DThe United States is doing its utmost to solve the nation’s biggest infant feeding crisis in decades and ensure safe baby food. On Sunday (local time) a military plane brought the first milk powder-based baby food from Europe to the United States. The US government said a second flight should take place later this week, leaving from the US base in Ramstein, Germany.
The United States also sent a request for help to the federal government. A spokesman for the ministry said an official request had been made to the food ministry to contact the German companies. The first delivery of milk powder was then provided by the economy. Milk Powder is safe to supply in Germany.
Crisis could accelerate market approval for baby food
The backdrop of the crisis is the closure of an important US plant for baby food production due to lack of sanitation. US President Joe Biden last week reactivated an emergency law from the Cold War era to enable the private sector to intervene to solve the problem. According to the Berlin-based Association of Milk Exporters, US officials are currently requesting deliveries from Germany.
To ensure supply, the US government created “Operation Fly Formula”, based on the English word for baby food, “infant formula”. The US Department of Defense may also use commercial aircraft to transport the powder. According to US information, 132 pallets of Swiss Nestle Group arrived in Indianapolis, Indiana state on Sunday, and another 114 pallets are due to arrive on the next flight. The quantity of powder supplied is sufficient for approximately 1.5 million baby bottles, but it is far from the quantity required.
Megan Kendrick, mother of a seven-month-old baby with a milk allergy, said the arrival of the first shipment is a big relief for her. “These products are life savers for so many kids and parents. I’m sure it’s not just the kids who will sleep soundly tonight.”
American conglomerate Abbott had to temporarily close its plant in Michigan state in mid-February. According to officials, the reason for this was bacterial infection in four babies. Abbott actually covers a large proportion of infant formula in the US. “We apologize to every family we have let down,” Abbott CEO Robert Ford wrote in the Washington Post over the weekend.
To address the crisis, British company Reckitt Benckiser has increased production of its baby food by about 30 percent and increased its deliveries. France’s Danone has also increased its exports, according to US customs data.
Having been supplied by other manufacturers is still causing problems. On the one hand, according to the Milk Export Association, it should be clarified whether the companies really have the capacity to expand their production. However, the question of market approval is more important. Such processes usually take a long time. In this case, however, the United States is urgently needed. Whether this can change anything in the approval process remains to be seen.
