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WASHINGTON — President Biden has asked retailers and manufacturers, including Walmart, Target, Reckitt and Gerber, to do more to help families get infant formula.
Biden this month talked with company executives about Reckitt and Gerber’s efforts to increase production to make up for lost supply from Abbott Nutrition, and asked them for other ways the administration can help out.
The conversation with Walmart and Target focused on how they are working to stock shelves, including in rural areas, and any regional disparities they are seeing. And the president asked what more his team can do to help get more product to communities most affected. He also announced additional steps to get formula onto store shelves as quickly as possible without compromising safety.
These steps include cutting red tape to by urging states to provide consumers flexibility on the types of formula they can buy with WIC dollars; calling on the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to crack down on price gouging or unfair market practices, like third-party sellers reselling formula at steep prices; and boosting the supply of formula through increased imports.
The shortage is expected to drag on for months as the government and retailers tackle a decline in production dating to February. That’s when Abbott, the nation’s largest manufacturer of formula, had to shut down its plant in Sturgis, Mich., because of worries over bacterial contamination. The Food and Drug Administration advised against purchasing three types of formula from the plant, and Abbott initiated a voluntary recall of certain products.
Abbott, which produces Similac formula, said it is importing products from its factory in Ireland as it seeks to have the FDA allow it to restart the Michigan plant. But the company said it would take weeks for the imports to reach U.S. stores.
FDA commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said, “We recognize that many consumers have been unable to access infant formula and critical medical foods they are accustomed to using and are frustrated by their inability to do so. We are doing everything in our power to ensure there is adequate product available where and when they need it. Ensuring the availability of safe, sole-source nutrition products like infant formula is of the utmost importance to the FDA. Our teams have been working tirelessly to address and alleviate supply issues and will continue doing everything within our authority to ensure the production of safe infant formula products.”
Prior to the Abbott recall, the agency was working to address supply chain issues associated with the pandemic, including those impacting formula. The FDA is taking several actions to help increase the supply of formula, and it said other manufacturers are operating at or above capacity to meet demand. Notably, more infant formula was purchased in the month of April than in the month prior to the recall, it said.
The agency established an Incident Management Group to coordinate longer-term activities. The group is focused on helping to ensure that formula production can safely resume at the Michigan plant, and working with other major manufacturers to increase supply, among other activities.
