Baby Formula Shortage Resolved

[mtdjed]

The US Shortage of Infant Formula has been resolved one day after the government found that there was a problem. Fact Sheet issued today states that after meetings with manufacturers and distributors yesterday, manufacturers have raised their production output "today" to 30 to 50% above pre-recall levels.

Fact sheet outlines how to get access to these items.
COPY Follows

Fact Sheet:

Helping Families Find Formula During the Infant Formula Shortage
To address infant formula shortages in the wake of Abbott Nutrition’s voluntary recall of certain powdered infant formulas, the Biden-Harris Administration is working to ensure that infant formula is safe and available for families across the country. Yesterday, President Biden spoke with retailers and manufacturers, including Walmart, Target, Reckitt, and Gerber, to discuss ways to get more formula quickly and safely onto store shelves. He also announced a series of actions, including cutting red tape on the types of formula parents can buy, calling on the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to crack down on price gouging and unfair market practices, and increasing the supply of formula through increased imports.

Thanks to these efforts, manufacturers have ramped up production 30-50 percent, bringing total production today above pre-recall levels with a different mix of products and sizes now available in the market. Still, it’s clear that too many families continue to encounter challenges obtaining infant formula—especially families of about 5,000 infants as well as some older children and adults with rare metabolic diseases that depend on specialty formulas.

If you are unable to readily find formula, please consult the following resources that may be able to assist:

Manufacturer Hotlines
Gerber’s MyGerber Baby Expert exit disclaimer icon: reach a certified nutrition or lactation consultant by phone, text, Facebook Messenger, web chat, or video call, who can help you identify a similar formula that may be more readily available
Abbott’s Consumer Hotline: call 1-800-986-8540
Abbott’s urgent product request line exit disclaimer icon: ask your OBGYN or your infant’s pediatrician to submit an urgent product request by downloading and completing the form - PDF exit disclaimer icon
Reckitt’s Customer Service line: call 1-800 BABY-123 (222-9123)
Community Resources
United Way’s 2-1-1 exit disclaimer icon: dial 2–1-1 to be connected to a community resource specialist affiliated with United Way who may be able to help you identify food pantries and other charitable sources of local infant formula and baby food.
Feeding America exit disclaimer icon: call your local food bank to ask whether they have infant formula and other supplies in stock.
Human Milk Banking Association of North America exit disclaimer icon (HMBANA): certain HMBANA-accredited milk banks are distributing donated breast milk to mothers in need; please note that some may require a prescription from a medical professional. Find an HMBANA-accredited milk bank exit disclaimer icon.
WIC-Eligible Families
Contact your local WIC exit disclaimer icon office to identify or obtain additional sources of infant formula nearby.
General Guidance
Call your OBGYN or pediatrician to see if they have in-office samples or can suggest a similar formula that may be more readily available in stores and is nutritionally similar to your infant’s typical formula.
You should not water down formula, try to make formula at home, or use toddler formula to feed infants. Don’t discard formula unless it is expired or is part of the recall. Check your formula’s lot code exit disclaimer icon to see whether or not it was affected by the recall.
You can find more guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics exit disclaimer icon.
Content created by Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA)
Content last reviewed May 13, 2022

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

It's not actually resolved yet, since the manufactured product will still take time to reach the shelves and - people will horde, because of course they will. You may end up seeing stores limit purchases because of that. In fact that may be why the shortage is as bad as it is.

[mtdjed]

It's not actually resolved yet, since the manufactured product will still take time to reach the shelves and - people will horde, because of course they will. You may end up seeing stores limit purchases because of that. In fact that may be why the shortage is as bad as it is.

But the big thing is that a closed factory is now open and the quantities produced today are 30 to 50% higher than before the shutdown. I am sure that priorities will insure that plans have been made to insure that supplies can be quickly delivered. If you can increase production that fast , you can certainly insure quick delivery like using Amazons next day delivery, even on Sunday. Perhaps they might even get Amazons help.

[Caymus]

But the big thing is that a closed factory is now open and the quantities produced today are 30 to 50% higher than before the shutdown..


Which closed factory reopened? The Abbott Factory in Michigan is still closed for at least two more weeks.

[Keefelane66]

Abbot Labs The same baby formula producer that had contaminated product and led to this shortage used billions of dollars to buy back stock instead of investing in their product safety. Putting profits before the safety of our children is unacceptable.Babies got sick and died Yes the FDA shut the facility down so we know who to blame. There is still a 17% tariff on importation of formula imported from Canada

[Robbb]

Abbot Labs The same baby formula producer that had contaminated product and led to this shortage used billions of dollars to buy back stock instead of investing in their product safety. Putting profits before the safety of our children is unacceptable.Babies got sick and died Yes the FDA shut the facility down so we know who to blame. There is still a 17% tariff on importation of formula imported from Canada

BS. My daughter is a in research for Abbot, safety is their number 1 through 50000 concern. As someone who has been in medicine for over 40 years, I would trust any company over the FDA any day. The FDA is the post office in lab coats.

[dewilson58]

BS. My daughter is a in research for Abbot, safety is their number 1 through 50000 concern.

Agree.

Serviced Abbot supply chain (& many other "food" manufacturers) and saw first-hand their safety concern, practices & policies.

[Stu from NYC]

“The US Shortage of Infant Formula has been resolved one day after the government found that there was a problem.”

I call BS. Like manufacturing wouldn’t increase on its own if there was a demand. Government hasn’t done anything.

Very true. Why did they wait so long to take action? the FDA was a major part of this problem.

[frose]

another bunch of bs

[Bay Kid]

How about if they release the massive amount they bought up and have stored for immigrants and maybe let the immigrants scramble for baby formula rather than citizens?

Talk about hoarding.

[Timothyimitchell]

The US Shortage of Infant Formula has been resolved one day after the government found that there was a problem. Fact Sheet issued today states that after meetings with manufacturers and distributors yesterday, manufacturers have raised their production output "today" to 30 to 50% above pre-recall levels.

Fact sheet outlines how to get access to these items.
COPY Follows

Fact Sheet:

Helping Families Find Formula During the Infant Formula Shortage
To address infant formula shortages in the wake of Abbott Nutrition’s voluntary recall of certain powdered infant formulas, the Biden-Harris Administration is working to ensure that infant formula is safe and available for families across the country. Yesterday, President Biden spoke with retailers and manufacturers, including Walmart, Target, Reckitt, and Gerber, to discuss ways to get more formula quickly and safely onto store shelves. He also announced a series of actions, including cutting red tape on the types of formula parents can buy, calling on the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to crack down on price gouging and unfair market practices, and increasing the supply of formula through increased imports.

Thanks to these efforts, manufacturers have ramped up production 30-50 percent, bringing total production today above pre-recall levels with a different mix of products and sizes now available in the market. Still, it’s clear that too many families continue to encounter challenges obtaining infant formula—especially families of about 5,000 infants as well as some older children and adults with rare metabolic diseases that depend on specialty formulas.

If you are unable to readily find formula, please consult the following resources that may be able to assist:

Manufacturer Hotlines
Gerber’s MyGerber Baby Expert exit disclaimer icon: reach a certified nutrition or lactation consultant by phone, text, Facebook Messenger, web chat, or video call, who can help you identify a similar formula that may be more readily available
Abbott’s Consumer Hotline: call 1-800-986-8540
Abbott’s urgent product request line exit disclaimer icon: ask your OBGYN or your infant’s pediatrician to submit an urgent product request by downloading and completing the form - PDF exit disclaimer icon
Reckitt’s Customer Service line: call 1-800 BABY-123 (222-9123)
Community Resources
United Way’s 2-1-1 exit disclaimer icon: dial 2–1-1 to be connected to a community resource specialist affiliated with United Way who may be able to help you identify food pantries and other charitable sources of local infant formula and baby food.
Feeding America exit disclaimer icon: call your local food bank to ask whether they have infant formula and other supplies in stock.
Human Milk Banking Association of North America exit disclaimer icon (HMBANA): certain HMBANA-accredited milk banks are distributing donated breast milk to mothers in need; please note that some may require a prescription from a medical professional. Find an HMBANA-accredited milk bank exit disclaimer icon.
WIC-Eligible Families
Contact your local WIC exit disclaimer icon office to identify or obtain additional sources of infant formula nearby.
General Guidance
Call your OBGYN or pediatrician to see if they have in-office samples or can suggest a similar formula that may be more readily available in stores and is nutritionally similar to your infant’s typical formula.
You should not water down formula, try to make formula at home, or use toddler formula to feed infants. Don’t discard formula unless it is expired or is part of the recall. Check your formula’s lot code exit disclaimer icon to see whether or not it was affected by the recall.
You can find more guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics exit disclaimer icon.
Content created by Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA)
Content last reviewed May 13, 2022


3 months away. Watch. This is just another one of those "things" that should never have happened.

[Keefelane66]

Whether it produce, meatpacking, automotive, aviation, or medicine it's always the same story about having such stringent safety measures until they get caught and forced to issue recalls.

[Caymus]

Whether it produce, meatpacking, automotive, aviation, or medicine it's always the same story about having such stringent safety measures until they get caught and forced to issue recalls.

You do realize that most recalls are voluntary?

[TrapX]

The US Shortage of Infant Formula has been resolved one day after the government found that there was a problem.
.....
the Biden-Harris Administration is working
.....
If you are unable to readily find formula...
You should not water down formula, try to make formula at home, or use toddler formula to feed infants.

Government triggered the problem. Incompetent for not realizing the effects for their own actions. Time for action was weeks ago.

President was referenced in the OP post. Nice to see they are working on the problem they created. Their advice is to search for formula. Seriously? That's kind of stupid advice, of course that is what people will do.
Reality is that you cannot find any, anywhere.
Next are dire warnings about not trying to stretch what you have. You have NONE. Where is advice for a usable workaround? What should someone do with no product and a hungry baby? What is a safe and obtainable replacement? Maybe not perfect, but better than nothing.

[mtdjed]

How about if they release the massive amount they bought up and have stored for immigrants and maybe let the immigrants scramble for baby formula rather than citizens?

A small detail but perhaps the word "migrant" should be used above. The words are often used interchangeably but the word legally is associated with immigrants

What is an Immigrant?
An immigrant is an individual who willingly leaves their country of origin and "legally"enters another country where they are granted permission to permanently resettle, thus qualifying them to work without restriction.

[Bogie Shooter]

How about if they release the massive amount they bought up and have stored for immigrants and maybe let the immigrants scramble for baby formula rather than citizens?

You are watching too much of a certain cable channel.

[Stu from NYC]

Government triggered the problem. Incompetent for not realizing the effects for their own actions. Time for action was weeks ago.

President was referenced in the OP post. Nice to see they are working on the problem they created. Their advice is to search for formula. Seriously? That's kind of stupid advice, of course that is what people will do.
Reality is that you cannot find any, anywhere.
Next are dire warnings about not trying to stretch what you have. You have NONE. Where is advice for a usable workaround? What should someone do with no product and a hungry baby? What is a safe and obtainable replacement? Maybe not perfect, but better than nothing.

Sad that this went on as long as it did. When a factory with most of the manufacturing capacity is closed for months what else would you expect.

[n8xwb]

This post sounds a bit political to me. To little old me who received "points" for simply calling the high price of gas our leader's gas.

Why bother mentioning this fact sheet in Talk of the Villages when no one living here legally is in need of using baby formula???

[retiredguy123]

I hope there is never an anchovy pizza and Miller Lite beer shortage.

I'll have to change my formula.

[blueash]

Originally Posted by thevillages2013 View Post
How about if they release the massive amount they bought up and have stored for immigrants and maybe let the immigrants scramble for baby formula rather than citizens?

The faux outrage over feeding infants is depressing. I don't have numbers or the inclination to try to get them. There are at most a few thousand formula feeding infants in border facilities.

There are almost four million infants born yearly in the US. A few thousand more mouths is NOT causing a shortage of formula. Not feeding those infants will have zero effect on the availability of formula in your local supermarket. The mothers of those infants do not have the option to shop around, ask for samples, order from Amazon, or make their own formula as they are in custody.

If you care, which many of you don't, federal law followed by both the administration and the previous one, to the letter, requires, not optional, but requires that border detention facilities have infant formula on hand. So the government has formula there... as the LAW REQUIRES.

This is ugly commentary by people with an ugly agenda. This is not about immigrants who are living in the community and facing the same shortages as good old white natural born Americans. This is about people in the custody AKA jail, by the US government. You feed those people, you keep them warm when it is cold, and cool enough to prevent heat illness when it is hot. You have fresh water, toilets, etc. That is what a civilized society does not just for adults but for INFANTS.

Having formula available for everyone is important but that one side is screaming about how dare we feed infants in our jails when others have a struggle is cruel, absolutely cruel and part of a bigger plan to demonize and other them. Don't feed the infants but surely feed the hate.

PolitiFact | Providing baby formula for babies held at the border is a legal requirement (https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2022/may/13/greg-abbott/providing-baby-formula-babies-held-border-legal-re/)

[Nucky]

I never hoarded anything, including toilet paper, while others felt the need to do so.

I will get as many of the brands as both of our new additions to the family need. I really don't care what anybody thinks. I would help someone else I knew if needed. Not being a pinhead. I am going to look out for the Grandchildren first.

[Stu from NYC]

The faux outrage over feeding infants is depressing. I don't have numbers or the inclination to try to get them. There are at most a few thousand formula feeding infants in border facilities.

There are almost four million infants born yearly in the US. A few thousand more mouths is NOT causing a shortage of formula. Not feeding those infants will have zero effect on the availability of formula in your local supermarket. The mothers of those infants do not have the option to shop around, ask for samples, order from Amazon, or make their own formula as they are in custody.

If you care, which many of you don't, federal law followed by both the administration and the previous one, to the letter, requires, not optional, but requires that border detention facilities have infant formula on hand. So the government has formula there... as the LAW REQUIRES.

This is ugly commentary by people with an ugly agenda. This is not about immigrants who are living in the community and facing the same shortages as good old white natural born Americans. This is about people in the custody AKA jail, by the US government. You feed those people, you keep them warm when it is cold, and cool enough to prevent heat illness when it is hot. You have fresh water, toilets, etc. That is what a civilized society does not just for adults but for INFANTS.

Having formula available for everyone is important but that one side is screaming about how dare we feed infants in our jails when others have a struggle is cruel, absolutely cruel and part of a bigger plan to demonize and other them. Don't feed the infants but surely feed the hate.

PolitiFact | Providing baby formula for babies held at the border is a legal requirement (https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2022/may/13/greg-abbott/providing-baby-formula-babies-held-border-legal-re/)

The fact that the FDA kept a major facility closed that long was the cause of the problem. Apparently many people had problems feeding their kids and if so people here legally should come first.

[DARFAP]

It will be resolved when it's no longer sent to the border

[jimbomaybe]

The faux outrage over feeding infants is depressing. I don't have numbers or the inclination to try to get them. There are at most a few thousand formula feeding infants in border facilities.

There are almost four million infants born yearly in the US. A few thousand more mouths is NOT causing a shortage of formula. Not feeding those infants will have zero effect on the availability of formula in your local supermarket. The mothers of those infants do not have the option to shop around, ask for samples, order from Amazon, or make their own formula as they are in custody.

If you care, which many of you don't, federal law followed by both the administration and the previous one, to the letter, requires, not optional, but requires that border detention facilities have infant formula on hand. So the government has formula there... as the LAW REQUIRES.

This is ugly commentary by people with an ugly agenda. This is not about immigrants who are living in the community and facing the same shortages as good old white natural born Americans. This is about people in the custody AKA jail, by the US government. You feed those people, you keep them warm when it is cold, and cool enough to prevent heat illness when it is hot. You have fresh water, toilets, etc. That is what a civilized society does not just for adults but for INFANTS.

Having formula available for everyone is important but that one side is screaming about how dare we feed infants in our jails when others have a struggle is cruel, absolutely cruel and part of a bigger plan to demonize and other them. Don't feed the infants but surely feed the hate.

PolitiFact | Providing baby formula for babies held at the border is a legal requirement (https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2022/may/13/greg-abbott/providing-baby-formula-babies-held-border-legal-re/)

The problem of feeding the children/infants may be moot, the problem of illegal entry is not , on the other hand legale immigration to this country is a great asset

[Djean1981]

"...resolved one day after the government found that there was a problem. " ?
Is this a political ad? Seems disingenuous. The shortage has been in the news for weeks. Due to political pressure and bad press, the issue may finally be getting attention, but it's not yet "resolved.".