Families across the country are hunting grocery stores and pharmacies trying to find formula for their children.”I really feel bad for people who are just starting this journey with a newborn I can’t imagine how 12 months of this,” Samantha Stone said.For the past couple of months, Stone has been facing a problem so many other parents across the country are dealing with.”I started seeing the signs that said you can only buy two, and I was like, ‘OK this might be an issue that will really affect us,'” Stone said.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a recall on Similac, Alimentum and EleCare formula in February. They are all manufactured by Abbott Nutrition.Pre-pandemic supply chain issues were already causing problems before the recall. Now, stores are now putting purchasing limits on the supply they do have.”You can’t even order online, or if it is, I saw one of my friends talking about Walmart was in stock for like 30 seconds online, and then it sold out,” Stone said.Stone said she finds herself asking family and friends to keep an eye out in hopes of securing a couple of cans of formula.”This isn’t just some minor product that people don’t need. I mean, this is food for our children, like our babies need this,” Stone said. “We are counting down the days until she’s 1 so we can switch to regular milk, and we can put this behind us.” Milwaukee sister station WISN received the following statement from an Abbott Laboratories spokesperson:”We are doing everything we can to address the infant formula supply shortage,” according to the spokesperson. “Across the U.S., we’re prioritizing production of infant formula products to help replenish the supply in the market and are also air shipping in product from our FDA-registered facility in Cootehill, Ireland, on a daily basis. All of this powder product is being restocked on retail shelves on a regular basis.””Actions we’re taking to address supply include:Increasing production of Similac formulas at our other FDA-registered facilities Bringing Similac Advance into the U.S. from an FDA-registered manufacturing site in Europe, including daily shipments by air of product Prioritizing some production of other Abbott liquid products to Similac and Alimentum to make more ready-to-feed liquid formula available Working with USDA and state agencies to provide authorization for parents who get formula from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) with other Similac products at no cost, including for other manufacturers’ products Contacting other manufacturers to provide information regarding supply constraints for specialty formulas so they can address the demand Engaging with healthcare providers to identify potential alternative formulas, whenever we can Investing in additional manufacturing of specialty products for infants who can’t tolerate standard formula products”We know that millions of parents and caregivers around the world count on our formulas to feed their babies and children and we are doing everything possible to address this situation.”
Families across the country are hunting grocery stores and pharmacies trying to find formula for their children.
“I really feel bad for people who are just starting this journey with a newborn I can’t imagine how 12 months of this,” Samantha Stone said.
For the past couple of months, Stone has been facing a problem so many other parents across the country are dealing with.
“I started seeing the signs that said you can only buy two, and I was like, ‘OK this might be an issue that will really affect us,'” Stone said.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a recall on Similac, Alimentum and EleCare formula in February. They are all manufactured by Abbott Nutrition.
Pre-pandemic supply chain issues were already causing problems before the recall. Now, stores are now putting purchasing limits on the supply they do have.
“You can’t even order online, or if it is, I saw one of my friends talking about Walmart was in stock for like 30 seconds online, and then it sold out,” Stone said.
Stone said she finds herself asking family and friends to keep an eye out in hopes of securing a couple of cans of formula.
“This isn’t just some minor product that people don’t need. I mean, this is food for our children, like our babies need this,” Stone said. “We are counting down the days until she’s 1 so we can switch to regular milk, and we can put this behind us.”
Milwaukee sister station WISN received the following statement from an Abbott Laboratories spokesperson:
“We are doing everything we can to address the infant formula supply shortage,” according to the spokesperson. “Across the U.S., we’re prioritizing production of infant formula products to help replenish the supply in the market and are also air shipping in product from our FDA-registered facility in Cootehill, Ireland, on a daily basis. All of this powder product is being restocked on retail shelves on a regular basis.”
“Actions we’re taking to address supply include:
- Increasing production of Similac formulas at our other FDA-registered facilities
- Bringing Similac Advance into the U.S. from an FDA-registered manufacturing site in Europe, including daily shipments by air of product
- Prioritizing some production of other Abbott liquid products to Similac and Alimentum to make more ready-to-feed liquid formula available
- Working with USDA and state agencies to provide authorization for parents who get formula from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) with other Similac products at no cost, including for other manufacturers’ products
- Contacting other manufacturers to provide information regarding supply constraints for specialty formulas so they can address the demand
- Engaging with healthcare providers to identify potential alternative formulas, whenever we can
- Investing in additional manufacturing of specialty products for infants who can’t tolerate standard formula products
“We know that millions of parents and caregivers around the world count on our formulas to feed their babies and children and we are doing everything possible to address this situation.”
