California WIC Authorized Product List

This dataset contains a list of all CA WIC authorized food items identified by food category and subcategory. Each item is uniquely identified by a Universal Product Code (UPC) or Price Look-Up code (PLU) for WIC electronic benefit transfer (EBT). The WIC Authorized vendors will use the CA Authorized Product List (APL) to transact WIC food items at the cash register. The WIC APL is a USDA mandated report critical to support the WIC EBT purchase. WIC EBT requires the vendor system to maintain the APL in order to match the scanned food items' UPC to ensure they are on the WIC APL. The food items identified by UPC and PLU can be found in different tabs of the data file below.

The Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program is a federally-funded health and nutrition program that provides assistance to pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and children under age five. WIC helps California families by providing food benefits to individual participants based on their nutritional need and risk assessment. The food benefits can be used to purchase healthy supplemental foods from approximately 4,000 WIC authorized vendor stores throughout the State. WIC also provides nutritional education, breastfeeding support, healthcare referrals, and other community services. Participants must meet income guidelines and other criteria. Currently, 83 WIC agencies provide services monthly to approximately one million participants at over 650 sites in local communities throughout the State.

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Contact Email [email protected]
Program California Department of Public Health, Center for Family Health, Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Division
Homepage URL https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CFH/DWICSN/Pages/Program-Landing1.aspx
Temporal Coverage

Continually Updated - last update is in the dataset header

Spatial/Geographic Coverage

California

Geographic Granularity Statewide
Language English (EN)
Frequency Other
Source Link https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CFH/DWICSN/Pages/Program-Landing1.aspx
Data Collection Tool

Public Submission and International Federation Produce Standards.

License Terms of Use
Limitations Use of this data is subject to the CHHS Terms of Use and any copyright and proprietary notices incorporated in or accompanying the individual files.
Related Resources

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CFH/DWICSN/Pages/WICFoods/UPCSubmissions.aspx

https://www.ifpsglobal.com/Identification/PLU-Codes/PLU-codes-Search

Secondary Sources

State staff collection of UPCs

https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/women-infants-and-children-wic

https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/wic-electronic-benefits-transfer-ebt-guidance

EBT Final Rule: https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/fr-030116

Citation

California Department of Public Health, Center for Family Health, Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Division, ca-wic-apl-2020-01-30.xlsx

Last Updated March 1, 2024, 18:47 (UTC)