Notices and Updates

Eggs and Milk Waivers and Monitoring Visits:

The national public health emergency (PHE) declaration has ended on May 11, 2023. Therefore, all active WIC waivers including eggs and milk waivers under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) will expire on August 9, 2023 (90 days following the end of PHE). As a result, the Virginia WIC Program will resume to pre-Covid procedures on August 10, 2023.

CHANGES effective August 10, 2023, for EGGS and MILK

Eggs

WIC participants are no longer allowed to purchase the following organic eggs. The Virginia WIC Program continues to allow one dozen any size grade A or AA white or brown eggs (small, medium, large, extra-large, and jumbo but no cage-free or free-range eggs).

036800133334 Full Circle Organic Grade A Large Brown Eggs-1 doz.
041497097869 Weis Quality Organic Large Brown Eggs - 1 doz.
072036630612 Harris Teeter Organic Grade A Large Brown Eggs - 1doz.
698264000418 Alderfer Organic Large Brown Eggs - 1 doz.
698264000616 Alderfer Grade A Organic Jumbo Brown Eggs - 1 doz.

Milk

  • If WIC participants are prescribed Whole Milk, they can purchase regular and lactose-free whole milk.
    UHT (Ultra-High Temperature) whole milk is no longer allowed without prescription.
  • If WIC participants are prescribed Low-Fat/Fat-Free Milk, they can purchase skim (fat-free), 1% regular or lactose-free milk and soy milk.
    2% milk, 2% lactose free milk and UHT milk are no longer allowed without prescription.

IMPORANT NOTE: Cashiers should scan all eggs and milk items first to see if they can go through instead of telling WIC participants that they are not WIC approved.

Please contact your WIC vendor liaison or Brian Tun, UPC Coordinator at Brian.Tun@vdh.virginia.gov if you have any questions regarding the eggs and milk waivers.

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Monitoring Visits

The Virginia WIC Program has resumed official store monitoring visits. Our primary focus during these visits will be to check WIC approved shelf labels and items on the WIC Minimum Stocking chart below. In preparation for our visit, please verify you have in stock all required foods using the chart below and locate your WIC Retail store binder and verify the following contents:

Effective August 10, 2023, failed monitoring visits may be subject to administrative actions.

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New 2024 WIC Food List Application

The Virginia WIC Program is accepting applications for the 2024 WIC Food List from April 3, 2023, to May 31, 2023.  An online WIC food application worksheet (Excel file) can be found HERE.

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Infant Formula Substitutions 

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WIC Program Vendor Team Retailer Trainer Workshop

The Virginia WIC Program Vendor Team will be hosting a WIC Certified Retail Trainer workshop online in April 2023 The workshop is intended to train your company employee so that they may become a “Virginia WIC Certified Retail Trainer”. Certified trainers are authorized to deploy and certify the 2023 contract authorization training, new store training and annual training. The workshop is a two part webinar sessions, each session will be three hours in length. The trainees must attend a Part 1 session and a Part 2 session to complete their certification.

The workshop is not required WIC store training or intended for individuals that are currently authorized WIC Certified Retail Trainer. Please contact Ephraim.Ewing@vdh.virginia.gov for a list of currently authorized Virginia WIC Certified Retail Trainers. Below is the workshop sessions schedule that individuals can register to attend:

Workshop Schedule – April 2023

Part 1 Session  Part 2 Session
Tue. 18th

9:00 AM

 Wed. 19th

9:00 AM
Tue. 18th

1:00 PM

 Wed. 19th

1:00 PM

Contact Ephraim.Ewing@vdh.virginia.gov for additional information or with registration questions.

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Emails from WIC Program:

SENT: Monday, 8/15/2022

TO:  ALL WIC Authorized Retailers:

Subject: New 2022 WIC Food List Release

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SENT: Monday, 4/11/2022

TO:  ALL WIC Authorized Retailers:

Subject: WIC APL Update Request

Dear WIC Authorized Retailer:

As we continue to work through the Abbott formula recall situation, it has become apparent that many of the substitute products are still difficult for WIC participants to locate.  We just added 14 new formula UPCs in the APL. This will allow for additional can size options for participants. We will be adding even more substitutes at the end of this week.

Please ensure your APL is updated on a daily basis to allow these substitutions. We are working on graphics to explain the substitutions that I will share when it is finished. If you could also please remind your staff to always scan WIC items before denying items. The substitutions will not be listed on the benefits, but will scan properly. Please let me know if you have any questions I can answer. Thank you again for all of your assistance.

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SENT: Friday, 2/18/2022

TO:  ALL WIC Authorized Retailers:

Subject: WIC FORMULA RECALL ALERT

Dear WIC Authorized Retailers:

Some WIC formulas are under a recall.

The specific Abbott Similac, Alimentum, and Elecare Powder Infant Formulas products under recall have a multi-digit number on the bottom of the container starting with the first two digits 22 through 37, contains K8, SH, or Z2 and with an expiration date of April 1, 2022, or after.

WIC Program Guidance:

WIC authorized stores should provide an exchange of the product if they have a non-recalled product. If stores are not able to do that or do not have the product available, please ask the participant to contact their WIC clinic.

To find out if the product you have is included in this recall, visit similacrecall.com and type in the code on the bottom of the package, or call +1-800-986-8540 (U.S.) and follow the instructions provided.

If participants cannot exchange recalled products at the store, the next step will be to contact their clinic.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you,

Division of Community Nutrition | Virginia Department of Health

109 Governor Street, 8th Floor, Richmond, VA 23219

(804) 864.7811 | Office

Abbott Formula Recall Notice

 

Infant Formula Contract:

Abbott Nutrition will continue to be used as the Virginia WIC Program’s infant formula rebate contractor. Abbott was awarded the infant formula rebate contract effective on November 1, 2021. Authorized stores will see no immediate changes with the new contract. The Virginia WIC Program will continue to prescribe the various primary infant formula products, i.e., Similac Advance powder, concentrate and ready -to-feed formulas. There is no change to the retailer minimum stocking requirement of nine containers for the Similac Advance powder infant formula.

Similac Advance

  • 12.4 oz. powder (UPC 070074559582)
  • 13 fl. oz. concentrate (UPC 070074569741)
  • 32 fl. oz. ready-to-feed* (UPC 070074533643)

Similac Sensitive

  • 12.6 oz. powder (UPC 070074575414)
  • 32 fl. oz. ready-to-feed* (UPC 070074575346)

Similac Soy Isomil

  • 12.4 oz. powder (UPC 070074559643)
  • 13 fl. oz. concentrate (UPC 070074569765)
  • 32 fl. oz. ready-to-feed* (UPC 070074559681)

Similac Spit-Up

  • 12.0 oz. powder* (UPC 070074509600)
  • 32 fl. oz. ready-to-feed* (UPC 070074567310)

Similac Total Comfort

  • 12.0 fl. oz. powder* (UPC 070074626000)

*Product may be purchased only when a doctor’s prescription is provided and approved by the Virginia WIC program.

Temporary Eggs Waiver Due to COVID-19

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, eggs have been reported to be one of the most difficult to locate at the grocery stores.  USDA has given us the green light to allow additional sizes of eggs at this time.

We will allow one dozen medium, large, extra-large and jumbo sizes of white or brown, regular or organic eggs to be temporarily added until further notice.

BUY:

  • Medium, Large, Extra-Large or Jumbo size eggs
  • White or Brown
  • Regular or Organic

DON’T BUY:

    • Cage Free
    • Free Range
    • Fat/Cholesterol Altering Eggs (Eggsland’s Best)

Complete an UPC Request Form and submit your new item to brian.tun@vdh.virginia.gov along with a product image attached.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Temporary Milk Waiver Due to COVID-19

The Virginia WIC Program has learned that a significant number of WIC retailers are having trouble in maintaining certain inventory of WIC eligible milk products for participants due to the COVID-19 crisis. As a result, USDA has approved the temporary waiver for milk products.

If the prescribed milk product is unavailable for purchase, WIC participants can substitute other milk products as shown below:

  • If WIC participants are prescribed Whole Milk, retailers are allowed to substitute regular, lactose-free whole milk or UHT whole
  • If WIC participants are prescribed Low-Fat/Fat-Free Milk, retailers are allowed to substitute skim (fat free), 1%, 2% regular, lactose-free or UHT milk.

This temporary milk waiver is effective March 31, 2020 until further notice.

Store cashiers should scan all milk items first to see if they can go through instead of telling a WIC participant that they are not WIC approved.

No additional UPC submissions are required at this time. Should you have any questions, please email: brian.tun@vdh.virginia.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.