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

WASHINGTON, May 22 (Reuters) - A navy cargo plane carrying the first shipment of toddler components from Europe to assist address a vital shortage in the United States landed in Indianapolis on Sunday, and the White House mentioned a second flight had been organized.

A Feb. 17 recall by top baby components 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 many largest toddler formula shortages in latest history for U.S. households.

"This is a crucial step, however it's on no account the only step that should take place. We are going to proceed to work as the president has instructed us to look for each alternative to increase provide," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who greeted the plane on its arrival.

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"This explicit formulation is for a really, very small proportion of children. Roughly 17,000 children within 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 infant formulas. Biden final week invoked the Cold War-era Protection Manufacturing Act to help improve supplies.

The White Home mentioned on Sunday a second flight carrying components would depart from Ramstein Air Base in Germany in coming days. The White Home mentioned that Abbott and a second child system maker, Reckitt , have been the primary companies given priority status for raw supplies below the Defense Production Act.

Pallets of toddler formula being shipped from Europe to the USA throughout Operation Fly System are seen in a transport plane at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, in a photograph launched May 22, 2022. The White Home/Handout by way of REUTERS

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

Troops used forklifts to unload bins of the cargo from the plane in Indianapolis and onto trucks heading to distribution centers.The White Home stated 78,000 kilos (35,000 kg) of specialty infant system - sufficient for 500,000 bottles - had arrived on the flight.

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

Abbott Chief Government Robert Ford apologized for the scarcity on Sunday and promised to fix it, including the plant would reopen in the first week of June, and it will take six to eight weeks for products to succeed in retailer shelves.

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

New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday declared a state of emergency to stop worth gouging of baby formula.

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

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

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