Pentagon to use military contracts to ship formula around U.S. faster.
QUICK FACTS:
- President Joe Biden has invoked the Defense Production Act in order to assist with the nationwide baby formula shortage, according to a report by Fox News.
- The Department of Defense (DoD) will task aircraft to pick up formula that meets U.S. health and safety standards from overseas destinations and bring it back to the U.S.
- The White House said in a recent statement that it is working around the clock to address the nationwide shortage that has caused frustration for families.
- The president has reportedly “directed his team to do everything possible to ensure that there is enough safe infant formula in the country and available for families that need it.”
‘OPERATION FLY FORMULA’:
- The White House announced the launch of its new program, “Operation Fly Formula” in an effort to speed up the import of infant formula and get it into stores in the United States as soon as possible.
- “The President is requiring suppliers to direct needed resources to infant formula manufacturers before any other customer who may have ordered that good,” the White House said. “Directing firms to prioritize and allocate the production of key infant formula inputs will help increase production and speed up in supply chains.”
BACKGROUND:
- It’s estimated that the supply of infant formula across the country has decreased 40% just since April of this year, leaving parents of newborns in distress attempting to find access.
- The already growing supply chain problems were exacerbated by the voluntary recall of formula by Abbot Nutrition due to potential bacterial contamination.
- The recall is in addition to Abbott Laboratories shutting down production, which caused a serious shrink in the supply of new formula being created.
