First baby formula shipment arrives in U.S. from Europe

WASHINGTON, May 22 (Reuters) - A navy cargo plane carrying the primary shipment of infant formulation from Europe to help tackle a crucial scarcity in the United States landed in Indianapolis on Sunday, and the White Home stated a second flight had been arranged.

A Feb. 17 recall by top child formula maker Abbott Laboratories (ABT.N) and the closing of its manufacturing plant in Sturgis, Michigan during an investigation by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration has created one of the biggest toddler formulation shortages in current history for U.S. households.

"This is an important step, but it's by no means the only step that should happen. We'll proceed to work because the president has instructed us to look for every opportunity to increase supply," stated Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who greeted the aircraft on its arrival.

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"This specific system is for a very, very small proportion of kids. Roughly 17,000 kids in the nation principally are the beneficiaries of this particular formula," he said.

President Joe Biden's administration is looking for to stock empty shelves with 1.5 million containers of Nestle (NESN.S) specialty toddler formulas. Biden last week invoked the Cold Warfare-era Defense Manufacturing Act to help increase provides.

The White Home mentioned on Sunday a second flight carrying method would leave from Ramstein Air Base in Germany in coming days. The White House mentioned that Abbott and a second baby formulation maker, Reckitt , were the first firms given precedence status for uncooked provides below the Protection Manufacturing Act.

Pallets of toddler components being shipped from Europe to america during Operation Fly Formulation are seen in a transport plane at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, in a photograph released Could 22, 2022. The White Home/Handout via REUTERS

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Nestle additionally stated more shipments would arrive in the coming days. read more

Troops used forklifts to unload packing containers of the cargo from the airplane in Indianapolis and onto trucks heading to distribution centers.The White Home mentioned 78,000 pounds (35,000 kg) of specialty toddler components - sufficient for 500,000 bottles - had arrived on the flight.

Abbott, the largest U.S. provider of powder infant components, closed its Michigan plant following reports of bacterial infections in four infants, worsening a shortage amongst a number of manufacturers that began with supply-chain issues tied to the coronavirus pandemic.

Abbott Chief Govt Robert Ford apologized for the scarcity on Sunday and promised to repair it, including the plant would reopen in the first week of June, and it might take six to eight weeks for merchandise to succeed in store cabinets.

"We're sorry to each family we've let down since our voluntary recall exacerbated our nation’s child formula shortage," he wrote in a Washington Post column.

New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday declared a state of emergency to forestall price gouging of child system.

"This emergency executive order will assist us to crack down on any retailer looking to capitalize on this disaster by jacking up prices on this important good," Adams said in a statement.

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Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein and Chris Gallagher, additional reporting by Jessica DiNapoli in Davos, Switzerland, Barbara Goldberg in New York and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Editing by Ross Colvin, Bill Berkrot, Chris Reese and Paul Simao

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