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To be successful, the USDA food and nutrition assistance programs must deliver benefits in a manner that inspires public confidence by operating efficiently and ensuring that public funds are not subject to wasteful or fraudulent use. A number of ongoing ERS projects examine integrity issues in the Food Stamp Program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the Summer Food Service Program, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
related briefing rooms
- offer an indepth discussion synthesizing ERS research
feature
Assessment of WIC Cost-Containment
Practices: Final Report and Executive
SummaryWIC provides supplemental foods to pregnant, breastfeeding,
and postpartum women, infants, and children. These foods contains
nutrients determined by nutritional research to be lacking in the
diets of WIC participants. State WIC agencies have implemented practices
designed to reduce the cost of food packages containing the prescribed
foods. The practices include limiting authorized vendors to stores
with lower food prices; limiting approved brands, package sizes,
or forms; and negotiating rebates with food manufacturers or suppliers.
The concern is that these practices may inadvertently counter program
goals. Based on a review of cost-containment practices in six States,
the study draws three major conclusions: (1) cost-containment practices
reduced average food package costs by 0.2 to 21.4 percent, depending
on practices implemented and local conditions; (2) the cost-containment
practices had few adverse outcomes for WIC participants; and (3)
administrative costs of the practices were low, averaging about
1.5 percent of food package savings. In accordance with Congressional
legislation authorizing this study, infant formula rebates were
not assessed.
web administration: webadmin@ers.usda.gov
updated: March 10, 2003
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