What is causing the baby formula shortage?
The initial cause of the formula shortage was COVID-19-related supply chain issues, with some sources, including The Atlantic and Popular Mechanics, identifying it as still being (as of mid-May) the leading cause. The shortage began in the early days of the pandemic, and worsened with subsequent labor shortages.
Is there a shortage of baby milk?
There have been widespread shortages of baby formula in the US since February due to potential contamination issues at a major manufacturing plant.
What’s going on with baby formula?
Supply-chain issues caused partly by the COVID-19 pandemic have affected the domestic supply of formula since last year, but in February, Abbott Nutrition, the nation’s largest baby-formula manufacturer, recalled several of its major formula brands and shut down a Michigan factory associated with tainted goods.
How long is the formula shortage going to last?
“On May 16, the FDA and Abbott reached an agreement to restart production at the company’s Michigan facility, which should help ease the shortage. However, it can take six to eight weeks after the start of production until the newly-produced formula appears in stores,” says Dr.
Why is Similac out of stock?
This is largely due to supply chain problems and labor shortages. The net result is that products such as Similac and Enfamil are literally not available at major retailers such as Walgreens, CVS, and Target. Online retailers such as Amazon are also short on supplies.
Where can I get formula during shortage?
Walmart: Walmart carries a wide selection of formula and ships nationally. Walgreens: The nationwide pharmacy chain offers a number of baby formula in stock for shipping, pick up and same-day delivery. Wegmans: Wegmans, a chain located in the northeastern United States, has infant formula in stock.
What did moms feed before formula?
Before the invention of bottles and formula, wet nursing was the safest and most common alternative to the natural mother’s breastmilk.
Why is there a Similac shortage?
These shortages are the result of systemic supply chain problems that have resulted from the COVID pandemic. The lack of raw ingredients has forced manufacturers to slow production.
Why is it called a wet nurse?
Wet nurses were hired to work in hospitals to nurse babies who were premature, ill, or abandoned. During the 18th and 19th centuries, congenital syphilis was a common cause of infant mortality.
What did wet nurses do with their babies?
As many as 80% of wet-nursed babies who lived like this died during infancy. During the Victorian era, women took in babies for money and nursed them themselves or fed them with whatever was cheapest. This was known as baby-farming; poor care sometimes resulted in high infant death rates.
Is infant formula the most heavily regulated food in China?
Ten years later, the deep distrust remains, in spite of the government making concerted efforts over the years to make infant formula among the most heavily regulated (link in Chinese) foods in China.
Is foreign milk safe for babies?
Not that foreign milk is immune from safety issues—earlier this year, a French milk-powder producer recalled 7,000 tons of infant formula after babies fell ill consuming products from the firm contaminated with salmonella. Yet parents still don’t trust domestic brands as much as they do foreign ones.
What happened to China after the milk powder scandal?
In the process, they lost track of safety. Soon after the milk powder scandal, China passed a new law on additives, and beefed up government coordination on food safety, including by restructuring its agency that administers food and drug safety. China also rolled out a series of new rules (link in Chinese)…
What does Nancy Pelosi’s plan to ease food shortage mean for babies?
“Doing so will empower the federal government to relax certain non-safety-related regulations during times of shortage so that we can get nutrition into the mouths of America’s babies,” Pelosi wrote. “With this step, we maintain our laser focus on protecting the health and well-being of our babies – now and for the rest of their lives.”