WIC Vendor Newsletter KANSAS NUTRITION AND WIC SERVICES

APRIL-MAY 2012

WIC Vendor Advisory Group meeting dates

The next scheduled WIC Vendor Advisory Group meeting

is Tuesday, July 10th, 2012.

And tentatively have Monday, December 3rd (1:00-4:00) set aside for another meeting. We currently have 15 regular attendees and would like to find ways to encourage more participation from a variety of stores, distributors and producers that help serve our most vulnerable and pre-cious Kansans. Please help us make this a worthwhile meeting for all stores and pro-ducers as well as the WIC program and send us suggestions, including preferred times of the month or day and suggested agenda topics.

Below is the standard agenda for the year, and suggestions are welcomed:

Updates from WIC Updates from Vendors Approved foods-UPC Check processing What is working-what isn’t Potential Changes for improvement Additional Items

If you have suggestions for the agenda and/or wish to attend the call, please contact Valerie Merrow at 785-296-0092 or email her at: VMerrow@kdheks.gov

Save the Dates!

To access the Peer Group Average Pricing screen, go to www.kansaswic.org and click on the Information for WIC Ven-

dors link on the left hand side of the screen. Next, click on the Check Processing and Food Pricing Information link in the first paragraph. Then click the Average Prices for Vendor Peer Groups link at the top of the second paragraph and you will be di-rected to this page. To get to your peer group average pricing, enter the first four digits of your WIC Vendor stamp (e.g. 0123), click continue and you will be directed to the following screen. This screen provides the current prices that are set in the system for your peer group. It is very important that you visit this site frequently to compare your prices to the prices for the peer group. If your prices are higher than the price listed here, there is a potential for WIC checks to re-ject. If you have questions about pricing or if you have had a recent price increase please contact Brad Iams at the State WIC Office at (785)296-0093 or email him at BIams@kdheks.gov

Price Check

ANNUAL VENDOR TRAINING

WILL BE IN THE NEXT

NEWSLETTER!

Please remind cashiers there is now no restriction on the brand of these WIC approved

Infant Cereal

Milk

Eggs

Cheese

Peanut Butter

Fish

Dried Beans/Peas

Canned Beans

Soft Corn Tortillas

Brown rice

WIC relies on our cashiers and stockers to help ensure that WIC clients get the nutritious foods that are WIC approved when they shop at your store.

The WIC Program Booklets were designed with the exact same approved food sections in both the vendor and the client booklets. We used the same pictures and color schemes in each of the food tabs so that the items allowed under each category look exactly the same no matter whether it’s the Vendor or Client booklet. The front picture is different and the educational sections vary but the food categories are the exact same!

Another component of ensuring the appropriate foods are available is shelf labeling. We all know this can help cut back on confusion on the part of the client when selecting their merchandise and reduces delays at the register. It is important to have WIC labeling under the products that WIC clients may purchase, so please use the Vendor website or contact Valerie to get more labels when you are out.

CHECKING & STOCKING

New Perspective Hello, my name is Valerie Merrow. I am a new Vendor Manager for the WIC program here in Kansas. I am a graduate of SouthWestern College in Winfield, KS and my education includes Data Processing, Social Services, Business and Public Administration. I’ve spent the last 20 years serving our older Kansans in a variety of local and state positions.

It is a wonderful opportunity to now help our youngest Kansans and their moms helping to ensure they have access to nutritious foods. I’m equally excited to learn more about the grocery industry. I recently participated in a Progressive Grocer webcast. I learned that supermarket sales were $584 billion last year which was up 3.8% from the previous year. The majority of growth was generated by an increased number of stores and price inflation. More grocery stores are using social media, such as Facebook to reach out to potential shoppers. Why do I believe it is important for me a WIC Vendor Manager to know more about the grocery industry? I want quality foods provided to our young Kansans and to learn more about what grocery stores must consider in order to stay in business. It is important to ensuring that WIC is a efficient component of delivering those nutritious foods in your store to WIC clients. PS—During a visit to a new store, I noticed a chart of nutritional values and the health benefits of specific produce. It made me want to get more engaged in the choices I make for fresh produce, instead of purchasing the same old things. Just a thought regarding the impact of good information. It made me feel like the store cared to help me be more informed about my choices!

Please Help Us Thank Your

“Stockers and Cashiers”

Food banks are busier than ever with unem-ployment rates continuing to be high, gas and energy costs have risen over the last two years, along with the price of food. If your store is not already participating in local do-nations of items that still may feed someone but are reaching their best if purchased by or used by dates, please feel free to visit the fol-lowing link and help make connections in your local communities to feed those in need. http://feedingamerica.org/ How can I make a product donation? Your local food bank can assist you in deter-mining what items they need at the present time. If you wish to donate grocery products directly to your local food bank, click here.

Donating to Local Food Banks

Did you know that we have a place just for Vendors on the WIC website? This website provides helpful information regarding:

Check Processing & Food Pricing Training Materials Program Booklet UPC List Forms and Newsletters.

Please visit us at: http://www.kansaswic.org/vendors/

Hot cereal sizes are the same as cold, 12, 18, 24, or 36 oz. The booklet has an error in it

and states, “12 oz packages only.” Please make sure cashiers are aware of the error and that all cereals, hot or cold , are the same sizes. You may want to take a marker and cross out the 12 oz package size in the booklet and write “same as all other cereal sizes.”

We are no longer doing least expensive. While clients are educated to do smart shopping,

it is any brand unless the product is specifically stated in the WIC program booklet, such as approved Post cereals. This was intended to help eliminate confusion for both the client and the cashier.

100% Whole Wheat bread, rolls or buns does NOT include English Muffins. The booklet

provides recommended brands but the key is WHOLE GRAINS 100% Whole Wheat

Bread/Rolls/Buns in 12-32 oz packages. The label must specifically state “100% Whole

Wheat.”

Organic Baby food is no longer a WIC approved item.

As of January 1, 2012 we are exclusively using the approved food list dated October 2011.

http://www.kansaswic.org/WIC_approved_foods/

Please note that there is a link to the UPC listing, please contact your local vendor or Valerie, if you have a product that is not on the list that may need to be added. Of course if your store does not carry a WIC approved item, clients are encouraged to go request the item from your store’s customer service.

REMINDERS

WIC Vendor Webpage

New Sizes for Kellogg Cereals? Kellogg will now carry the Frosted Mini-Wheats Bite Size

in 18 & 24 ounce sizes. They have also changed their Touch

Of Fruit sizes and will no longer be making them in the 12,

18, 24 or 36 ounce sizes that Kansas has approved.

State of Kansas DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

Nutrition and WIC Services 1000 SW Jackson, Suite 220

Topeka, KS 66612-1274 264-19

WHO DO YOU CALL? Vendors should contact their Local WIC Agency for concerns regard-

ing complaints, minimum stocking exemptions for infant formula and

general program questions.

Contact Brad Iams when issues arise with WIC checks or price

changes in WIC approved foods. Request for Reimbursement forms

are located in the Appendix of your Vendor Manual and on the Kansas

WIC Web Site.

Contact Valerie Merrow if you have or are going to change ownership,

need WIC supplies for your store (i.e. door decals, new vendor stamp,

shelf labels, etc.), training materials and for policy questions.

Vendor Management Team

Valerie Merrow

(785)296-0092

E-mail: vmerrow@kdheks.gov

Brad Iams

(785)296-0093

E-mail: biams@kdheks.gov

Mailing Address:

KDHE

BFH/Nutrition and WIC Services

1000 SW Jackson, Suite 220

Topeka, Kansas 66612-1274

Malt-O-Meal has a new name and a new look. MOM Brands that are WIC ap-proved will still have the same UPC as before, just a new look.