Why is there a baby formula shortage in the US?
Product recalls alongside a war between Russia and Ukraine have put the squeeze on formula suppliers as supply chains buckle.
Some of America’s most popular baby formula’s have been struck by the recall of products after infants were taken ill, with one death, after consuming infected formula. It is another problem in an already delicate situation that is affecting many industries that rely on imports from abroad.
Abbott Nutrition, one of the largest baby formula companies in the US, recalled batches of its powdered formula brands such as Similar, Alimentum and EleCare. In a February statement, the Illinois-based outfit said, “Millions of parents rely on our formula to feed their babies. And we know that our recent recall caused additional stress and anxiety in an already challenging situation of a global supply shortage. We are working hard to help moms, dads and caregivers get the high-quality nutrition they need for their babies.”
But this is not the only reason for dwindling formula stock. The war in Ukraine is having a number of unexpected consequences that are affecting consumers around the world. WIth both Ukraine and Russia being two of the largest exporters of grains and fertiliser on the planet, supply chains are being choked, preventing the swift manufacture of many essential products.
Making matters worse, Putin's war in Ukraine is driving fertilizer prices to historic highs. pic.twitter.com/zqN4XQMjYl
— David Josef Volodzko (@davidvolodzko) April 25, 2022
What are supermarkets doing to counter the shortage?
At the request of the US Foods and Drugs Administration (FDA), supermarkets have taken the measure to restirct how much baby formula parents can purchase.
Mother, Tara Mccullagh spent three hours on Easter night trying to find baby formula for newborn, Dylan. There’s a national baby formula shortage leaving many parents on Long Island scrambling and overpaying for what they can find pic.twitter.com/ko6jVlTkZT
— Caren Pinto (@CarenRPinto) April 21, 2022
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Walmart and Target are allowing people to buy five containers of formula each day, while Target’s online buyers are capped at four items. Shoppers at Walgreens and CVS are limited to three infant and toddler formula products per each transaction.
“Product supply challenges are currently impacting most of the retail industry,” CVS Health, which owns the pharmacy chain, said in a statement to USA TODAY. “We’re continuing to work with our national brand baby formula vendors to address this issue and we regret any inconvenience that our customers may be experiencing.”