NEWSLETTER FOR VENDORS
volume 16 issue 1
Dear WIC Authorized Vendors,
This edition of the WIC Matters newsletter contains a
number of important reminders and updates. I wanted
to take a moment to encourage every store to submit a
response to our 2016 WIC Vendor Survey. This is the first
time we have surveyed stores on their impressions of the
WIC program. Also in this newsletter, you will find
information on our progress in updating the WIC rules,
the status of our eWIC efforts, a review of our 2015 WIC
compliance activities, and the most recent updates to
our WIC allowed UPC/food list. Please let us know if you
have any comments or questions on these items.
Rick Chiat
WIC Food Delivery Unit Supervisor
www.health.state.mn.us/divs/fh/wic.statMARCH 2016
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Page 1: 2016 WIC Vendor Survey
Rules Update
Page 2: Next Shelf Price Survey Due April 25
New State WIC Office Staff
Results of Compliance Investigations
Training Materials Available
eWIC Update
Page 3: Food Product Updates
Did You Know?
2016 WIC Vendor Survey
The Minnesota WIC Program wants to hear from you! We are conducting a survey of all WIC authorized stores to
help us better understand what’s going well with WIC and what needs improvement. Your feedback will help us
create more effective training and communication tools for stores as well as WIC customers. If you have not already
completed the survey, please go online to the Minnesota WIC vendor website at:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/fh/wic/vendor/index.html and click the link in the middle of the page. If your
store is part of a corporate chain of stores, your corporate office will have already asked you to respond to the
survey. All other stores should have received an email invitation or a mailed invitation to participate in the survey.
The deadline for completion of the survey is April 15, 2016.
Please complete only one survey per individual store location. Should you have any questions about this survey,
please feel free to contact Emily Gomez at [email protected]
Rules Update
We are continuing to work on updating the state rules that govern the WIC Program in Minnesota. These updates
are necessary to make our rules consistent with changes in federal law and regulations, and to begin incorporating
language about the WIC Program’s future use of an electronic benefits system (“eWIC”). New federal WIC
regulations related to the implementation of eWIC were published on March 1, 2016 and can be accessed at the
following link: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2016-03-01/pdf/2016-04261.pdf
In the next couple of weeks, we will send you a “request for comments”, inviting you to review and propose
changes to the rules. As we continue to work on the potential changes, we will provide additional information
and other opportunities for you to participate in reviewing the proposed rules changes.
We will also be maintaining information on our website about the rulemaking process. Please check the Important
Vendor News section of our website for periodic updates.
Questions about the rules process? Please contact Mary Rogness at [email protected]
PAGE 2
WICMATTERS MARCH 2016
Next Shelf Price Survey Due on April 25, 2016
Training Materials Available
Earlier this month, each retail food store received a Shelf
Price Survey (either directly or through your store’s
corporate office). Please complete and return the survey by
April 25, 2016. The WIC Maximum Price List is updated
based on the information gathered from these surveys, and
will be posted in the “Important Vendor News” section of
the website in May. The current Maximum Price List can be
found on the Requirements and Responsibilities page of our
website at:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/fh/wic/vendor/rqrmn
ts/newprcng.pdf
Do you need help training your store employees on
WIC Foods and WIC transactions? Minnesota WIC
provides the following tools to simplify this process:
New State WIC Office Staff
We are pleased to announce Trend
Fields has joined the State WIC
program. She replaces Theresa
Graham as the WIC Vendor Specialist.
Trend is your contact for general WIC vendor questions,
stamp replacements, requesting vendor materials, and
inquiries about rejected vouchers, and can be reached at
[email protected] or 651-201-4417.
Results of Compliance Investigations
All vendors sign a contract with the WIC Program in which
the business owner agrees to follow all program rules and
requirements. Under the federal regulations and state rules
governing the WIC Program, all vendors are required to:
•
•
•
maintain minimum stock of WIC allowed foods at all
times
charge reasonable prices for these foods
follow all program guidelines
As a result of the on-site monitoring visits, undercover
investigations and inventory audits that occurred in 2015
the WIC Program:
•
terminated the agreements of 14 vendors due to
violations found during two or more monitoring visits
• denied the applications of 6 vendor applicants due to
violations found during monitoring visits and findings
related to their ineligibility in the application review
process
• disqualified 7 vendors for violations of program
requirements
• disqualified 4 vendors for redeeming vouchers in
excess of documented inventory.
• disqualified 1 vendor for failing to provide required
records.
If you have any questions, please contact Rick Chiat at 651201-4401 or by email at [email protected]
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Voucher Template for cashier training
WIC Shopping Guide/Cashier Guide
Cashier Checklist
Cashier Training Video (online or DVD)
Minnesota WIC Minimum Stock Requirements
Individualized store training
Minnesota WIC My Food Finder App to scan
UPCs to determine if a food is WIC allowed
For more information about these tools, please visit
the Minnesota WIC Vendor Website at:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/fh/wic/vendor/t
raining/index.html
If you would like to request individualized training or
have ideas for additional training resources, contact
Emily Gomez at [email protected] or 651201-4083.
eWIC Update
Minnesota WIC is working with
Maximus, our planning contractor,
to obtain approval and funding
from USDA to move forward with
our eWIC implementation plans.
Once we receive USDA approval,
Minnesota WIC will issue a
Request for Proposal (RFP) to select a qualified eWIC
implementation contractor. Minnesota WIC has
chosen to implement an online system (using a mag
stripe card like EBT). We hope to complete our
transition from paper vouchers to the electronic eWIC
card system by the middle of 2019.
Minnesota WIC recently met with Retail Data Systems
and North Country Business Products to better
understand the role their cash register systems will
play in eWIC. Both companies have many stores that
already use an eWIC ready cash register system. If you
are interested in upgrading to an eWIC ready cash
register system, the company that supports your cash
register system should be able to help you determine
which model is right for your business.
For questions about eWIC, contact Emily Gomez at
[email protected] or 651-201-4083.
WICMATTERS MARCH 2016
PAGE 3
UPC/WIC-Allowed Food Product Updates
The online UPC listing of WIC allowed foods is frequently revised. Changes are posted to our
website about once a month. If you would like to receive notification when these UPC/Product
changes are posted online, please send an email to: [email protected]
UPC/Product Updates are found on the website at:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/fh/wic/vendor/fpchng/upc/updates/index.html
New Brands of Whole Wheat Pasta Now WIC Allowed and Available
Two brands of whole wheat pasta - Ronzoni and Barilla - have several new whole wheat pasta products packaged
in a 16 ounce container that are now WIC allowed. Please note that a number of products within these brands are
not WIC allowed because they are not whole wheat and/or packaged in a 16 ounce container. The complete listing
of WIC allowed whole wheat pasta is found on our website at:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/fh/wic/vendor/fpchng/upc/download/wwpastapdf.cfm
Greek Gods Yogurt 32 ounce Products
Greek Gods yogurt is commonly packaged in a 24 ounce container and yogurt must be in a 32 ounce container
to be WIC Allowed. We have recently become aware that several Greek Gods brand yogurt products are now
packaged in a 32 ounce container and these 32 ounce size containers have been added to our WIC allowed UPC
listing. The complete listing of WIC allowed yogurts is found on our website at:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/fh/wic/vendor/fpchng/upc/download/yogurtpdf.cfm
Kraft Velveeta Shreds Are Not WIC Allowed
Kraft Velveeta brand cheese products that are called Velveeta Shreds are not WIC allowed.
These products are processed cheese, and processed cheese is not WIC allowed.
Gerber Infant Fruits and Vegetables
As a reminder, one Gerber 2-pack of 4 oz. containers is equal to two 4 oz. jars of baby food. This means that if
a participant has a voucher for 16 individual containers of 4 ounce baby food, they cannot receive more than 8
of the Gerber 2-packs. Also, Gerber 2-packs of 5 oz. tubs (3rd Foods) are NOT WIC allowed.
A complete list of WIC allowed infant foods is available at:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/fh/wic/vendor/fpchng/upc/download/infantpdf.cfm
Reminder: WIC Allowed Whole Wheat Bread Must be 16 ounce
To be WIC allowed, whole wheat bread MUST be 16 ounce only. This follows Federal Regulations set by the
USDA. WIC allowed breads are pictured in the WIC Shopping Guide, and a complete UPC listing for bread is found
at: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/fh/wic/vendor/fpchng/upc/download/breadpdf.cfm
Did You Know?
In a recent survey of Minnesota WIC participants, many responded they prefer to redeem
their WIC vouchers in stores that use shelf labels to identify WIC allowed foods. We have shelf
labels available to order at no charge. Current shelf labels are available to order at:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/fh/wic/vendor/comm/ordering.html
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
MINNESOTA WIC PROGRAM
85 East Seventh Place Suite 220
PO Box 64882
St. Paul MN 55164-0882
Minnesota WIC Program
Address
85 East Seventh Place
Suite 220
PO Box 64882
St Paul MN 55164-0882
Website
www.health.state.mn.us/divs/fh/wic
Phone
651-201-4404
Toll free: 1-800-657-3942
Fax
651-215-8951
PAID
PERMIT NO 171
TWIN CITIES MN
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and
employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are
prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability,
age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity
conducted or funded by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for
program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language,
etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits.
Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact
USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program
information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program
Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at:
http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or
write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information
requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992.
Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
(1)mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3) email: [email protected].
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
.