Empty shelves show a shortage of baby formula at a CVS store in San Antonio, Texas, U.S., May 10, 2022. REUTERS/Kaylee Greenlee Beal

WASHINGTON, May 13 (Reuters) – The shortage of infant formula in the United States is expected to improve significantly in the coming weeks, the director of the Food and Drug Administration said on Friday as the Biden administration worked to reverse a deficit that hits low-income Americans especially hard.

Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said the FDA will announce plans next week detailing how foreign manufacturers and suppliers will be able to import their products into the United States, as well as new options for American companies.

The FDA is aiming for a streamlined process that will get more products onto US shelves while meeting safety, quality and labeling standards, he said. The $4 billion US infant formula market is dominated by domestic producers, with limited imports and high tariffs.

“We believe these efforts and others underway will help to significantly improve supply in the United States within weeks,” Califf said on Twitter. “Our data indicates that inventory levels at retail stores are stabilizing, but we continue to work around the clock to further increase availability.”

The Biden administration has come under increasing pressure this week to fix the problem, which has its roots in a February recall of certain formulas by one of the nation’s leading manufacturers, Abbott Laboratories (ABT.N).

American parents rely on formula. Less than half of babies born in the United States were exclusively breastfed during their first three months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2020 Breastfeeding Report Card.

Abbott’s recall involved formulas, including some Similac products, made at a Michigan plant after complaints of bacterial infections in infants who consumed the products.

The shortages have been compounded by supply chain issues and historic inflation, leaving around 40% of infant formula out of stock nationwide, data firm Datasembly said. Read more

President Joe Biden met with executives from infant formula makers and retailers on Thursday, urging them to do everything possible to ensure families have access to it. Read more

Retailers have told Biden their main request is for more flexibility on the types of formulas they can sell, while consumers need more flexibility on the types they can buy, especially through the WIC program. for low-income families, the White House said.

The Women’s, Infants’ and Children’s Nutrition Program is a federal assistance program administered by US states.

Abbott said Friday it has shipped millions of boxes of infant formula powder to the United States from its Irish factory, specifically to serve consumers who use the WIC program for low-income families. Read more

In states where Abbott has the WIC contract, the company said it will pay discounts on competing products if Similac is not available until August.

About half of infant formula nationwide is purchased by participants using WIC benefits, the White House said, and rules set by individual states have a significant effect on the availability and distribution of infant formula. infants.

“The shortage has taken an especially dangerous toll on women and children in underserved communities,” said US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The House of Representatives will introduce a bill next week granting emergency authority to the WIC program to deal with supply chain disruptions and recalls by easing non-safety related regulations, she said. said Friday in a statement.

Pelosi also said an emergency spending bill to address the baby formula shortage would advance through the House.

In other action on Capitol Hill, the House Oversight Committee said it plans to investigate the four largest infant formula manufacturers and seek answers on how to increase production and avoid any future shortages.

The committee said on Friday it sent letters requesting information to Abbott Nutrition, Mead Johnson Nutrition, Nestlé USA and Perrigo (PRGO.N).

The shortage poses a threat to families across the country, the letter says, “especially those with less income who have historically experienced the health of stocks.”

Two other House committees — House Energy and Commerce and Appropriations — have scheduled hearings on the issue.

Reporting by Doina Chiacu, Susan Heavey and Richard Cowan in Washington and Ankur Banerjee in Bengaluru Editing by Heather Timmons and Matthew Lewis

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