The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is trying to correct the infant formula shortage caused by supply chain problems and ordered a recall earlier this year after two babies died from a bacterial infection, on Monday. White House.
Shortages at retailers, including Target and CVS, have forced them to limit the number of formulas parents can buy in stores. Amazon also limits online bookings. In April, the rate without infant formula reached 31% nationwide. Second datasembleRetail data collection company.
Stock rates exceeded 40% in seven states: Connecticut, Delaware, Montana, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington.
The issue erupted into politics on Monday when Republicans revolted against the administration, but both parties in Congress and the White House did little about the deficit as it grew in the months following the challenge. Only one prominent politician – former lawmaker Abby Finkenauer, a Democratic candidate for the Iowa Senate – has come up with a plan to overcome the crisis.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the FDA’s job is to make sure the formula is safe and in good delivery.
“Providing access to these products is also a priority for the FDA, which works around the clock to address any shortcomings,” Psaki said Monday.
Psaki did not indicate any steps the Biden administration would take beyond what the FDA is doing. Unlike oil, the president cannot use Enfamil’s strategic reserves to replenish scarce national reserves.
“I don’t think there is a national supply of infant formula,” Psaki said.
Last month, Finkenauer asked the White House to use the Defense Production Act to force manufacturers to develop additional formulas for children. (Finkenauer, who lost his seat in the House in 2020, is running for the Democratic nomination to face GOP Senator Chuck Grassley.)
“We need all hands on the bridge to address the dangerous shortage of infant formula in Iowa and across the country,” he said. “The Biden administration should use the Defense Production Act to bring all federal resources to the table to increase infant formula delivery and eliminate shortfalls.
The Republican victim on Monday criticized the Biden administration for the shortfall but did not offer a solution to the problem.
““This is completely unacceptable in America,” Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (RN.Y.) wrote on Twitter. “Unfortunately, this has become the norm because of Joe Biden’s radical agenda.”
Some senators told HuffPost they were unaware of the deficit when asked Monday.
Senator Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said he would send a letter to the FDA asking for more information on the matter.
“I was very worried [the shortage]”- said Romney. She said she was trying to figure out “how they can make a safety decision that clearly excludes childbirth – because childbirth is also important to the health of our babies – and I don’t see how difficult they are in the environment we live in. “
Finding formula for kids has become more difficult since last summer, due to both the hustle and bustle in the supply chain that has hit the economy in general. The problem was exacerbated in February when Abbott Nutrition announced that it would be considering choosing Similac, Alimentum and EleCare formulas at Sturgis, a Michigan facility. At least four infants contracted a formula -related bacterial infection and two died. The company said the bacteria in sick children was not found at its factory.
The FDA did not respond to a request for comment on when the stock could return to normal.
His 2023 Budget RequestThe agency has asked Congress to allow it to request warnings from companies when deficiencies may occur. “None of the laws require manufacturers of infant formula or essential foods to notify the FDA when they become aware of circumstances that could lead to a shortage of these products,” the agency said in a statement.
Abbot Said in April That it was receiving the product from a factory in Ireland after the FDA ordered the closure of its Sturgis facility.
“In the United States, we prioritize the manufacture of baby products to help fill the market,” the company said in a statement. “This year, we will double the amount of Similac Advance powder formula we import from our facility in Cootehill, Ireland.”
The formula shortage came after a pandemic that forced more parents to rely on diaper banks for their needs, said Joan Goldblum, director of the National Diaper Bank Network.
Goldblum said 225 local diaper banks affiliated with his organization distributed 86 percent more diapers during the COVID-19 pandemic than in previous years. Diaper banks usually hand out napkins and other necessary items; In addition to diapers, 88 members of the National Diaper Bank network provide formulas to local charities.
“Food and diaper deficiencies need to be selected,” Goldblum said. “Meeting the basic needs of children in the richest countries in the world must be a priority.
Source: Huffpost
