The Federal Trade Commission launched an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/antitrust" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inquiry</a> on Wednesday into the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/baby-formula" target="_blank" rel="noopener">baby formula</a> shortages which have <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/supply-chain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">harmed</a> infants and strained their parents over the past several months.
The agency, which centers on consumer protection and the enforcement of antitrust laws, issued a <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/Baby%20Formula%20RFI_final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">call</a> for public comments about factors that may have led to the shortages that started at the beginning of last year after a series of safety incidents. Officials invited families who have experienced “fraud, deception, or scams when attempting to purchase infant formula,” as well as retailers who have seen “extremely large purchases of infant formula in excess of a single family’s need,” to submit their insights.
&#8220;We have been monitoring and will continue to monitor the ongoing infant formula shortage, which is causing enormous anxiety, fear, and financial burden for American families,&#8221; FTC Chair Lina Khan said in a <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/05/federal-trade-commission-launches-inquiry-infant-formula-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. &#8220;The FTC is launching a public inquiry to identify the factors that contributed to the shortage or hampered our ability to respond to it. Learning from this experience can help determine how we can minimize the risk of similar shortages in the markets for other life-sustaining products.&#8221;
The move from the FTC comes after Abbott Nutrition temporarily shuttered a baby formula facility in Sturgis, Michigan, last year and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abbott-nutrition-reopens-baby-formula-plant-at-center-of-nationwide-shortage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">initiated</a> a voluntary recall of several products over concerns about bacterial contamination, a move which came after the FDA found standing water, roof leaks, bacteria growth, and inadequate hygiene in the facility. The sudden absence of EleCare, a formula for children who are unable to digest other products, from the marketplace was especially worrisome to parents and government officials.
Reckitt, another consumer goods company, introduced another nationwide recall of baby formula earlier this year and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/baby-formula-recalled-nationwide-over-possible-bacterial-contamination" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> that two batches of ProSobee Simply Plant-Based Infant Formula may have been contaminated with a species of bacteria possibly deadly to infants.
The inquiry from the FTC will also examine the impact of FDA regulations on the “number of infant formula suppliers, capital investment, and total manufacturing capacity” of the product. The agency asked public commenters to report “regulatory barriers that have prevented companies located outside the United States from entering the infant formula market.”
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The White House previously sought to alleviate the shortage with “Operation Fly Formula,” an initiative through which the military imported baby formula from European nations. Some Democratic officials meanwhile <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-yorks-democratic-ag-goes-after-price-gouging-amid-formula-shortage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contended</a> that producers were engaged in price gouging.
Worldwide lockdowns and public health mandates fostered unpredictable supply chain shocks over the past three years, contributing to inflation in many countries. Prices for baby food and formula rose nearly 9% year-over-year as of last month, according to <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cpi.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and saw costs increase more than 4% on a month-to-month basis.
Robert Ford, chief executive of Abbott Nutrition, previously apologized for the shortages in an opinion <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/baby-formula-ceo-has-a-message-for-parents-hit-by-nationwide-shortage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">piece</a>, admitting that his firm “fell short” of expectations but insisting that the shutdown was necessary. “We believe our voluntary recall was the right thing to do,” he wrote. “We will not take risks when it comes to the health of children. The data collected during the investigation, genetic sequencing, retained product samples and available product from the four complaints did not find any connection between our products and the four reported illnesses in children.”

Baby Formula Display

‘Anxiety, Fear, And Financial Burden’: Agency Launches Investigation Into Baby Formula Shortages

FTC Launches Investigation Into Baby Formula Shortages

Antitrust

babies

baby formula

Economy

Supply Chain

Consumer goods company Reckitt announced a recall of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/baby-formula" target="_blank" rel="noopener">baby formula</a> products across the United States on Sunday due to possible bacterial contamination.
The company said two batches of ProSobee Simply Plant-Based Infant Formula may have been cross-contaminated with Cronobacter sakazakii, a species often linked to powdered formulas and possibly deadly to infants, according to a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/cronobacter/infection-and-infants.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the CDC. Reckitt will therefore recall 145,000 cans that were manufactured between August 2022 and September 2022 and then distributed throughout the United States.
“We are committed to the highest level of quality and safety and it is for this reason that we have taken this extraordinary measure,” Reckitt said in a <a href="https://www.reckitt.com/us/newsroom/latest-news/news/2023/february/reckitt-recalls-two-batches-of-prosobee-12-9-oz-simply-plant-based-infant-formula-because-of-possible-health-risk/#:~:text=Recalled" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “After a thorough investigation, we have identified the root cause, which was linked to a material from a third party. We have taken all appropriate corrective actions, including no longer sourcing this material from the supplier. The health and safety of infants is our highest priority.”
The recall comes roughly one year after Abbott Nutrition temporarily <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/baby-formula-ceo-has-a-message-for-parents-hit-by-nationwide-shortage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shuttered</a> a baby formula facility in Sturgis, Michigan, and initiated a voluntary recall of several products. The absence of EleCare, a formula for children who are unable to digest other products, was especially worrisome to parents and government officials. The White House tried to alleviate the shortage with “Operation Fly Formula,” through which the military imported baby formula from Europe.
The recall was launched after the FDA found standing water, roof leaks, bacteria growths, and inadequate hygiene in the Abbott facility, which was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abbott-nutrition-reopens-baby-formula-plant-at-center-of-nationwide-shortage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">closed</a> between February 2022 and June 2022. Several babies across the country had reportedly been impacted by bacterial infections.
“We believe our voluntary recall was the right thing to do,” Abbott Nutrition CEO Rober Ford said, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/baby-formula-ceo-has-a-message-for-parents-hit-by-nationwide-shortage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per</a> The Washington Post. “We will not take risks when it comes to the health of children. The data collected during the investigation, genetic sequencing, retained product samples and available product from the four complaints did not find any connection between our products and the four reported illnesses in children. However, the FDA’s investigation did discover a bacteria in our plant that we will not tolerate.”
Baby formula shortages reached their zenith in July 2022, when out-of-stock rates surpassed 31%, according to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/12/04/baby-formula-shortages-persist-after-biden-fixes/10795557002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from market research firm IRI shared with USA Today. Supply chain bottlenecks nevertheless continued to impact availability of the products: out-of-stock rates still reached 13% in November 2022.
Lockdowns and public health mandates imposed by many governments across the world fostered unpredictable supply chain shocks, contributing to inflation in many countries. Prices for baby formula increased 15% between July 2021 and July 2022, according to <a href="https://www.bls.gov/blog/2023/looking-at-recent-price-increases-for-baby-food.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but inflation in the product category remained as high as 10.7% between December 2021 and December 2022.
Democratic lawmakers and officials assert that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-yorks-democratic-ag-goes-after-price-gouging-amid-formula-shortage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">corporate greed</a> is responsible for the inflationary pressures which have grappled with the economy over the past two years. New York Attorney General Letitia James warned baby formula companies to “stop overcharging” for the scarce products at the height of the crisis. “It’s unconscionable that some retailers are taking advantage of the national baby formula shortage while parents are struggling to find food for their children,” she said in a <a href="https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2022/attorney-general-james-issues-warnings-more-30-retailers-stop-overcharging-baby" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>.

Empty shelves, baby formula shortage, Target, Queens, New York

Baby Formula Recalled Nationwide Over Possible Bacterial Contamination

Baby Formula Company Recalls Product Nationwide Over Possible Bacterial Contamination

baby formula shortage

Health

Inflation

U.S.

The nationwide <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/baby-formula">baby formula</a> shortage is far from over, with nearly one-third of all formula in the U.S. still not stocked, according to a report.
The <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11063829/Baby-Formula-crisis-starts-getting-WORSE-parents-accuse-Biden-forgetting-them.html">Daily Mail</a> reported Saturday that the country is still experiencing a sizeable shortage of formula nationwide. The outlet reported a 30% out-of-stock rate nationwide, citing data from the week ending July 24. That number was higher than in previous weeks, indicating that the shortage may have worsened this month.
&#8220;The nation reported a 30 percent out-of-stock rate on Friday, based on data from the week ended July 24,&#8221; the Daily Mail reported Saturday. &#8220;The week prior, ending July 17, the out-of-stock rate was 32 percent.&#8221;
“Families in Arizona and Wyoming have been hardest hit by the shortage with out-of-stock rates at 44 percent and 42 percent, respectively,&#8221; the outlet added. A <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/baby-formula-remains-scarce-despite-efforts-to-boost-supply">PBS NewsHour</a> report Thursday noted that the latest data show that stock levels are the lowest since the formula crisis began in February.
The numbers reported by the Daily Mail are also an increase from numbers earlier this month. According to market research firm IRI, as reported by the <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/07/18/baby-formula-shortage-getting-worse-despite-biden-airlifts/">New York Post</a> last week, the nationwide out-of-stock rate for baby formula stood at 28.3% for the week ending July 10. That number was a slight decline from the week ending July 3, when the out-of-stock rate stood at 29.5%. But both of those figures were higher than the 23.7% out-of-stock rate reported for the week ending May 22, when the shortage dominated national headlines, the Post reported.
The normal out-of-stock rate from before the COVID-19 pandemic was between just 5-7%, the Post noted.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration is continuing to import formula from Europe in an effort to make up the supply gap. The Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that five more flights of baby formula were scheduled for the week of July 18, bringing the equivalent of 6.8 million bottles of formula to the United States.
&#8220;By July 24, Operation Fly Formula flights will have completed 53 flights and imported more than 61 million 8-ounce bottle equivalents of infant formula,&#8221; HHS said in a <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2022/07/18/five-operation-fly-formula-flights-scheduled-week-of-july-18.html">statement</a>. The latest flights, which were scheduled for July 21 and 22, included more than 70,000 pounds of Nestlé Health Science Alfamino Infant and Alfamino Junior formula, the equivalent of more than 802,000 8-ounce bottles of formula, from Switzerland, as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-flying-baby-formula-in-from-switzerland-as-crisis-continues">The Daily Wire</a> reported.
French formula maker <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/danone-sends-13-million-cans-aptamil-formula-us-amid-shortage-2022-07-27/">Danone</a> also said this week that it had already shipped 750,000 cans of its Aptamil brand of formula to the U.S., and would be sending another 550,000 cans of formula from New Zealand, which was expected to arrive in August, Reuters reported. Danone said it was also sending another 500,000 cans of its specialty formula, Neocate.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., the Abbott formula plant at the center of the shortage is finally re-opened, though supplies are still expected to be strained until next month. The Abbott plant in Sturgis, Michigan, initially re-opened on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abbott-nutrition-reopens-baby-formula-plant-at-center-of-nationwide-shortage">June 4</a> in cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration, after being closed for months as part of a voluntary recall of several of its specialty formulas. But just days later, severe thunderstorms and heavy rains caused flooding in the area of the plant, forcing it to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/extreme-weather-leads-baby-formula-plant-to-close-after-just-reopening">close once again</a>. The plant re-opened on <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/07/10/1110780292/abbott-reopens-michigan-baby-formula-plant-flooding">July 10</a>.

A nearly empty baby formula display shelf is seen at a

Baby Formula Shortage Far From Over, 30% Of Formula Still Out Of Stock: Report

Biden Administration

The Daily Mail

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/baby-formula">baby formula</a> plant in Sturgis, Michigan, closed once again amid “severe thunderstorms and heavy rains.”
The low supply of baby formula had been worsening for months, leading to multiple <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/17/us/baby-formula-shortage-tennessee-hospitalized.html">hospitalized</a> babies and elevated prices for parents. Abbott Nutrition, which voluntarily <a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/abbott-voluntarily-expands-recall-powder-formulas-manufactured-one-plant">recalled</a> several baby formula products from the Michigan plant in February at the recommendation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abbott-nutrition-reopens-baby-formula-plant-at-center-of-nationwide-shortage">resumed production</a> earlier this month and said that new inventory would hit shelves by June 20. Yet, the company revealed on Wednesday that production has again been halted.
“Severe thunderstorms and heavy rains came through southwestern Michigan on Monday evening, resulting in high winds, hail, power outages and flood damage throughout the area,” Abbott said in a <a href="https://www.abbott.com/corpnewsroom/nutrition-health-and-wellness/abbott-update-on-powder-formula-recall.html">statement</a>. “These torrential storms produced significant rainfall in a short period of time — overwhelming the city’s stormwater system… and resulting in flooding in parts of the city, including areas of our plant.”
Abbott has therefore stopped production of EleCare — intended for children unable to digest other types of formula — while it evaluates damage and resanitizes the plant. “We have informed FDA and will conduct comprehensive testing in conjunction with the independent third party to ensure the plant is safe to resume production,” the company added. “This will likely delay production and distribution of new product for a few weeks.”
FDA Commissioner Robert Califf had told members of the Senate last month that he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fda-announces-when-the-baby-formula-shortage-will-likely-end">expects</a> a “gradual improvement up to probably somewhere around two months until the shelves are replete again.” During its evaluation of the Michigan plant, the FDA found standing water, roof leaks, bacteria growths, and inadequate hygiene. “We knew that ceasing plant operations would create supply problems but we had no choice given the insanitary conditions,” Califf told lawmakers.
The baby formula shortage worsened this year but began much earlier due to supply chain fallout from COVID-19 and the lockdown-induced recession.
Abbott CEO Robert Ford apologized to the nation in a recent <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/05/21/abbott-ceo-robert-ford-formula-elevil/">Washington Post</a> opinion piece, telling parents “the past few months have distressed us as they have you.”
“We believe our voluntary recall was the right thing to do,” Ford wrote. “We will not take risks when it comes to the health of children. The data collected during the investigation, genetic sequencing, retained product samples and available product from the four complaints did not find any connection between our products and the four reported illnesses in children. However, the FDA’s investigation did discover a bacteria in our plant that we will not tolerate. I have high expectations of this company, and we fell short of them.”
President Joe Biden tried to address the baby formula shortage with “Operation Fly Formula,” through which the military is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-slammed-for-bragging-about-flying-baby-formula-in-from-europe-turned-us-into-3rd-world-nation">importing the product from Europe</a>.
“Folks, I’m excited to tell you that the first flight from Operation Fly Formula is loaded up with more than 70,000 pounds of infant formula and about to land in Indiana,” Biden announced. “Our team is working around the clock to get safe formula to everyone who needs it.”
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-spox-flips-through-binder-for-20-seconds-cant-find-anything-new-on-baby-formula">said</a> on Monday that the Biden administration had “nothing new” to add on the baby formula shortage.

Extreme Weather Leads Baby Formula Plant To Close After Just Reopening

Baby Formula Plant Shuts Down Once Again Due To Severe Weather

Joe Biden

Michigan

Weather

Press Secretary <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/is-he-going-to-bring-the-key-players-doocy-asks-why-biden-is-hitting-the-beach-if-gun-violence-is-an-emergency/">Karine Jean-Pierre</a> had &#8220;nothing new&#8221; to add on the ongoing <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/psaki-claims-white-house-is-on-top-of-baby-formula-shortage-but-hoarding-is-a-enormous-problem/">baby formula shortage</a> at Monday&#8217;s White House press briefing, despite a 20-second pause while she searched her binder for an answer on the topic.
&#8220;So, I have two questions on baby formula,&#8221; one reporter began. &#8220;So first, what is the White House — what is the latest update the White House has received on the current infant formula situation across the country?&#8221;
&#8220;Yeah, let me see if I have anything new for you on that,&#8221; Jean-Pierre replied as she began thumbing through the binder on the lectern in front of her.
WATCH:
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Karine Jean-Pierre has NO UPDATE on the baby formula shortage, despite recognizing that &quot;it&#39;s been a couple of days since we&#39;ve been asked that question.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/US0LOWDZAl">pic.twitter.com/US0LOWDZAl</a>
&mdash; Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1536445640905043969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I think it&#8217;s been a couple of days since we have asked — been asked that question,&#8221; <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/does-biden-take-any-responsibility-peter-doocy-grills-karine-jean-pierre-on-inflation/">Jean-Pierre</a> continued to flip through the pages of her binder as she spoke.
She paused then to read one of the pages, and after a few more seconds had passed, she said, &#8220;Okay, I don&#8217;t have anything new, I know we made some announcements last week, I just don&#8217;t have them in front of me.&#8221;
All told, some 20 seconds elapsed between the time the question was asked and the time that Jean-Pierre arrived at her conclusion: &#8220;I don&#8217;t have anything new.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Karine Jean-Pierre is asked if there are any updates on the baby formula shortage.
She spends almost 20 seconds flipping through her binder before saying she has no update on it. <a href="https://t.co/5a9gLetxdM">pic.twitter.com/5a9gLetxdM</a>
&mdash; Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1536446091381690373?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Critics immediately took aim at both Jean-Pierre and the Biden administration, arguing that neither seemed prepared to handle the situation at hand.
&#8220;&#8216;Nothing new&#8217; sums up this Administration’s endless string of crises,&#8221; former Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) <a href="https://twitter.com/KLoeffler/status/1536766165388623873">responded</a> via Twitter.
Media commentator Mitch Roschelle <a href="https://twitter.com/Mitch_Roschelle/status/1536738710364073986">added</a>, &#8220;Attention Young People: Being Unprepared isn’t a good look. Preparation = Success.&#8221;
&#8220;This needs &#8216;Jeopardy&#8217; Theme music,&#8221; National Review&#8217;s Dan McLaughlin <a href="https://twitter.com/baseballcrank/status/1536711558188900355">tweeted</a>.
&#8220;I’m starting to think she wasn’t hired because she’s qualified,&#8221; radio host Dr. Sebastian Gorka <a href="https://twitter.com/SebGorka/status/1536702489231228940">added</a>.
Beverly Hallberg <a href="https://twitter.com/BeverlyHallberg/status/1536699003009650688">tweeted</a>, &#8220;It&#8217;s truly astonishing that she doesn&#8217;t have an answer ready to go, from memory, on the baby formula shortage.&#8221;
&#8220;While the White House flips through notes, American moms and dads have been asking themselves how they are going to find formula to feed their babies each and every day. My FORMULA Act would help ease the baby formula crisis. We should pass it immediately,&#8221; Senator Mike Lee <a href="https://twitter.com/SenMikeLee/status/1536766102939762689">suggested</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://t.co/N5yEE52zwl">https://t.co/N5yEE52zwl</a> <a href="https://t.co/pMwZm5SQe9">pic.twitter.com/pMwZm5SQe9</a>
&mdash; Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) <a href="https://twitter.com/redsteeze/status/1536471294325051392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Your constant reminder that Joe Biden&#8217;s press secretaries are a bigger insult to the press than anything Donald Trump ever said to them,&#8221; John Hayward <a href="https://twitter.com/Doc_0/status/1536687116305973249">concluded</a>.

Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Holds Daily White House Briefing

White House Spox Flips Through Binder For 20 Seconds, Can’t Find ‘Anything New’ On Baby Formula

Karine Jean-Pierre Flips Through Binder For 20 Seconds, Can't Find 'Anything New' On Baby Formula

Karine Jean-Pierre

Abbott Nutrition is reopening its baby formula manufacturing facility in Sturgis, Michigan, after it was at the center of national attention as part of the baby formula shortage.
In a press release Saturday, Abbott Nutrition announced that it would open its plant in accordance with the provisions of a consent agreement reached by the company and the Food and Drug Administration. The company previously announced they would be reopening the facility <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fda-announces-when-the-baby-formula-shortage-will-likely-end">last week</a>. The facility was shut down in February.
&#8220;Abbott is restarting infant formula production at its Sturgis, Mich., facility today after meeting initial requirements agreed to with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as part of the consent decree entered into on May 16,&#8221; the company said in its <a href="https://www.abbott.com/corpnewsroom/nutrition-health-and-wellness/abbott-update-on-powder-formula-recall.html">press release</a>. &#8220;Abbott is starting production of EleCare and other specialty and metabolic formulas, with initial EleCare product release to consumers beginning on or about June 20. We&#8217;re also working hard to fulfill the steps necessary to restart production of Similac and other formulas and will do so as soon as we can. We understand the urgent need for formula and our top priority is getting high-quality, safe formula into the hands of families across America. We will ramp production as quickly as we can while meeting all requirements. We&#8217;re committed to safety and quality and will do everything we can to re-earn the trust parents, caregivers and health care providers have placed in us for 130 years.&#8221;
Abbott closed the Sturgis facility and initiated a voluntary recall of three types on infant formula produced there after several babies who consumed formula were reported to have contracted a rare bacterial infection. According to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-government-and-politics-1e54ff345ab2a4be93f2e24d991e4450">Associated Press</a>, the FDA conducted an investigation and found traces of the cronobacter bacteria on several surfaces in the facility. But the strains found in the plant were not in areas where the formula was made, and did not match the strains found in samples of the contaminated formula. The AP noted, citing information from the CDC, that cronobacter is a naturally occurring environmental bacteria. Infections are rare, but can be fatal in babies, causing fever, blood infections, and brain swelling. Nearly all previous outbreaks were linked to baby formula, since it is not normally exposed to high temperatures used to kill germs in other foods. But the bacteria can also get into baby formula if a dirty scoop is used, or if it is mixed with water contaminated with it.
The Abbott facility was at the center of national attention because it produced several types of specialty formula for infants with allergies, as well as metabolic and digestive problems, but the formula shortage had been an issue long before that. The shortage originated during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the supply chain was broken by worker shortages and manufacturing plant shutdowns.
Health and Human Services Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-biden-official-claims-administration-knew-about-baby-formula-shortage-last-year">Xavier Becerra</a> told CNN that the Biden administration had been aware of the shortage since last year, as The Daily Wire reported. Biden himself told reporters at a press conference earlier this week that he had been aware of the shortage since <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-says-he-became-aware-of-baby-formula-shortage-in-early-april">early April</a>, but the crisis was not publicly addressed by the White House until May 13.

Abbott Plant in Michigan

Abbott Nutrition Reopens Baby Formula Plant At Center Of Nationwide Shortage

Recall

Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James called on baby formula retailers to “stop overcharging” for the scarce product Friday.
The low supply of baby formula has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fda-announces-when-the-baby-formula-shortage-will-likely-end">worsening for months</a>, leading to multiple hospitalizations among children and elevated prices for parents.
Though basic principles of supply and demand would imply that low availability would increase prices, James pinned the high costs on “price gouging” from retailers.
“It’s unconscionable that some retailers are taking advantage of the national baby formula shortage while parents are struggling to find food for their children,” she said in a <a href="https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2022/attorney-general-james-issues-warnings-more-30-retailers-stop-overcharging-baby">press release</a>. “Amid this crisis, families already have enough to worry about and should not have to worry about being price gouged. We are warning all retailers that New York will not tolerate price gouging of baby formula, and I encourage anyone who sees this to continue reporting it to my office.”
The release added that New York’s price gouging laws prohibit the practice for consumers, small businesses, and government agencies — though it clarified that “it is not price gouging for retailers to limit the amount of formula they sell to individual consumers.”
Indeed, the statement’s admission points to the reality that <a href="https://fee.org/articles/price-controls-and-shortages/">price controls inevitably lead to shortages</a>. If sellers are unable to toggle prices in response to changing demand, they will have no choice but to force competition in other ways — such as waiting in lines or artificially restricting quantities.
Nevertheless, Democrats have frequently pounded the price control drum amid the various economic bottlenecks of the past year.
Ahead of Thanksgiving, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dismissing-inflation-concerns-warren-asks-the-doj-to-probe-poultry-companies-for-corporate-greed-in-raising-turkey-prices">blamed meat and poultry producers</a> of “price fixing,” “excessive consolidation,” and “plain-old corporate greed” as turkey prices rose — and called for the Department of Justice to intervene.
“Lack of competition in the poultry industry is allowing these massive companies to squeeze both American consumers and farmers to fuel record corporate profits and payouts to shareholders,” she argued. “When companies have monopoly power as massive suppliers, they can jack up prices of the goods they sell.”
Warren, however, dismissed the possibility that firms’ price increases are related to “inflationary costs” — even as several reports <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/thanksgiving-just-got-more-expensive">indicated</a> that the high price of corn feed was causing a modest decline in turkey production.
More recently, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) touted the “Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act” — which would allow President Joe Biden to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pelosi-pushes-democratic-bill-that-would-give-biden-power-to-control-gas-prices">control gas prices</a> under the guise of an “energy emergency.”
“Again and again, we see gas prices rise, sometimes when the cost of oil drops, oil prices drop, and price gouging needs to be stopped,” Pelosi said. “This is a major exploitation of the consumer because this is a product that the consumer must have.”
Democrats have continued to press short-term, demand-side solutions to rising gas prices — such as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nancy-pelosi-shoots-down-gas-tax-holiday-suggests-rebates-and-gas-cards-instead">rebate programs and gas cards</a>. The Biden administration has also called for oil companies to increase supply — even as officials <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/while-gas-hits-record-high-biden-administration-cancels-enormous-alaska-oil-and-gas-lease-sale">canceled</a> an enormous oil and gas lease sale in Alaska and two sales under consideration in the Gulf of Mexico.
During testimony to the Senate this week, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said that he expects a “gradual improvement up to probably somewhere around two months” before baby formula fully returns to shelves.

New York Attorney General Letitia James Makes Major Announcement

New York’s Democratic AG Goes After ‘Price Gouging’ Amid Formula Shortage

New York's Democratic AG Goes After 'Price Gouging' Amid Formula Shortage

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.
The low supply of baby formula has been worsening for months, leading to multiple hospitalizations among children and elevated prices for parents. In testimony to the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Califf said that he expects a “gradual improvement up to probably somewhere around two months until the shelves are replete again,” according to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/26/baby-formula-fda-commissioner-robert-califf-expects-shortage-to-end-within-two-months.html">CNBC</a>.
Abbott Nutrition — which initiated a recall of several baby formula products from its Sturgis, Michigan, plant earlier this year — announced on Tuesday that it would restart work at the facility on June 4, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/24/health/formula-shortage/index.html">CNN</a> reported. Consumers will have access to batches of new formula around June 20.
The FDA found standing water, roof leaks, bacteria growths, and inadequate hygiene in Abbott’s plant. “We knew that ceasing plant operations would create supply problems but we had no choice given the insanitary conditions,” Califf told lawmakers.
Abbott CEO Robert Ford apologized on Saturday in a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/05/21/abbott-ceo-robert-ford-formula-elevil/">Washington Post</a> opinion piece, telling the nation that “the past few months have distressed us as they have you.”
“And so I want to say: We’re sorry to every family we’ve let down since our voluntary recall exacerbated our nation’s baby formula shortage,” he wrote.
“We believe our voluntary recall was the right thing to do,” Ford continued. “We will not take risks when it comes to the health of children. The data collected during the investigation, genetic sequencing, retained product samples and available product from the four complaints did not find any connection between our products and the four reported illnesses in children. However, the FDA’s investigation did discover a bacteria in our plant that we will not tolerate. I have high expectations of this company, and we fell short of them.”
Ford especially mourned the shortage of EleCare — a formula for children who are unable to digest other products — and vowed to prioritize its production once manufacturing resumes. In the meantime, Abbott launched a $5 million fund to aid parents whose children have been hospitalized due to the shortage.
“I will not mince words — this is tragic and heartbreaking, and it is consuming my thoughts and those of my colleagues,” Ford added.
According to a report released by <a href="https://datasembly.com/news/out-of-stock-rate-in-april-2022/">Datasembly</a> last month, the out-of-stock rate for baby formula surged to 23% by January and 31% by April.
“Inflation, supply chain shortages, and product recalls have brought an unprecedented amount of volatility for baby formula,” Datasembly CEO Ben Reich said in the report. “We expect to continue to see the baby formula category being dramatically affected by these conditions.”
President Biden is attempting to resolve the baby formula shortage with “Operation Fly Formula,” through which the military is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-slammed-for-bragging-about-flying-baby-formula-in-from-europe-turned-us-into-3rd-world-nation">importing the product from Europe</a>.
“Folks, I’m excited to tell you that the first flight from Operation Fly Formula is loaded up with more than 70,000 pounds of infant formula and about to land in Indiana,” Biden tweeted on Sunday. “Our team is working around the clock to get safe formula to everyone who needs it.”
The shipment of baby formula that arrived on Sunday will be distributed across the country. The formula in the initial load is bound for hospitals, doctors, home health care facilities, and pharmacies in regions with the most serious needs.

FDA Announces When The Baby Formula Shortage Will Likely End

Baby Formula Shortage Won't End Until Later This Summer, FDA Chief Announces

Abbott Nutrition CEO Robert Ford apologized on Saturday for the nationwide baby formula shortage, writing that his firm is “sorry” for the crisis and vowing to prioritize its most vital products.
The low supply of baby formula has been worsening for months. The White House’s <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/12/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-additional-steps-to-address-infant-formula-shortage/">website</a> explains that on February 17, Abbott Nutrition “initiated a voluntary recall of several lines of powdered formula” from its facility in Sturgis, Michigan, amid concerns over bacterial contamination. Federal agencies have been working “diligently over the last few months to address the shortfall in infant formula production” while the plant remains shuttered, according to the White House.
Ford said in a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/05/21/abbott-ceo-robert-ford-formula-elevil/">Washington Post</a> opinion piece that his firm takes “great pride in manufacturing nutrition and formula to feed America’s infants, including our most vulnerable” — but recognized that “the past few months have distressed us as they have you.”
“And so I want to say: We’re sorry to every family we’ve let down since our voluntary recall exacerbated our nation’s baby formula shortage,” he wrote.
“We believe our voluntary recall was the right thing to do,” Ford continued. “We will not take risks when it comes to the health of children. The data collected during the investigation, genetic sequencing, retained product samples and available product from the four complaints did not find any connection between our products and the four reported illnesses in children. However, the FDA’s investigation did discover a bacteria in our plant that we will not tolerate. I have high expectations of this company, and we fell short of them.”
Ford especially mourned the shortage of EleCare — a formula for children who are unable to digest other products — and vowed to prioritize its production once manufacturing resumes. In the meantime, Abbott launched a $5 million fund to aid parents whose children have been hospitalized due to the shortage.
“I will not mince words — this is tragic and heartbreaking, and it is consuming my thoughts and those of my colleagues,” Ford added.
President Biden is attempting to resolve the baby formula shortage with “Operation Fly Formula,” through which the military is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-slammed-for-bragging-about-flying-baby-formula-in-from-europe-turned-us-into-3rd-world-nation">importing the product from Europe</a>.
“Folks, I’m excited to tell you that the first flight from Operation Fly Formula is loaded up with more than 70,000 pounds of infant formula and about to land in Indiana,” Biden tweeted on Sunday. “Our team is working around the clock to get safe formula to everyone who needs it.”
The shipment of baby formula that arrived on Sunday will be distributed across the country, a Biden administration official told CNN. The formula in the initial load is bound for hospitals, doctors, home health care facilities, and pharmacies in regions with the most serious needs. The shortage has rendered parents frustrated as shelves remain bare at popular retailers like Walmart and Target. Many of these retailers have imposed limits on formula purchases such that mothers cannot stock up even when it becomes available. Most brands are also sold out online or are being offered by third-party sellers for exorbitant prices.
According to a report released by <a href="https://datasembly.com/news/out-of-stock-rate-in-april-2022/">Datasembly</a> last month, the out-of-stock rate for baby formula surged to 23% by January and 31% by April.
“Inflation, supply chain shortages, and product recalls have brought an unprecedented amount of volatility for baby formula,” Datasembly CEO Ben Reich said in the report. “We expect to continue to see the baby formula category being dramatically affected by these conditions.”

Baby Formula CEO Has A Message For Parents Hit By Nationwide Shortage

Baby Formula CEO Apologizes To America's Parents For Shortage

Democrat President Joe Biden was mocked over the weekend for bragging about flying 70,000 pounds of baby formula from Europe to the U.S. as his administration has faced criticism for the shortage of baby formula across the country.
&#8220;Folks, I’m excited to tell you that the first flight from Operation Fly Formula is loaded up with more than 70,000 pounds of infant formula and about to land in Indiana,&#8221; President Biden tweeted Sunday. &#8220;Our team is working around the clock to get safe formula to everyone who needs it.&#8221;
Biden originally claimed on Twitter that his administration had brought in &#8220;70,000 tons&#8221; of baby formula which was later deleted, but not before it went viral on social media.
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Official <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> account tweets the U.S. is receiving 70,000 tons of baby formula. Actually it’s 70,000 pounds, so less than 40 tons. Now deleted. Not before it was spread by various blue checks. 
Good thing the Disinformation board was disbanded… <a href="https://t.co/dXckJGCKKw">pic.twitter.com/dXckJGCKKw</a>
&mdash; Steve Krakauer (@SteveKrak) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveKrak/status/1528380263197294594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Biden faced a mix of mockery and intense criticism online for bragging about the situation.
&#8220;Over 10,000 children are born daily in the US, 20% of which will use formula within the first days of life,&#8221; Nicole Saphier, MD, wrote on Twitter. &#8220;The shipment is great, but let’s be honest, the supply won’t last more than a couple days.&#8221;
The popular conservative Twitter account Comfortably Smug wrote, &#8220;Biden has turned us into a third world nation where other countries are sending us relief aid.&#8221;
Other notable responses included:
<ul>
<li>Stephen L. Miller, political commentator: &#8220;Another Biden Admin historic airlift.&#8221;</li>
<li>Julie Gunlock, director of Independent Women’s Network: &#8220;The Biden admin created this mess…but sure, folks, take a bow.&#8221;</li>
<li>Ellen Carmichael, president of The Lafayette Co.: &#8220;Will never not be discomfiting to see other countries bailing us out for stupid policy decisions. This is America.&#8221;</li>
<li>Jesse Kelly, radio host: &#8220;The government causing a baby formula bottleneck with ridiculous regulations and then causing a baby formula shortage with incompetence and then acting like a hero for flying in baby formula is the most government thing in the history of government things.&#8221;</li>
<li>Preston Byrne, attorney: &#8220;If you just allowed European formula to be sold to US distributors you wouldn’t need the military to fly in pallets for show Abolish the FDA.&#8221;</li>
<li>Victoria Coates, former White House official: &#8220;Honestly I think it might have been better to just sit this one out and hope folks weren&#8217;t paying too much attention on a Sunday morning to your previous effort?&#8221;</li>
<li>James Jay Carafano, Heritage Foundation Vice President for Foreign &amp; Security: &#8220;Only this White House could attempt to make virtue out of its incompetence.&#8221;</li>
<li>Tammy Bruce, Fox News: &#8220;You have officially turned our great country into Blanche DuBois, unstable and completely reliant on the kindness of strangers.&#8221;</li>
<li>Hans Mahncke, political commentator: &#8220;Probably the most humiliating tweet of all time (made even more humiliating by the fact that the millennials who wrote it are oblivious to how humiliating it is).&#8221;</li>
<li>Zack Kanter, political commentator: &#8220;It&#8217;s a reverse Berlin Airlift, where we&#8217;re blockading ourselves and flying in our own shipments to prevent the starvation that we&#8217;re at risk of causing.&#8221;</li>
<li>Sean Spicer, former White House official: &#8220;There has been a baby formula shortage in the US since January &#8211; we a[re] less than 10 days from June.&#8221;</li>
<li>John Cardillo, political commentator: &#8220;This senile idiot is impressed that third world countries are solving problems he and his handlers created.&#8221;</li>
<li>John Cooper, The Heritage Foundation: &#8220;How bad are things under Joe Biden? We have to fly in baby formula from Germany to make sure American babies don’t starve.&#8221;</li>
</ul>

U.S. President Biden Visits South Korea

Biden Slammed For Bragging About Flying Baby Formula In From Europe: ‘Turned Us Into 3rd World Nation’

A massive shipment of baby formula from Germany arrived in Indianapolis on Sunday morning as the Biden administration grapples with a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-biden-official-claims-administration-knew-about-baby-formula-shortage-last-year">shortage of the vital food</a> for the nation&#8217;s infants.
Dubbed &#8220;Operation Fly Formula,&#8221; the operation to get scarce formula to the nation&#8217;s infants is using military aircraft. The shortage has been worsening in recent weeks due to a host of factors, including the shuttering of the nation&#8217;s biggest manufacturing plant.
&#8220;Folks, I’m excited to tell you that the first flight from Operation Fly Formula is loaded up with more than 70,000 pounds of infant formula and about to land in Indiana,&#8221; the White House tweeted from Biden&#8217;s Twitter account early Sunday morning. &#8220;Our team is working around the clock to get safe formula to everyone who needs it.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Folks, I’m excited to tell you that the first flight from Operation Fly Formula is loaded up with more than 70,000 pounds of infant formula and about to land in Indiana. 
Our team is working around the clock to get safe formula to everyone who needs it. <a href="https://t.co/cX4KU0eDtZ">pic.twitter.com/cX4KU0eDtZ</a>
&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1528379633229496321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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The shipment of baby formula that arrived on Sunday will be distributed around the country, a Biden administration official told CNN. The formula in the initial load will go to hospitals, doctors, home health care facilities, and pharmacies in regions “where the needs are most acute,” CNN reported. The first shipment of formula, Nestlé Health Science formula — including Alfamino Infant and Alfamino Junior, is hypoallergenic and for babies allergic to the protein in cow milk, the official said.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-biden-official-claims-administration-knew-about-baby-formula-shortage-last-year">The shortage has been building for months</a>. On February 17, Abbott Nutrition, the nation&#8217;s largest infant formula manufacturer, recalled several lines of powdered formula and closed its largest plant in Sturgis, Michigan.
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Even before that, the COVID-19 pandemic&#8217;s effect on the supply chain and a shortage of plant workers had contributed to the problem.
A company called Datasembly ran an analysis that “showed that supply was ‘relatively stable for the first half of 2021. Then, the out-of-stock rate for baby formula hit 23% in January 2022 and has continued to climb, ” according to WKYC.
“Inflation, supply chain shortages, and product recalls have brought an unprecedented amount of volatility for baby formula,” Datasembly founder and CEO Ben Reich also said in the report released in April. “We expect to continue to see the baby formula category being dramatically affected by these conditions.”
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As The Daily Wire reported earlier this month, the shortage has left parents frustrated as the shelves remain bare at popular retailers, including Walmart, Target, and grocery store chains. Many of these retailers have imposed limits on formula purchases, so moms can&#8217;t stock up even when it becomes available.
Most brands are also sold out online or are being offered by third-party sellers for exorbitant prices.

Operation Fly Formula

First Shipment Of Baby Formula Arrives From Europe, But Won’t Be On Store Shelves

First Shipment Of Baby Formula Arrives From Europe, But Won't Be On Store Shelves

Germany

Indiana

Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) called Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg a liar for claiming the Biden administration had “acted from day one after the recall” of baby formula.
On Sunday, Buttigieg <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/full-transcript-of-face-the-nation-on-may-15-2022/">stated</a> on CBS’ “Face The Nation,” “The administration acted from day one after the recall, taking steps like creating more flexibility for the WIC program to help rebalance the availability of formula in the States.”
Appearing on Fox Business’ “Mornings With Maria,” Cammack <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/pete-buttigieg-baby-formula-shortage-lie-kat-cammack">fired</a>, “To the Secretary of Transportation&#8217;s remarks that they have been on top of this from day one: That is a lie.”
Cammack pointed out that she had been criticized after she posted text messages and photos she said were sent from Border Patrol agents showing a stockpile of baby formula intended for illegal immigrants.
“Yesterday I was on the border myself, and the facts on the border are exactly how we have been stating them,” she asserted. “I decided to go down myself and film it. Lo and behold, not only was there stocked warehouses, but there were multiple stocked warehouses that have been not only filled with baby formula and diapers and wipes and clothing, but they have been doing this for months and there&#8217;s more en route.”
Federal law details that children in custody be provided with food, including baby formula.
Referring to Buttigieg’s claim that the administration had “acted from day one,” she snapped, “They canceled 43% of this manufacturer&#8217;s production with no plan to backfill that market share that they make up. So, how have they been on top of this?”
“Moms for months have been saying it was getting harder and harder to find formula,” she pointed out. “This is just another example of the broken administration that doesn&#8217;t know how to govern.”
Cammack showed pictures and videos from her trip to the facility at the border. “One image showed mounds of infant formula featuring handwritten dates, likely to denote expiration, of June 2023,” <a href="applewebdata://18D869DF-BCF2-404C-8178-9A807F2B23EE/v">The Daily Mail</a> reported.
Buttigieg had blamed Abbott Nutrition for the formula shortage, complaining, “Fundamentally, we are here because a company was not able to guarantee that its plant was safe, and that plant has shut down.”
“Let&#8217;s be very clear,” he continued. “This is a capitalist country. The government does not make baby formula, nor should it. Companies make formula, and one of those companies — a company which, by the way, seems to have 40 percent market share — messed up and is unable to confirm that a plant, a major plant, is safe and free of contamination.”
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GOP Rep. Who Showed Baby Formula Stocked At Border For Illegals Calls Buttigieg A Liar

Border

Kat Cammack

Pete Buttigieg

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