Food Package, Breastfeeding, and Formula Information

WIC food is for the participant and is not meant to be for the entire family. WIC food packages provide supplemental foods designed to meet the special nutritional needs of low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and nonbreastfeeding postpartum women, infants, and children until their 5th birthday who are at nutritional risk. WIC food packages and nutrition education are the chief means by which WIC affects the dietary quality and habits of participants.

WIC food packages also promote and support the establishment of successful, long-term breastfeeding. They also provide WIC participants with a wider variety of food including fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. Efforts are also made to accommodate the cultural food preferences of WIC participants.

WIC Food Package Final Rule Resources

Breastfeeding and nutrition education are a major focus for Missouri WIC. The program commits a significant amount of resources to promoting and supporting these goals. Missouri WIC supports breastfeeding as the preferred method for infant feeding. WIC peer counselors are on call to answer participants' questions about breastfeeding. WIC counseling staff can provide information about pumping, latch, positioning, medications, and returning to work or school.

The WIC program provides contract formulas as part of an agreement that is a federally mandated cost containment system. In accordance with federal regulations, WIC-eligible formulas are mainly issued in powder form. Current contract formulas provided by Missouri WIC are listed below:

• Similac Advance
• Similac Sensitive
• Similac Total Comfort
• Similac Soy Isomil

To view all formulas currently provided by Missouri WIC, please visit: MO WIC Approved Formulas and WIC-Eligible Nutritionals.

• An exempt formula is intended for use by infants who have inborn errors of metabolism, low birth weight or who otherwise have unusual medical or dietary needs. Issuance requires completion of the Medical Documentation – Health Care Provider Authorization Form (WIC-27).
• A WIC-eligible nutritional (medical food) is specially formulated and intended for the dietary management of a disease that has distinctive nutritional needs that cannot be met by a normal diet alone. Issuance requires completion of a WIC-27.

To see items not allowed by WIC, please see the WIC Non-allowable Items Letter.