FNS Documents & Resources

This final rule considers public comments submitted in response to the proposed rule revising the WIC food packages published on Nov. 21, 2022.

This rulemaking proposes to revise regulations governing the WIC food packages to align them with the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans and reflect recommendations made by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine in its 2017 report, “Review of WIC Food Packages: Improving Balance and Choice. while promoting nutrition security and equity and taking into account program administration considerations.

The rule titled Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children: Revisions in the WIC Food Packages was published on March 4, 2014. The Office of Management and Budget cleared the associated information collection requirements  on April 14, 2014. This document announces approval of the ICR.

This document is a correction of an document that was published on 03/04/2014.

The WIC food packages provide supplemental foods designed to meet the special nutritional needs of low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, non-breastfeeding postpartum women, infants and children up to five years of age who are at nutritional risk. WIC food packages and nutrition education are the chief means by which WIC affects the dietary quality and habits of participants.

This document corrects a typographical error published in an interim final rule concerning maximum monthly allowances of supplemental foods for infants in food (packages I, II, and III) published in the Federal Register on Dec. 6, 2007.

This proposed rule would revise regulations governing the WIC food packages to align the WIC food packages with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and current infant feeding practice guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics, better promote and support the establishment of successful long-term breastfeeding, provide WIC participants with a wider variety of food, provide WIC state agencies with greater flexibility in prescribing food packages to accommodate participants with cultural food preferences, and serve participants with certain qualifying conditions under one food package to facilitate efficient management of medically fragile participants.

The Department is soliciting public comments on redesigning the food packages offered through the WIC program to determine if the WIC food packages should be revised to better improve the nutritional intake, health and development of participants; and, if so, what specific changes should be made to the food packages.