Biden Declares Baby Formula Shortage to Improve With US Imports

President Joe Biden has assured parents that the baby formula shortage will improve with the arrival of imported goods "in a matter of weeks or less." The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will also be providing more details about these imported baby formulas, as well as other options from local brands.

Reuters reported that FDA has been streamlining the process to get safe and quality brands that will satisfy the standards. FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said that they are working "around the clock" to increase the supply.

It comes as nationwide stocks of baby formula brands are down by 40 percent as of the end of April 2022. About 98 percent of the supplies are produced domestically, given the strict requirements of the FDA on milk production.

But parents have been panic buying milk, forcing some stores to limit the number of purchases per shopper. Many public officials also expressed concern about price gouging due to the lack of supplies while health experts are growing concerned over the impact of the baby formula shortage on the children's wellbeing, especially if this problem persists.

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What's Causing the Baby Formula Shortage?

Since the pandemic, pressure in the supply chain has been a consistent problem in securing commodities. However, the supply chain issues with baby formula milk were further impacted by the product recall at the Abbot facility in Michigan because of contamination concerns. As a result, the factory has been shut down amid investigations by the FDA.

Abbot is the main source of baby formula supplies among low-income families. The manufacturer is also the exclusive supplier of government feeding programs, per the New York Times.

In the U.S., one in five babies is fed baby formula milk in the first few weeks of their lives. By three months old, half of these breastfed babies are switched to formula milk. Though breastfeeding is always the first choice, some parents prefer formula milk because there are babies who struggle with breastfeeding, which can impact their weight gain and health.

Changing formula brands that are more readily available on store shelves is doable but some babies can develop digestive problems because of this. Thus, some parents have fewer options laid before them when their preferred formula milk is always out of stock.

Since the Abbot shutdown, other suppliers have been trying to fulfill the increasing demands with factories like Enfamil opening their operations 24/7. Biden also met with some of these manufacturers and retailers on Thursday, May 12, to press them to increase their production.

Biden Not Invoking Defense Production Act

Meanwhile, CBS News reported that Biden has no plans to use the Defense Production Act (DPA) to force these manufacturers to produce more baby formula milk. Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, however, questioned why the president won't invoke the DPA in what many deemed as a national crisis.

White House officials, however, said that this issue has been on the president's radar from the start and they have been working closely with the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) since the Abbot recall in February. Officials have also been ordered to crack down on possible price gouging across the U.S.