US army flies baby formula in from Europe amid shortage

THE US Air Force is flying baby formula from Europe to America this weekend, as the government attempts to alleviate a major nationwide shortage.

Joe Biden, the US president, has been under increasing pressure to take decisive action after a significant product recall and ongoing supply chain issues led to shelves being empty and parents worried about the health of their babies.

“Operation Fly Formula,” as the administration has called it, will see 132 pallets of Nestlé Health Science Alfamino Infant and Alfamino Junior formula leave Ramstein Air Base in Germany and arrive in Indiana this weekend.

Another 114 pallets of Gerber Good Start Extensive HA formula will be dispatched “in the coming days,” the White House said. The shipments are enough to fill about 1.5million 8oz bottles.

All of the formula being shipped is hypoallergenic and can be fed to babies intolerant of protein in cow milk. “They serve a critical medical purpose,” the White House said.

While President Biden initially requested that the Pentagon use commercially chartered aircraft, the White House said no commercial flights were available this weekend. Instead, US Air Force planes will transport the initial batch of formula.

President Biden has also invoked the Defence Production Act to give baby formula manufacturers first priority on supplies. The United States relies on domestic producers for 98 per cent of its baby formula.

The problems are largely tied to Abbott Nutrition’s Michigan formula plant, the largest in the US, which has been closed since February due to contamination problems.

The Food and Drug Administration announced a preliminary agreement with Abbott earlier this week to restart production, pending safety upgrades and certifications, however it could take weeks for the formula to be back on the shelves.

Mr Biden said Operation Fly Formula was a “bridge to this ramped up production”. Prices for the formula that remains in shops have soared and parents have been trying to make their own, against expert advice.

Tanya Altmann, a paediatrician and author, said: “Homemade formula won’t meet your baby’s essential nutritional needs, can be very dangerous to their growth and development, and can even make your baby sick.”