Baby Food Shortage Continues As Congress Seeks Supply From Other Countries

By WMAR2NEWS
Posted on 05/16/22 | News Source: WMAR2NEWS

A former FDA commissioner is blaming the current nationwide baby formula shortage on the U.S. government.

Stores are having a difficult time keeping baby formula in stock since Abbott Nutrition, a major supplier of baby formula, shut down its Michigan factory in February over bacterial contamination concerns.

According to Datasembly, the out-of-stock rate for formula is 43% nationwide and slightly higher in Maryland at about 47%. The former head of the FDA said that should have prompted more aggressive action from the FDA to do something.

Parents across the country are struggling to find formula to feed their babies.

While the national out-of-stock rate averages about 43%, eight states and Washington D.C. are at least 50 percent out-of-stock of baby formula.

Those out-of-stock numbers can't keep up with the demand as about 70% of babies in the U.S. are formula-fed.

A former FDA commissioner appeared on CBS's Face the Nation over the weekend and he blames the baby formula shortage on a lack of action by the U.S. government.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb served as commissioner of the FDA under former president Donald Trump.

Gottlieb said there's a lack of resources for the agency overseeing the formula industry.

“This division at FDA is nine people and it was even fewer people when I was there. It’s grown in recent years, and we made some budget requests to increase the size of that group. So, the entire industry in this country is overseen by nine people. This has been an under-resourced part of the agency for a very long time and that's contributing, I think to these challenges,” Gottlieb said.