Nevada WIC Food Selection Criteria

Nevada WIC Food Selection Criteria Policy: The State of Nevada WIC Program shall provide a reasonable selection of nutritious foods within each category and will consider the following factors: participant nutritional needs, participant cultural preferences, cost, and state and program wide availability. In addition to the criteria specified in this policy, the State of Nevada WIC Program reserves the right to restrict the number of brands and types of any products. The State of Nevada WIC Program are not obligated to authorize every available food that meets federal requirements. Criteria: Foods and their packaging shall be evaluated based on the following factors: nutritional considerations, cost, package size, product distribution within the areas served by the State of Nevada WIC Program, participant acceptance and administrative feasibility. A. NUTRITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS 1. WIC foods shall meet all federal requirements specified in 7 C.F.R. 246.1 et seq. Refer to: Final Food Rule (PDF) 2. The allowed food products must be compatible with current nutrition and public health recommendations for maternal, infant and child health. 3. The food package shall offer a variety of types and brands of the allowed foods to ensure that all participant dietary needs shall be considered. (i.e., high fiber cereals, low-fat milk, lactose-free milk, etc.) B. ACCEPTABILITY OF FOODS Foods shall be selected that can be consumed by the majority of participants and shall consider cultural and special food needs of the participants. 1. Cultural food beliefs, preferences and practices shall be considered when evaluating a food item based upon participant characteristics, and responses to customer satisfaction surveys. 2. Environmental concerns and ease of preparation may also determine allowable forms and packaging of specific foods. C. AVAILABILITY OF FOODS The selection of food products for the WIC Food Package shall be determined based on availability at the retail and wholesale level in urban and rural areas of Nevada. 1. Change in formulations of an authorized food item may be reviewed at any time and the food item may be removed if it does not continue to meet the food selection requirements. Page 1 of 11

D. COST 1. The cost of food items shall be considered prior to authorization. 2. When there is an immediate (soon after being authorized) or a ten percent (10%) increase in the cost of an authorized food, it may be reviewed to assess the impact to the Program s budget and may be removed from the food list when the impact is relevant. 3. With the exception of the fruit and vegetable cash value benefit (CVB), State of Nevada and ITCN WIC Programs have a NO ORGANIC policy. E. GUIDELINES WIC FOOD DETAILS Fruits and Vegetables Any brand and variety of fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and vegetables Prepackaged fruits and vegetables are allowed Whole, cut, or mixed fruit and vegetables Bagged salad-no kits with added dressings, nuts, croutons, cheese, etc. Canned beans are not to be purchased using the fruits and vegetables CVB (Cash Value Benefits). Canned beans are under the legume category Organic is allowed Dried fruits and vegetables Added sugar, fats or oils Added sauces, dressings or creamed vegetables Fruit leathers or fruit roll-ups Added rice, meat, pasta, nuts or noodles Pickled vegetables Edible blossoms and/or flowers e.g., squash blossoms (broccoli, cauliflower and artichokes are allowed) Breaded or battered vegetables Fruits and vegetables from the salad bar Fruit baskets Party vegetable trays Ornamental or decorative fruits or vegetables such as chili peppers on a string, garlic on a string, gourds, painted pumpkins French fries, tater tots, etc. *Canned refers to processed food items in cans or other shelf-stable containers (e.g. jars, pouches). Page 2 of 11

100% Whole Wheat Bread Loaf of bread 16 oz. packages only Whole wheat must be the first ingredient listed on the packaging Organic Light bread Buns or rolls Brown Rice 16 oz. bags or boxes allowed Instant, Quick, or Regular Cook Time Short or Long Grain Bulk packages Ready to serve Boil in a bag Tortillas Whole wheat and corn only 16 oz. packages only Whole grain must be the first ingredient listed on the packaging Brands & type: Kroger - Whole Wheat Romero - Corn Romero - Whole Wheat La Banderita - Whole Wheat La Banderita - Corn La Burrita - Corn Chichi's - White Corn Carlita - Corn Carlita - Whole Wheat Ortega - Whole Wheat Chichi's - Whole Wheat Guerrero - Corn Guerrero - Whole Wheat MiCasa - Whole Wheat Mission - Corn Mission - Whole Wheat Don Pancho - White Corn Don Pancho - Whole Wheat Marcela Valladolid - Corn Pepito - Corn Pepito -Whole Wheat Santa Fe - Yellow Corn Santa Fe - Whole Wheat Santa Fe - White Corn El Buen Gusto - Whole Wheat Cardenas Ranchera - Maiz Blanco Page 3 of 11

Tia Rosa - Corn, Yellow Tia Rosa - Corn Tia Rosa - Whole Wheat Ranchera - Corn Celias Whole Wheat Celias Corn Tofu Soy Beverage Canned Fish Organic Plain, calcium-set tofu, which is: Extra firm, firm or medium 16 oz. only, refrigerated, water-packed only Brands: Asumaya House Foods Organic Brands - flavors Pacific Ultra Soy, Plain, shelf stable Pacific Ultra Soy, Vanilla, shelf stable Quart size (32 oz. container) 8th Continent Soymilk, Original or Vanilla Half Gallon (64 oz. container) Silk Soymilk Original Half Gallon (64 oz. container) Tuna: any brand Packed in water Chunk light ONLY 5 oz. cans or larger Must be light tuna Albacore Solid Low Sodium Pouches Organic Sardines: Any Brand 3.75 oz. cans or larger Packed in water, oil, mustard or ketchup Added seasonings Pouches or organic Page 4 of 11

Baby Food Fruits and Vegetables Approved Brands: Beech Nut, Gerber, Happy Naturals, Mom 2 Mom, Mom s Natural Choice, Parents Choice and Tippy Toes Step 2 or 2 ½ Only Single Fruits and/or combinations of fruits in 3.5-4 ounce containers Single Vegetables and/or combinations of vegetables in 3.5-4 ounce containers Organic Added DHA, Sugars, Starches or Salts Desserts or Dinners Baby Foods Meats Milk Cheese Approved Brands: Beech Nut, Gerber, Happy Naturals, Mom 2 Mom, Mom s Natural Choice, Parents Choice and Tippy Toes Step 1 or Step 2 2.5 or 4 oz. containers Added broth or gravy allowed MEATS: Beef Chicken Ham Lamb Turkey Veal Organic Added DHA, Sugar or Salts Infant food combinations (e.g., meat and vegetables) or dinners (e.g., spaghetti and meatballs) Least expensive brand of these types of unflavored, pasteurized nonorganic milk in quarts, half gallons and gallons: Whole (3.5%), reduced (2%), low fat (1%) or non-fat (fat-free) Vitamin A and D fortified Acidophilus Lactose-free and lactose-reduced (e.g. Lactaid) Fluid Shelf Stable (UHT) Dry Vitamin A and D fortified Evaporated milk: Calcium fortified Fresh or Evaporated Goat s Milk Milk can be sold in quarts, half-gallons and gallon. Any brand of these types of domestic cheese (or combination of the listed types) in 16 oz. packages only made from 100% pasteurized non-organic milk: Cheddar Colby Page 5 of 11

Longhorn Style Jack Mozzarella (regular or string) Pasteurized Processed American Regular, reduced fat, low fat, or fat free Cheese may be: Blocked, sliced, or mixed Organic Individually wrapped slices Imported cheeses Deli cut-to-order Shredded cheese Cheese food products, spread or flavored cheeses Eggs Canned/Dried beans, peas, or lentils Least Expensive Brand Grade AA White Dozen only Chicken eggs only Large (substitution of medium size eggs is allowed only when large eggs are not available) Hardboiled eggs will remain authorized for participants that have inadequate storage/cooking Dried Beans: Any brand 16 oz. bag Canned Beans: 14-16 oz. cans Any brand Black Red Black-eyed peas Kidney Navy Pinto Fat-free refried beans regular or low sodium Organic Added fats, oils or meats Baked or pork and beans Soup mix Green or wax beans Frozen green peas Page 6 of 11

Peanut Butter Cereal Flavored beans (Cajun style, BBQ, ranch-style, chili beans, snap beans, orange beans, etc.) Added sugars Any brand of these types of non-organic peanut butters in 16 to 18 oz. containers: Creamy Chunky Extra chunky Salted or unsalted Peanut Spreads Added jelly, jam, honey, reduced fat, chocolate or marshmallows Organic 12 oz. boxes or larger 36 oz. box maximum Cold cereals: Malt O Meal Honey & Oat Blenders Honey & Oat Blenders w/almonds Frosted Mini Spooners Strawberry Cream Mini Spooners Blueberry Mini Spooners Crispy Rice General Mills Cheerios Regular General Mills Multi Grain Cheerios General Mills Kix General Mills Honey Kix General Mills Berry Berry Kix General Mills Chex Wheat Corn Rice Kellogg s Corn Flakes Kellogg s Frosted Mini-Wheats Regular or Bite Size Post Banana Nut Crunch Post Grape Nuts (regular only) Post Honey Bunches of Oats Honey Roasted Vanilla Clusters Almonds Quaker Oats Life (regular only) Hot: Malt O Meal Original Hot Wheat Cereal All Natural Creamy Hot Wheat Cereal Farina Hot Wheat Cereal Mom s Best Page 7 of 11

Naturals Quick Oats Better Oats Good n Hearty Classic Maple & Brown Sugar Apples and Cinnamon Quaker Oats Oatmeal Instant Mix n Eat, regular flavor only Nabisco Cream of Wheat (Any cooking time except instant) Nabisco Cream of Wheat Whole Grain Infant Formula Formula with iron (unless specified otherwise). Must be exact item on printed Shopping List. Infant Cereal 8 oz. boxes of dry Gerber or Beechnut infant cereal. (unless otherwise specified on the shopping list) Whole wheat Barley Rice Oatmeal Whole grain Multigrain Mixed grain Juice - 64 ounce bottles or carton, single strength Note: This container size is for children only Organic DHA Single serving Added fruit, added milk, infant formula or other non-cereal ingredients 100% fruit juice, unsweetened and pasteurized Apple Juice: Seneca Apple (Red Label only) Tree Top Apple (Green Label only) Juicy Juice Apple Raspberry Juicy Juice Apple Banana Langer s Apple Juice Langer s Apple Cranberry Juice Grape: Welch s White Grape, Purple Grape or Red Grape Juicy Juice Purple Grape or White Grape Langer s Red Grape, White Grape or Purple Grape Orange and Pineapple: Least expensive brand Must contain at least 120% of Daily Value (DV) for Vitamin C per 8 oz. serving Vegetable: V8 Page 8 of 11

Other Flavors: Juicy Juice Cherry Juicy Juice Berry Juicy Juice Strawberry Banana Juicy Juice Kiwi Strawberry Juicy Juice Orange Tangerine Juicy Juice Punch Langer s Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice 11.5 or 12 ounce cans, frozen or pourable concentrate Frozen and pourable juices reconstitutes to 48 fluid ounces. Note: This container size is available to women only. 100% fruit juice Apple Juice: Seneca (Red label only) Tree Top (Green label only) Juicy Juice Apple Langer s Apple Juice Grape: Welch s White Grape Welch s Purple Grape Welch s White Grape Cranberry Welch s White Grape Raspberry Welch s White Grape Pear Welch s White Grape Peach Orange and pineapple: Least expensive brand Must contain at least 120% of Daily Value (DV) for Vitamin C per 8 oz. serving Other Flavors: Juicy Juice Berry Juicy Juice Punch Fruit drinks Sodas Other beverages that are not 100% juice, nectar or cocktail F. NEVADA WIC PROGRAMS WIC FOOD AUTHORIZATION PROCEDURE The State of Nevada and ITCN WIC programs are responsible for developing a list of foods in accordance with federal requirements for selection by the WIC participants in the State of Nevada. All foods must meet nutrient standards as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (7 C.F.R 246 et.seq.). Page 9 of 11

To provide a uniform method of approving brand specific foods for the State of Nevada WIC Programs Approved Foods List, the following process will be used for authorization of food products for the State of Nevada and ITCN WIC Programs. 1. Submission deadline for consideration of WIC food package items in Nevada is April 30 th. Review and evaluation of the food products for the WIC Approved Foods List for the Nevada WIC Programs is May-June of every year. Implementation of all decisions concerning the selected food items is on October 1 st of the same year. 2. Food products presented for approval must be commercially available statewide in Nevada for 1 year prior to eligibility consideration with no problem of distribution, recall, or documented health problems associated with the product. 3. The food company representative shall furnish the following: a) Copies of actual package flats or labels b) Nutrient analysis for the product (i.e., milligrams of iron per 100 grams of cereal, milligrams of sucrose ad sugars per 100 grams of cereal, etc.) c) Ingredients listing descending by weight. d) All available forms of the product. (i.e., single strength versus frozen concentrated juice, cold versus hot, canned versus jarred) e) Average suggested retail price for each container size available. f) Length of time product has been available in the Nevada market. g) Store distribution list for the products in Nevada. h) A current list of UPC codes. i) Any product literature that may provide additional details. j) For whole grain bread and whole grain cereals: written confirmation from the manufacturer that their product(s) meets the minimum Federal WIC regulatory requirements for the whole grain foods with a moderate fat content health claim. 4. The food company s summary of current statewide distribution shall be in writing and shall include, but is not limited to: a. Identification of the wholesaler(s) carrying the product; and b. An assessment of when the new product will replace the old product on store shelves (when there is a change in the product formulation). 5. The Nevada WIC Programs Vendor Coordinators shall evaluate each food product based on applicable federal, state and local laws, requirements and the State of Nevada and ITCN Food Selection Criteria. All foods must comply with FDA Standards of Identity as explained in the Code of Federal Regulations. 6. The Nevada WIC Programs Vendor Coordinators shall verify product availability and price information for all foods submitted that meet the federal, local and state requirements. This may be accomplished by completing site visits to at least 10% of each Program s rural independent population of authorized Vendors and documenting the above-mentioned information. A request will be developed and sent to each authorized Vendor Chain Corporation requesting input and submission of their data on the products. Page 10 of 11

7. The Vendor Coordinators shall review all data and recommendations and shall present their recommendations to the WIC Directors form the State of Nevada and ITCN WIC Programs in June. 8. The WIC Directors (Nevada and ITCN) acceptance or denial of all or part of the recommendations will be final. 9. The Vendor Coordinators and/or the WIC Directors will notify the food companies of acceptance or denial of the food products and the Vendor Coordinators will disseminate information regarding upcoming changes to the authorized foods. 10. There shall be opportunities to review food products outside the established time frame. The Vendor Coordinators shall determine when special reviews are necessary and make decisions as to how a limited process shall occur. Special circumstances that may require additional reviews include but are not limited to: Changes in federal regulations Changes in product formulations that make the authorized product ineligible Changes in product packaging that cause difficulties in product purchases Changes in price that negatively impact one or more of the Nevada WIC Programs budget(s) Changes in product availability due to unforeseen circumstances, i.e., natural disasters that negatively impact participant variety. 11. Food items that are not brand specific that meet all of the applicable requirements may be added throughout the year. (i.e., Baby foods least expensive items, tortillas etc.) Page 11 of 11