The United States wants to temporarily import much more milk powder, including from the Netherlands. The American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has relaxed the current import rules because domestic production in the US has largely come to a halt.
The shortage of baby milk powder stems from the shutdown of the Abbott factory, the largest manufacturer of baby food in the US. The manufacturer halted several product lines after four babies became ill and two of them died, possibly due to bacterial contamination. Production at one of the company’s factories in Michigan is currently completely halted.
FDA chief Robert Califf said he hopes this call to the global market will be heeded and that dairy companies will seize the opportunity to increase supply.
The American food authorities now say they have reached an agreement with the manufacturer on precautionary measures to reopen the factory. The company said it will take a few weeks before baby milk can once again be supplied to retailers.
Due to the shortage of infant milk powder, US President Joe Biden recently intervened and instructed the government to ensure the availability of infant formula. According to the FDA, this is usually successful about 98 percent of the time. So far, imports have mainly come from trade partners in Mexico, Ireland, and the Netherlands.