BABY FORMULA

Baby Formula Shortage A due to limited supplies sign is shown on the baby formula shelf at a grocery store Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) (Rick Bowmer)WASHINGTON — (AP) — The first flights of infant formula from Europe, authorized by President Joe Biden to relieve a deepening U.S. shortage, will arrive in Indiana aboard military aircraft this weekend, the White House announced Friday. The White House says 132 pallets of Nestlé Health Science Alfamino Infant and Alfamino Junior formula will leave Ramstein Air Base in Germany and arrive in the U.S. this weekend. Another 114 pallets of Gerber Good Start Extensive HA formula are expected to arrive in the coming days. While Biden initially requested that the Pentagon use commercially chartered aircraft to move the formula from Europe to the U.S., the White House said no commercial flights were available this weekend.

As the nationwide baby formula shortage continues, families in need of milk for their babies are also struggling.

Baby Formula Shortage Katherine Gibson-Haynes helps distribute infant formula during a baby formula drive Saturday, May 14, 2022, in Houston. Parents seeking baby formula are running into bare supermarket and pharmacy shelves in part because of ongoing supply disruptions and a recent safety recall. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) (David J. Phillip)WASHINGTON — (AP) — The Senate approved a bill Thursday aimed at easing the baby formula shortage for families participating in a government assistance program that accounts for about half of all formula purchased in the United States. “Now, millions of parents will have an easier time finding the baby formula that they need," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said after the bill was passed. The baby formula shortage was caused by the safety-related closure of the country's largest formula manufacturing plant.

(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images/Getty Images)The Biden administration invoked the Defense Production Act to pump up production of baby formula, the White House announced Wednesday. What is the Defense Production Act and why did Biden invoke it? The Defense Production Act was enacted in 1950 and was at first aimed to build up arms supplies following North Korea’s invasion of South Korea. The move gives the president the authority to increase the production of baby formula and the elements used to make baby formula. The Defense Production Act Fund is used to carry out the above activities and is capped at $750 million a year.

Baby Formula Shortage FILE - Infant formula is stacked on a table during a baby formula drive to help with the shortage May 14, 2022, in Houston. FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf faced a bipartisan grilling from House lawmakers over the baby formula issue that has angered American parents and become a political liability for President Joe Biden. The problems are largely tied to Abbott Nutrition's Michigan formula plant, the largest in the U.S., which has been closed since February due to contamination problems. The FDA announced a preliminary agreement with Abbott earlier this week to restart production, pending safety upgrades and certifications. The baby formula shortage is the first major crisis for Califf since returning to the FDA in February.

Baby Formula Shortage FILE - Infant formula is stacked on a table during a baby formula drive to help with the shortage May 14, 2022, in Houston. President Joe Biden has invoked the Defense Production Act to speed production of infant formula and has authorized flights to import supply from overseas. The company shut its Michigan plant in February after FDA inspectors began investigating four bacterial infections in infants who had consumed formula from the plant. The baby formula shortage is the first major crisis for Califf since returning to the FDA in February. On Wednesday evening, House Democrats passed a $28 million spending bill that would boost FDA funding to inspect domestic and international formula producers.

The head of the Food and Drug Administration is facing congressional lawmakers for the first time over the national shortage of baby formula, the Associated Press reported Thursday.

Baby Formula Shortage FILE - Infant formula is stacked on a table during a baby formula drive to help with the shortage May 14, 2022, in Houston. Behind the shortage are several distinct issues, including supply disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the recent shutdown of the largest U.S. formula factory. The company shut its Michigan plant in February after FDA inspectors began investigating four bacterial infections in infants who had consumed formula from the plant. The baby formula shortage is the first major crisis for Califf since returning to the FDA in February. While the baby formula shortage is certain to take center stage, Thursday's hearing was originally scheduled to review the FDA's budget request for next year.

Baby Formula Shortage Infant formula is stacked on a table during a baby formula drive to help with the shortage Saturday, May 14, 2022, in Houston. Parents seeking baby formula are running into bare supermarket and pharmacy shelves in part because of ongoing supply disruptions and a recent safety recall. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) (David J. Phillip)WASHINGTON — (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday invoked the Defense Production Act to speed production of infant formula and authorized flights to import supply from overseas, as he faces mounting political pressure over a domestic shortage caused by the safety-related closure of the country's largest formula manufacturing plant. The Defense Production Act order requires suppliers of formula manufacturers to fulfill orders from those companies before other customers, in an effort to eliminate production bottlenecks. “I know parents across the country are worried about finding enough formula to feed their babies,” Biden said in a video statement released by the White House.

Baby Formula Shortage Infant formula is stacked on a table during a baby formula drive to help with the shortage Saturday, May 14, 2022, in Houston. Parents seeking baby formula are running into bare supermarket and pharmacy shelves in part because of ongoing supply disruptions and a recent safety recall. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) (David J. Phillip)WASHINGTON — (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday invoked the Defense Production Act to speed production of infant formula and authorized flights to import supply from overseas, as he faces mounting political pressure over a domestic shortage caused by the safety-related closure of the country's largest formula manufacturing plant. The Defense Production Act order requires suppliers of formula manufacturers to fulfill those orders before other customers. After getting the FDA’s OK, Abbott said it will take eight to ten weeks before new products begin arriving in stores.

Baby Formula Shortage-Breastfeeding This March 2022 photo provided by Morgan Fabry shows her with her daughter in Chicago. Some U.S. moms looking for baby formula that is in short supply are dealing with another layer of stress - people asking why they don't just breastfeed. “I’m getting triggered by people who say, ‘Oh, just breastfeed.’"Corryn Chini avoided the baby formula aisle during her grocery shopping trip in Dayton, Ohio this week. “There’s even greater barriers in underserved areas, women working for hourly wages in low-paying jobs. Before her twins arrived five weeks early, Alexandra Clark of Sawyer, Michigan, decided she would breastfeed and supplement with formula.

Baby Formula Shortage An employee walks near empty shelves where baby formula would normally be located at a CVS in New Orleans on Monday, May 16, 2022. President Joe Biden's administration has announced new steps to ease the national shortage of baby formula, including allowing more imports from overseas. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP) (Chris Granger)WASHINGTON — (AP) — House Democrats unveiled a $28 million emergency spending bill Tuesday to address the shortage of infant formula in the United States. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the Democratic chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said the bill would help the Food and Drug Administration take important steps to restore the formula supply in a safe and secure manner. Lawmakers are expected to focus much of the discussion on the formula shortage.

President Joe Biden's administration has announced new steps to ease the national shortage of baby formula, including allowing more imports from overseas.

But GOP leaders landed on an issue this week that it hopes could prove even more potent: tying President Joe Biden to a shortage in baby formula. Biden insisted there's “nothing more urgent we're working on” than addressing the shortage. The full-court press by Republicans included linking the formula shortage with the rising number of migrants coming into the U.S. — one of the biggest issues they have sought to lay at the feet of an unpopular president. In Washington, lawmakers are responding to the shortage by scheduling hearings and demanding information from the FDA and formula makers as part of sweeping investigations. Abbott is one of only a handful of companies that produce the vast majority of the U.S. formula supply, so their recall wiped out a large segment of the market.

An Orlando pediatrician is answering all the questions parents impacted by the national baby formula shortage have.

Baby Formula Shortage A sign telling consumers of limits on the purchase of baby formula hangs on the edge of an empty shelf for the product in a King Soopers grocery store, Wednesday, May 11, 2022, in southeast Denver. Parents across the country are struggling to find baby formula in stock in stores because of supply chain disruptions combined with a massive safety recall. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) (David Zalubowski)WASHINGTON — (AP) — A baby formula shortage in the United States is driving parents to swap, sell and offer leftover supplies to each other, while President Joe Biden plans to speak with manufacturers and retailers Thursday about the plight facing families. The shortage is weighing particularly on lower-income families after the recall by formula maker Abbott stemming from contamination concerns. A safety recall compounded the challenges regarding baby formula.

Baby Formula Shortage A sign is posted at a CVS pharmacy indicating a shortage in the availability of baby food Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. Parents in much of the U.S. are scrambling to find baby formula after a combination of supply disruptions and safety recalls have swept many of the leading brands from store shelves. Abbott is one of only a handful of companies that produce the vast majority of the U.S. formula supply, so their recall wiped out a large segment of the market. WHAT IS IN BABY FORMULA? Health professionals recommend exclusively breastfeeding babies until they are 6 months old. But federal figures show that only 1 in 4 are relying solely on breast milk at that age.

Many parents are hunting for infant formula after a combination of short- and long-term problems hit the biggest U.S. brands.

Baby Formula Shortage A sign telling consumers of limits on the purchase of baby formula hangs on the edge of an empty shelf for the product in a King Soopers grocery store, Wednesday, May 11, 2022, in southeast Denver. Parents across the country are struggling to find baby formula in stock in stores because of supply chain disruptions combined with a massive safety recall. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) (David Zalubowski)WASHINGTON — (AP) — President Joe Biden plans to speak with baby formula manufacturers and retailers Thursday about the plight of families struggling to find formula due to supply chain disruptions and a safety recall. White House assistant press secretary Kevin Munoz said on Twitter that the administration will also announce “additional actions” to address the formula shortage. A safety recall compounded the challenges regarding baby formula.

Baby Formula Is Latest Product To Suffer Shortages Due Pandemic Induced Supply Chain Issues CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JANUARY 13: Baby formula is offered for sale at a big box store on January 13, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. Baby formula has been is short supply in many stores around the country for several months. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images/Getty Images)A House of Representatives panel will meet this month to address the growing shortage of infant formula, the House Energy and Commerce Committee announced Wednesday. The shortages began after infant formula Similac was recalled in February after complaints of bacterial infections in children who had consumed it. About 40% of baby formula products are out of stock nationwide at the end of April, according to Datasembly, a retail tracking group.

Through Facebook groups, Central Florida mothers within their communities are coming together as they face these uncertain times, posting pictures of formula cans and bottles they have leftover for those moms in need.

The nationwide shortage of baby formula continues to get worse.

What happened at the Abbott nutrition plant in Sturgis, Michigan?

Baby Formula Recall FILE - Abbott Laboratories manufacturing plant is shown in Sturgis, Mich., Sept. 23, 2010. Federal safety inspectors say baby formula maker Abbott failed to maintain sanitary conditions at the Michigan manufacturing plant recently linked to a cluster of infant illnesses. FDA inspectors have been on-site inspecting the Sturgis facility since late January 2022. The company says it continues to produce baby formula at its other plants in the U.S. and overseas. In addition to its plant inspectors, the FDA has scientists at its Washington headquarters who specialize in food outbreaks linked to baby food and formulas.

Abbott Nutrition is expanding its recall of baby formula to include some lots of the Similac PM 60/40 powdered instant formula.