-147, 
Section 123(c). Based upon advice from the majority of commenters, 
including numerous nutrition and health authorities, the Department 
decided to retain the 6-gram sugar limit for WIC-eligible adult 
cereals. The National Advisory Council on Maternal, Infant and Fetal 
Nutrition also endorsed the 6-gram sugar limit in its 1992 Biennial 
Report to the President and Congress. The Council was established in 
1975 by Section 17 (h)(1) [currently 17(k)(1)] of the Child Nutrition 
Act, and is composed of health/medical experts and representatives of 
WIC agencies, parent participants, and food retailers, to advise USDA 
on how to improve WIC operations.
    Also relevant to this issue is the publication ``Nutrition and Your 
Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans,'' jointly developed by USDA 
and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The 
``Dietary Guidelines'' provide nutritional and dietary advice for the 
general public (i.e., healthy Americans 2 or more years of age), based 
upon the preponderance of current scientific and medical knowledge. The 
first ``Dietary Guidelines'' were published in 1980 and have been 
updated every five years to incorporate the latest research findings. 
The updates are based on the recommendations of the 11-member Dietary 
Guidelines Advisory Committee. This Committee is composed of widely 
recognized non-Federal nutrition and medical experts. Similar to past 
editions, the 1995 or fourth edition of the ``Dietary Guidelines,'' 
released by USDA and DHHS on January 2, 1996, urges Americans to choose 
a diet moderate in sugars. An excerpt from pages 33 and 34 of this 
latest edition follows:

    For very active people with high calorie needs, sugars can be an 
additional source of energy. However, because maintaining a 
nutritious diet and a healthy weight is very important, sugars 
should be used in moderation by most healthy people and sparingly by 
people with low calorie needs. This guideline cautions about eating 
sugars in large amounts and about frequent snacks of foods and 
beverages containing sugars that supply unnecessary calories and few 
nutrients.

    Over the past several years, the Department has received inquiries 
from members of Congress and representatives of the food industry about 
the scientific basis for continuing the present sugar limit for WIC-
eligible adult cereals. Although clinical evidence continues to support 
the correlation between sugar and dental caries, it has further 
revealed that the consumption of any fermentable carbohydrate, 
representing starches as well as sugars, can contribute to the 
incidence of dental caries. In contrast, recent research has shown that 
the independent factor of sugar intake does not appear to increase 
one's risk of developing coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, 
obesity, and hyperactivity.
    While this evidence may suggest that no specific nutritional risk 
warrants a limit on sugar content, the Department recognizes that there 
may be other reasons that make such a limit appropriate. Factors that 
should be considered are any impact on the cost of the food package, 
the need to promote good dietary habits among nutritionally at-risk 
participants, and the potential that a change in the limit may permit 
``foods * * * containing sugars that supply unnecessary calories and 
few nutrients'' to be included in the WIC food packages. The Department 
also remains cognizant of the important role the WIC competent 
professional authority plays in tailoring both the WIC food packages 
and nutrition counseling to meet individual needs of Program 
participants.
    Therefore, the Department is seeking public input on whether a 
change in the 6-gram sugar limit for WIC-eligible adult cereals is in 
the best nutritional interests of WIC participants. The Department is 
hoping to elicit a wide range of views from nutrition and health 
experts, the WIC community, and other members of

[[Page 10907]]
the public at large to assist USDA in making a decision about this 
issue.

Issues for Comment

    The Department is interested in receiving public comments on 
whether the current 6-gram sugar limit for WIC-eligible adult cereals 
should be changed. The Department has identified several positions 
related to this decision that commenters may wish to address. USDA 
would like to know which, if any, of the following options would be 
most appropriate for WIC food packages that make adult cereal 
available:
     Retain the current 6-gram sugar limit unchanged, counting 
all sugar, both naturally occurring and added, as part of the total 
sugar content of the cereal.
     Set a new sugar limit, either higher or lower than the 
current 6-gram level. If this option is selected, commenters should 
specify a new sugar limit, e.g., grams of sugar per dry ounce of 
cereal, and their justification for suggesting a new limit.
     Revise the 6-gram sugar limit to represent only the amount 
of sugar added during the manufacturing of a cereal, representing 
either a separate ingredient (e.g., table sugar, corn syrup, brown 
sugar, honey, and maltodextrin) or a separate component of a processed 
or man-made ingredient (e.g., marshmallow and caramel), and exclude the 
naturally occurring, inherent sugar in the cereal (e.g., sugars in 
grains, dried fruits, and nonfat dry milk).
     Eliminate the Federal sugar limit for WIC-eligible adult 
cereals. However, WIC State agencies would have the authority to 
establish and enforce a sugar limit of their own for WIC-eligible adult 
cereals approved for use in their respective States.
    Commenters are also invited to recommend alternative options not 
stated above. In order for comment letters to be most useful to the 
Department, commenters are urged to discuss both the pros and cons of 
their recommendations as they apply to WIC participants and program 
operations, including any problems WIC State agencies may encounter in 
implementing a proposed alternative option. USDA is very interested to 
know how any change might impact the provision and effect of WIC food 
benefits and nutrition education. The Department also would like to 
know whether WIC State and local agencies believe that the current 6-
gram limit provides an adequate range of choices for both WIC agencies 
and participants, consistent with the nutritional purposes of the WIC 
Program.

    Dated: March 8, 1996.
William E. Ludwig,
Administrator, Food and Consumer Service.
[FR Doc. 96-6178 Filed 3-15-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P