WIC and the Retail Price of Infant Formula

Victor Oliveira ; Mark Prell ; David Smallwood , and Elizabeth Frazão

United States Department of Agriculture

关键词: WIC program;    cost-containment;    food-item restrictions;    vendor restrictions;    manufacturers rebates;    food package costs;    Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women;    Infants;    and Children;    child nutrition;    FANRP;    food assistance;   

RP-ID  :  FANRR-39-1

学科分类：农业科学（综合）

美国|英语

来源: United States Department of Agriculture Publications

【 摘 要 】

Rebates from infant formula manufacturers to State agencies that administer the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) support over one-quarter of all WIC participants. However, concerns have been raised that WIC and its infant formula rebate program may significantly affect the infant formula prices faced by non-WIC consumers. This report presents findings from the most comprehensive national study of infant formula prices at the retail level. For a given set of wholesale prices, WIC and its infant formula rebate program resulted in modest increases in the supermarket price of infant formula, especially in States with a high percentage of WIC formula-fed infants. However, lower priced infant formulas are available to non-WIC consumers in most areas of the country, and the number of these lower priced alternatives is increasing over time.