New York declares state of emergency due to shortage of baby formula

“This order will give the Bureau of Consumer Protection the authority to prevent over-pricing of infant formula,” the New York City website announced on May 22.

Mayor Adams also promised families to do “everything in their power” to help them through this time.

A day earlier, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that military aviation had begun to urgently import infant formula into the US from Europe.

The White House announced that a military plane carrying the first batch of infant formula from Europe has landed at the airport in Indianapolis, Indiana. This shipment is intended to help the US address an unprecedented shortage of formula.

The plane carrying more than 31,750 kg of infant formula left the US military base in Ramstein, Germany and landed at the airport in Indianapolis, Indiana, where Nestle’s milk company is located.

At the same time, the White House said that a second flight to deliver infant formula to help address the severe infant formula shortage in the United States was planned.

According to Director of the National Economic Council Brian Deese, he expected to resume manufacturing activities for about a month. The official also pledged to eliminate the monopoly on the baby food market, which is now 90% controlled by three companies.

The shortage of infant formula in the US occurred after an Abbott Nutrition Company was closed in February 2022 in the US due to cases of infants becoming ill after drinking milk produced from milk. this factory. The Abbott company then had to recall the problematic products.

In recent weeks, formula shortages have become a hot issue in the US. The fear of parents makes prices go up even more and supplies are scarcer.

Last week, the White House was under enormous pressure to address the formula shortage. Authorities have announced a series of measures, including a new directive from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on increasing the import of infant formula from abroad.

Meanwhile, on May 22, Abbott CEO Robert Ford apologized for the shortage and pledged to correct the situation. At the same time, Mr. Robert Ford added, Abbott’s factory will reopen in the first week of June and it will take from 6 to 8 weeks for the products to be on the shelves.