U.S. Air Force planes ferrying infant formula

The first flights of infant formula from Europe, authorized by President Biden to relieve a deepening U.S. shortage, will arrive in Indiana aboard military aircraft this weekend, the White House announced.

The White House says 132 pallets of Nestle Health Science Alfamino Infant and Alfamino Junior formula will leave Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Another 114 pallets of Gerber Good Start Extensive HA formula are expected to arrive in the coming days.

Altogether about 1.5 million 8-ounce bottles of the three formulas, which are hypoallergenic for children with cow’s milk protein allergy, will arrive this week.

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

The Biden administration has dubbed the effort “Operation Fly Formula,” as it struggles to address nationwide shortages of formula, particularly hypoallergenic varieties, after the closure of the country’s largest domestic manufacturing plant in February due to safety issues.

U.S. regulators and the manufacturer, Abbott, hope to have the Michigan plant reopened soon, but it will take about two months before product is ready for delivery.

The Food and Drug Administration last week eased importation requirements for baby formula to try to blunt the supply crunch, which has left store shelves bare of some brands and some retailers rationing supply for parents nervous about feeding their children. On Wednesday, Biden authorized use of the Defense

Production Act in an effort to ensure formula manufacturers had access to the ingredients and materials they need to ramp up production.