Posted on 05/23/22
| News Source: CNBC
A military cargo plane carrying the first shipment of infant formula from Europe to address a critical shortage in the United States landed in Indianapolis on Sunday.
A Feb. 17 recall by top baby formula maker Abbott Laboratories and the closing of its manufacturing plant in Sturgis, Michigan have created one of the biggest infant formula shortages in recent history for U.S. families.
President Joe Biden’s administration is seeking to stock empty shelves with 1.5 million containers of Nestle specialty infant formulas. Biden last week invoked the Cold War-era Defense Production Act to help increase supplies.
The Sunday plane is carrying 78,000 pounds (35,380 kg) of specialty infant formula, the White House said.
“There’s about enough formula on that plane, specialty medical grade formula, for about a half a million bottles. That’s about 15% of the overall national volume this coming week,” White House National Economic Council Director Brian Deese told Fox News Sunday.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was there to greet the plane.