Summary
This final rule considers public comments submitted in response to the proposed rule revising the WIC food packages published on Nov. 21, 2022. It revises regulations to align the WIC food packages with the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans and to reflect recommendations from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine while promoting nutrition security and equity and considering program administration.
The changes are intended to provide WIC participants with a wider variety of foods that align with the latest nutritional science; provide WIC state agencies with greater flexibility to prescribe and tailor food packages that accommodate participants’ special dietary needs and personal and cultural food preferences; and address key nutritional needs to support healthy dietary patterns. This rule provides foods in amounts that are more consistent with the supplemental nature of the program; encourages fruit and vegetable consumption; and strengthens support for individual breastfeeding goals to help establish long-term breastfeeding.
Dates
Effective date: This rule is effective June 17, 2024.
Implementation dates: See section V of the Supplementary Information.
Compliance dates: This rulemaking consists of multiple provisions. Compliance for each provision is referenced in the Supplementary Information section of this final rule and detailed in the section-by-section analysis.
Severability: If any provision of such section promulgated through this final rule, “Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): Revisions in the WIC Food Packages” (FNS-2022-0007; RIN 0854-AE82), is held to be invalid or unenforceable by its terms, or as applied to any person or circumstances, it shall be severable and not affect the remainder thereof.