First baby formula shipment, enough for thousands of U.S. infants, arrives from Europe
First baby formula shipment, enough for thousands of U.S. infants, arrives from Europe
A Feb. 17 recall by top baby formula maker Abbott Laboratories (ABT.N) and the closing of its manufacturing plant in Sturgis, Michigan during an investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has created one of the biggest infant formula shortages in recent history for U.S. families.
“This is an important step, but it is by no means the only step that must take place. We will continue to work as the president has instructed us to look for every opportunity to increase supply,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who greeted the plane on its arrival.
“This particular formula is for a very, very small percentage of children. Roughly 17,000 children in the country basically are the beneficiaries of this particular formula,” he said.
The White House said on Sunday a second flight carrying formula would leave from Rammstein Air Force Base in coming days.
Abbott, the biggest U.S. supplier of powder infant formula, closed its Michigan plant following reports of bacterial infections in four infants, worsening a shortage among multiple manufacturers that began with pandemic supply-chain issues.
Chief Executive Robert Ford apologized for the shortage on Sunday and promised to fix it, adding the plant would reopen in the first week of June, and it would take six-to-eight weeks for products to reach store shelves.
“We’re sorry to every family we’ve let down since our voluntary recall exacerbated our nation’s baby formula shortage,” he wrote in a Washington Post column.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday declared a state of emergency to prevent price gouging.
“This emergency executive order will help us to crack down on any retailer looking to capitalize on this crisis by jacking up prices on this essential good,” he said in a statement.