A major baby formula manufacturer unwittingly set off a national shortage when it closed a single plant in Michigan earlier this year. The formula crisis is amicrocosm of the broader systemic challenges facing low-income families accessing basic necessities, said Jamila Taylor, president and CEO of the National WIC Organization, anonprofit that works with state and local WIC agencies. Some mothers or babies have difficulty breastfeeding, and infants may be given formula to encourage weight gain. The plant was temporarily shut downby the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)and finally reopened its doors on June 4. Individual states dictate which brand of formula is covered by WIC, and Abbott Nutrition's Similac formula, the leading brand in the US, is one of the major suppliers to the WIC program. Six months after Abbott Labs recalled product and the FDA shut down its infant formula factory in Sturgis, Michigan due to unsanitary conditions, the shortage of baby . We've received your submission. Recommendations are independently chosen by Revieweds editors. Maricella Marquez has. That being said, all hope is not lost. Kevin Reed. So were on the road to recovery, but I dont want anyone to think we are sitting back at this point., House passes bill aimed at making imported baby formula cheaper. Inland transportation has been crimped by a truck driver shortage. Im kind of like, What is it now? At the start of May, 43% of baby formula was out of stock at retailers, according to Datasembly, a product data firm. In fact, 128 complaints were filed between December 2021 and March 2022. FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said it will take about two months for shelves to be full with baby formula again. Target also shows visibility into its stock by store, and offers buy online, pick up in-store capability. Inside the White House's Spring scramble to contain the baby formula crisis. Big-box stores, including CVS and Target, continue to limit how much formula afamily can buy at one time. Alyssa Rosenberg: The baby formula crisis wasnt a complete disaster. Once the facility resumes. Informal milk sharing increased up to 26%. Battery fire on Spirit flight to Florida sends 10 to hospital, events that left shelves empty for months. If you have a 9 month old, it might be worth asking about a shift," said Dr. Chorvat. As soon as Istart to see [our formula stash] go downits almost like panic for me. ALDI: This discount grocery store chain has several formulas available for in-store purchase. It lasted them, at most, twoweeks. Families in rural areas, who may have only one or two stores in their area that sell baby formula, may also be looking at long drives to find more if those stores run out. Retailers nationwide. Low-income families and parents of color are more likely to be on WIC and purchase formula, while also being overrepresented in jobs that dont allow them the flexibility to pump or breastfeed. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf announced on Thursday that the baby formula shortage plaguing the United States will not end until later this summer. Before taking on these issues, Congress should give the infants who experienced the formula shortage and their beleaguered parents an overdue birthday present: reforms that will save American families from the fear their children could go hungry again. Discovery Company. There's been a consistent shortage of formula throughout the pandemic, Syracuse University supply chain professor Patrick Penfield said. All are nutritionally similar and most babies can switch without a lot of repercussions or issues. (If your baby has allergies or other dietary needs,you need to switch to a formula with similar ingredientscheck with your pediatrician for next steps, Dr. Chorvat said.). Vicki Hankins says she feels like the hardest days of the shortage are behind her. After an FDA inspection of the facility in February, Abbott voluntarily recalleda number of batches of its Similac, Alimentum and EleCare infant formula brands. There is nothing as important to parents and caregivers as the health and safety of their children, and the infant formula shortage has left many families feeling anxious and concerned about their options for safely feeding their infants. What we need is just to continue for the next six to eight weeks for the production to far outstrip the amount that people need for their babies, and then well be back in good shape with regard to the volume of formula, he said. Show Transcript. Its also establishing anew Office of Critical Foods to manage oversight of medical foods and formula that people rely on as their singular source ofnutrition. Abbott also recently announced plans to open asecond U.S. plant in Ohio, but commercial production of formula isnt slated until2027. It is one of those things where you dont really know how messed up the system is until the system breaks completely, said Elyssa Schmier, the vice president for government relations at MomsRising, an advocacy group that has worked with President Joe Bidens administration on solutions to the formulacrisis. Many infants have allergies to either cow milk protein or soy in addition to other types of intolerance. At the same time, shipping, manufacturing, and retail executives don't expect to return to normal operations until next year. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (or WIC) is also a great resource. By July 1, flexibilities that allowed families to purchase imported specialty formulas with WIC will alsoexpire. Rosenberg tackled this in. Personal Finance, Government and Policy, Consumer Affairs, How to Check if Your Baby Formula Has Been Recalled, If your baby is allergic to standard formulas, What to Do if You're Running Low on Formula, Similac, Alimentum and EleCare infant formula brands, have limited customers to three formula purchases, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Idont know what its like to grab afew things at the grocery store and pick up some formula, said Romero,41. Stop&Shop:Stop&Shop is temporarily limitinginfant formula purchases tofour per customer, but offers online buying and in-store shopping for a number of brands, with some in-stock for shipping. It's important to adhere to this date, as formula becomes less nutritious after that point. More articles by Chabeli Carrazana, The 19th. Parents might keep dealing with the baby formula shortage at supermarkets into 2022 and 2023 even though there isn't a real shortage on. ", Califf, the FDA commissioner,said in a tweet Wednesday night that his agency was aware of the situation but added that "the all-of-government work to increase supply means we'll have more than enough product to meet current demand. Piggly Wiggly: Piggly Wiggly is a supermarket center located American Southern and Midwestern regions, and carries brands like Similac and Enfamil. Dietrichs youngest daughter was on formula when the shortage began, and she said the impact on her family was profound. The Department of Justice last month opened acriminal investigation into the Abbott facility in Michigan that shut down on February 17, 2022. While it's difficult to predict how . , Fla. . There are still some real challenges on the ground. Its one of several overseas brands being sold in the United States since the shortage began. So, in July, Hankins worked with her state WIC program to switch her son to a different brand of hypoallergenic formula called Gerber Good Start Extensive HA, which is being flown into the US from the Netherlands. When Will Formula Shortage End? Parents can also try contacting the baby's pediatrician since they usually get formula samples. If formula is still in stock in your area but you're having trouble finding your regular brand or type, switching may be your best bet. I reached out to the 292 members of Congress who put their names to formula bills last year to see whether they remained committed to preventing future supply shocks; 79 Democrats, 26 Republicans and one Independent responded. 2023 Cable News Network. Shelves normally meant for baby formula sit nearly empty at a store in downtown Washington, DC, in May 2022. His byline has appeared in The New York Times, Newsweek, NBC News, Architectural Digest and elsewhere. When in stock, baby formula can be bought in-store, ordered online for pick up in-store or online to be shipped. Then in June, flooding from a storm again halted operations at Abbotts Sturgis, Michigan, facility, delaying its production ramp up. According to data from NielsonIQ, on average about 13 percent of formula stock has been missing from store shelves over the past eight weeks. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews and more. Still, Abbott is the largest of only a handful of baby formula manufacturers in the US and accounts for more than 40% of the market. Parents across the country have been scrambling to find the formulas their infants need, often returning home empty-handed after being met with bare shelves. Some changes are underway. He believed that formula availability to normalize in up to eight weeks. When formula manufacturers need to step up production, they cut back on the number of products they make to speed the process. Winn-Dixie:Southern grocery store staple Winn-Dixie offers online shopping and in-store buying. "It's going to be gradual improvement up to probably somewhere around two months until the shelves are replete again," FDA commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf said in a Senate testimony from May. There is a shortage of baby formula and infant formula due in large part to a voluntary baby formula recall by formula manufacturer Abbott. But for others, the pain continues. Publication Date: May 26, 2022. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Your localWIC may be able to provide formula or help put you in touch with someone who can. Note that some stores may have formula available for purchase in-store even though they appear to be sold out online. In May, there reached a time when43% of popular formula brands were sold out across the country. Have thoughts or reactions to this or any other piece that you'd like to share? In fact, 128 complaints were filed between December 2021 and March 2022. Experts have said they expect the shortage to ease by the end of July. But it came down to the line, she said. Abbott also ceased production at the factory. And while the domestic sector plays catch-up, the United States should scrap high tariffs on foreign formula manufacturers that entered the market during the shortage. Baby formula, seen here on a shelf in a store in Chicago on Jan. 13, 2022, has . Here's how. The estimates range from early in 2022 to 2023. Latest:Biden says he wasn't alerted to baby formula shortage until April. The share of baby . The Food and Drug Administration called for the stoppage amid reports that a number of babies had died after drinking formula made in the plant. Copyright 2023 by the Institute for Public Affairs (EIN: 94-2889692). Families who depended on certain formulas have already had to pivot to find new ways to feed their babies, and they may still have to use different formula brands, travel long distances to find it and adhere to stores buying limits. Meijer: Meijer is a supercenter located throughout the Midwest. But Nagy couldnt find Nutramigen at the start of 2022, driving to seven, eight, nine different stores to find it. Alyssa Rosenberg: Breastfeeding isnt free. Heres what it cost me. They dont worry any more about being able to find formula they just know theyll have to travel to get it. H-E-B:Texas-based H-E-B carries Gerber baby formula and others in stock online. Less than half of newborns in the US are breastfed exclusively in the first three months of life, according to the CDC, and one in five are given formula in the first few days. A grocery store shelf in Salt Lake City in May 2022 during a nationwide shortage of infant formula. As a reader-supported 501(c)3 nonprofit, In These Times does not oppose or endorse candidates for political office. The big picture: The shortage has caused panic among the millions of parents and caregivers in the U.S. who rely on formula to feed their children. Weve compiled a list of places that carry infant formula. On the other hand, there are significant problems still in the system.. Back in May, Abbott announced that in states where it held WIC contracts, it would cover the cost of switching babies to different brands through August 30 a signal that it expected the shortage could impact consumers for months. "Were continuing to work with our baby formula vendors to address this issue," said Matthew Blanchette, the Senior Manager of Retail Communications at CVS. The FDA is now beginning asignificant overhaul of its entire food safety division, with plans to put one person in charge of overseeing food safety andpolicy. In West Virginia, where Breanna Dietrich runs aFacebook group for parents searching for formula, thats aconstant issue. Baby formula was already in short supply by the end of 2021, and a February 2022 recall has worsened the problem. However, the suppliers have been saying that there isn't a shortage at their end. . In 2022, the formula shortage has impacted how infants are fed in the following ways: Use of donor breast milk increased up to 28%. Ultimately, two infants in Ohio died from Cronobacter infection. And by six months, 75% of babies receive some formula, according to the CDC. The rationing comes as an analysis by Datasembly, which analysed 11,000 sellers of baby formula in the country, found that baby formula brands hit out-of-stock per centages of 31 per cent in April 2022. Some stores have even moved their stockbehind the counter, which means you'll need to ask an employee for formula instead of finding it on the shelf. The short answer is that it depends. Due to increased demand and various supplier challenges, infant and toddler formulas are seeing constraint across the country. The FDA certainly was aware of the contamination before they took action. It's now working with the FDA . According to The Wall Street Journal, the global supply-chain issues have been showing signs of receding. Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), the House Republican Conference chairwoman, wrote: As a new mom, I know there is nothing more important than being able to feed your child.. Last month, the head FDA official overseeing the formula shortage, Frank Yiannas, resigned as aresult. But lawmakers have yet to tackle the issues that matter most: the extreme concentration of the formula market, and regulators inability to safeguard the U.S. formula supply. The stocking challenge . Families that depend on WIC program benefits have more limited choices, too. Due to global supply chain disruptions over the past two years, Americans are getting used to product shortages, but they were still surprised by the recent shortage of baby formula. Parents Baby Formula Shortage Should End in Late July After 'Gradual Improvement,' FDA Commissioner Says Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf said the FDA "will not rest until our shelves are. When her son was born in September, they were OK until about November, when she started noticing that his formula, asensitive type called Enfamil Gentlease, was also missing from stores. "But, on June 15, Abbott said a temporary closure due to flood damage meant production and distribution at the Sturgis plant would be delayed "for a few weeks. It should never be that one factory goes down and the entire country is thrown into atailspin.. Orrin had struggled to switch formula in the past, but he did great, Hankins said. The Sturgis plant might have come under scrutiny sooner, agency officials said last year, if not for a failure in FDAs mailroom that misdirected a whistleblowers report, and miscommunications among key officials. Children 6 months to 12 months should only drink breast milk, infant formula, or small amounts of water (up to 4 to 8 oz. And when one goes off the market, these types . Her older daughter was still on formula, aspecific Enfamil brand for children with dairy allergies called Nutramigen, when the shortage began. Idont know if its amotherly-instinct-type thing pulling through, but its stressful, Romerosaid. Similar to other retailers, we put into effect purchase limits of three per transaction on all infant and toddler formula to help improve inventory," a spokesperson for Walgreens told Reviewed. Shelves typically stocked with baby formula sit mostly empty at a store in San Antonio, Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Availability is only half the challenge. I have people begging, Where can you find this? said Dietrich,36. Three members of the House Ways and Means Committee Republicans Adrian Smith of Nebraska and Brad Wenstrup of Ohio, and Democrat Judy Chu of California told me that they want to, as Chu put it, ensure that our trade laws help alleviate critical shortages rather than contribute to them.. Programs designed to help families affected by the shortage are being extended, too. Among them is the chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee oversight subcommittee, Rep. H. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.). May 17, 2022, 11:44 AM PDT. Some changes to the WIC program could help parents in the case of another shortage, advocates said. Families can't use WIC benefits to buy baby formula online, making shortage woes worse Formula stock hit a low in late June; 22.4% of products were out of stock during the week ending June. One of her babies has complications with her heart as well as a gastrointestinal issue, so switching to table food is not an option for her currently.
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