President Joe Biden took action Wednesday to address the shortage of children’s formula in the United States, calling for a Defense Production Act to help producers find the ingredients needed to produce, the White House said.Biden also instructed U.S. organizations to use Defense Department commercial airlines to bring formula to the United States from overseas.
Ways to use baby milk in U.S. supermarkets has declined since top US producer Abbott Laboratories in February recalled formulas after complaints of infection. On Monday, ‘In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Biden noted that the industry should produce more formulas in the coming weeks and months. “Importation of infant formula into the country will serve as a bridge to this growing production. So please take all the necessary steps available to get more safe milk in the country as soon as possible,” he said.
The White House said Biden was asking the Defense Production Act to ensure that manufacturers had the ingredients to make a safe formula.”The president needs the suppliers to direct the necessary resources to the producers of the children’s formula before any other customer is likely to order that,” the White House said. In addition, he introduced the “Operation Fly Formula” to speed up the purchase of children’s formula and get more formula in stores quickly.Biden has instructed HHS and the USDA to use commercial military aircraft to adopt an overseas children’s formula that meets U.S. health and safety standards.”Overcoming conventional air transport systems will accelerate the import and distribution of formulas and be a quick fix as manufacturers continue to increase productivity,” the White House said.
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