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WIC recipients hurt by Hostess shutdown, but solution in the works

Posted at 8:05 PM, Jan 03, 2013
and last updated 2013-01-03 22:05:06-05

SALT LAKE CITY - When Hostess went out of business last month, women and children lost bread that they'd receive for free as part of the government's WIC Program, but a solution is in the works.

The Women, Infant and Children Program, or WIC, provides free nutritious food for women and children in need.

"All kinds of healthy nutritious foods including dairy products, eggs, fruits and vegetables, whole grain products, including whole wheat bread," said Amber Brown, a registered dietitian.

To fit the federal WIC requirements, bread must be 100 percent  whole wheat and it must be made in 16-ounce loaves.

Sara Lee bread fits that requirement, but it isn't sold everywhere, especially in rural areas, and now that Hostess is gone, many of Utah's 67,000 WIC recipients will have trouble getting approved bread. But some local businesses are working to solve that problem.

Chris Furner, Utah's WIC program manager, says they've been working closely with Smith's to get one of their 16-ounce breads. They say new bread should be available throughout the state by March.