The USDA, FDA, and other federal partners continue to work diligently to protect the health infants who are fed using infant formula.
This is a new information collection for WIC and WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program which contains the reporting burden associated with requesting waivers authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and the American Baby Formula Act of 2022.
This letter provides WIC state agencies the opportunity to opt into waivers to modernize WIC through building or enhancing remote services.
On Nov. 8, 2022, FNS published WIC Policy Memorandum #2023-1 Abbott Infant Formula Waiver Expiration Schedule which extended active waivers to Jan. 31, 2023, or 60 days after the end of the Presidentially-declared COVID-19 major disaster declaration in the affected area, whichever is sooner. However, FNS recognizes that WIC state agencies may need additional flexibility to ensure uninterrupted access to infant formula for WIC families even as WIC state agencies transition back to normal operations. The intent of this policy memorandum is to formally describe the timeline for this transition, as previously described in the Dec. 19, 2022 letter to state agencies.
The FNS State Systems team has produced a series of training presentations designed to help state agencies understand and comply with the FNS approval process. These eight on-line presentations correspond to FNS Handbook 901, with information on the key documents or phases in the process.
Letter to WIC state agencies on unwinding and impacts of infant formula shortage.
This request for approval of information collection is necessary to obtain input into the development of nutrition education interventions for population groups served by FNS. Collection of this information will increase FNS' ability to formulate nutrition education interventions that resonate with the intended target population, particularly low-income families.
This letter extends the expiration date for certain flexibilities for WIC state agencies following the Abbott Recall and infant formula shortage.
Webinar recording from September 8, 2022 on understanding the USDA DoD Fresh program and the fresh fruit and vegetable order receipt system.
Abbott recently announced it will continue providing a rebate on competitive infant formulas redeemed prior to Nov. 30, 2022. Since your WIC state agency holds an infant formula rebate contract with Mead Johnson-Reckitt or Nestle Gerber, this information is shared for your awareness.