(Reuters) – Global companies that make baby formula are bringing products into the United States after the country’s health regulator relaxed its import policy to address a nationwide shortage partly triggered by Abbott Laboratories’ manufacturing plant in Michigan recalling some products in February.
Importers include Neocate maker Danone SA, while New Zealand’s dairy giants Fonterra and a2 Milk have submitted applications to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for supplying baby formula to the United States.
Once the products arrive in the country and receive a sign-off from the FDA, the manufacturers will distribute them through their existing supply chains and cater to unfulfilled orders, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said.
While Abbott reopened its plant in Michigan on June 4, severe thunderstorms and rain caused it to stop production of its EleCare specialty baby formula almost two weeks later.
Here’s a list of companies that are bringing in baby formula to the U.S. market in the wake of the crisis:
Date of Manufacturer Major imports
announcement
May 27 Bubs Australia Ltd Plans to ship at least 1.25 million
cans of several varieties of its
formula
June 30 Danone SA U.S. FDA says 555,000 cans of
Aptamil Gold Plus from New Zealand
will likely be available in August
(https://bit.ly/3abWTTE)
June 17 Danone SA U.S. FDA says about 750,000 cans of
Aptamil First Infant Milk Stage 1
formula are expected to be shipped
to the U.S. in July (https://bit.ly/3tJFsAC)
May 26 Danone SA Has doubled shipments of its
formula, with about 500,000
additional cans to be sent to the
U.S.
June 3 Nestle SA U.S. FDA says about 1.3 million cans
of Nestle’s Gerber Good Start Gentle
from Mexico to be available from the
beginning of July through October.
June 2 Nestle SA U.S. FDA says 249,500 cans from
Germany of Nestle’s NAN Supreme Pro
1 and NAN Supreme Pro 2 baby formula
to be available in June and July(https://bit.ly/3m8DqFS)
May 25 Nestle SA 114 pallets of Gerber Good Start
Extensive HA formula delivered in
Virginia
May 22 Nestle SA Has been flying supplies from the
Netherlands and Switzerland and
delivered 132 pallets of its Health
Science Alfamino and Alfamino Jr
infant formulas
May 24 Kendal Nutricare About 2 million cans of infant
formula expected to reach U.S. store
shelves from the UK, beginning June,
with 40,000 cans in stock for
immediate dispatch
June 15 Reckitt Benckiser U.S. FDA says 4.5 million pounds of
base powder for Reckitt subsidiary
Mead Johnson’s general infant
formula Enfamil Stage 1 will begin
shipping in June through November (https://bit.ly/3tH4aBx)
June 22 Global Kosher U.S. FDA says more than 4.8 million
cans of Kendamil First Infant
Formula with Iron (Kosher formula)
will be available from the UK (https://bit.ly/3HWZBJt)
June 27 Bellamy’s Organic U.S. FDA says 696,000 cans from
Australia will be available from
early July and over next several
months (https://bit.ly/3niqrC7)
June 28 Abbott Nutrition U.S. FDA says 18,677 cans of Similac
Advance 2’-FL Stage 1 infant formula
from Ireland will be available from
mid-July (https://bit.ly/39WjyDF)
July 6 Vitaflo USA LLC U.S. FDA says 3,192 cans of PKU
Start, a specialty/metabolic formula
for infants with phenylketonuria
(PKU), from the Netherlands will be
made available within two weeks (https://bit.ly/3yopy08)
July 8 Care A2+ U.S. FDA says 4.875 million cans of
Care A2+ 0-12 Months infant formula
from Australia will be shipped in
the first week of August (https://bit.ly/3AxbAM1)
(Reporting by Deborah Sophia and Ananya Mariam Rajesh in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Leah Douglas in Washington and Leroy Leo in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva, Maju Samuel and Sriraj Kalluvila)
