Around 95,000 tins of baby formula arrived in the United States from Australia on Sunday, June 12, potentially offering relief to many parents who have struggled to obtain infant formula for their children in recent weeks.
Bubs Australia was able to strike a deal with American grocery chains Kroger Co. and Albertsons Companies to import the company's formula under the fourth flight of Operation Fly Formula, the manufacturer announced.
Bubs Founder and CEO Kristy Carr issued a statement, telling ABC News, "We extend our thanks to our retail partners, who will [endeavor] that our products quickly get to retail shelves in the States and stores in most need with the highest stock-out rates."
Another shipment from Bubs to arrive on June 16
Sunday's shipment, which touched down in the city of Los Angeles in California, is one of two entering the United States this week from Bubs Australia, with the second one arriving on Thursday, June 16, in Columbus, Ohio.
Both shipments from Bubs Australia will bring more than four million 8-ounce bottles, or 380,000 pounds, of baby formula to Kroger and Albertson's shelves starting on June 20.
The Biden administration has pushed to restock store shelves across the United States recently after a massive baby formula shortage forced moms to go on social media to trade formula.
According to the White House, it has struck deals with various manufacturers to bring nearly 128 million bottles of formula to the United States. President Joe Biden said during a virtual meeting with members of his administration and formula manufacturers on June 1 that there is nothing more stressful than the feeling you can't get what your child needs.
Biden added that his administration would quickly use every tool available to restock shelves. He invoked the Defense Production Act last month to address the baby formula shortage so that suppliers in the U.S. could get necessary ingredients to formula manufacturers as fast as possible, according to NPR.
Abbott restarts production in Michigan plant
Abbott Nutrition plant is partly to blame for the nationwide shortage after its plant in Sturgis, Michigan, was shut down for months following an inspection by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that found Cronobacter sakazakii bacteria, which can be deadly to infants, in several areas of the facility.
However, there is some good news with Abbott already restarting its specialty formula production in the Michigan plant. The company said that it is starting with the production of EleCare, an amino acid-based hypoallergenic product for babies and infants who cannot tolerate other formulas, as well as other specialty formulas.
Abbott added that the first batches of its Elecare product are expected to be available to consumers in the United States around June 20, according to CNN. The company said in a Saturday statement that it is also working hard to fulfill the steps necessary to restart production of Similac and other formulas and will do so as soon as possible.
