Nestle is flying baby formula from Europe to the US to help tackle nationwide shortages
REUTERS/Kaylee Greenlee Beal.
- Nestle is sending more baby formula to the US to help ease shortages.
- The company told Insider it would fly formula from Switzerland and the Netherlands.
- Formula shortages are ongoing in the US as a result of supply chain constraints and product recalls.
Nestle is flying baby formula from Europe to the US amid ongoing shortages of the product, the company said on Tuesday.
In a statement sent to Insider, Nestle said it was accelerating production of baby formula in Europe for shipment to the US, despite being a "small player" in the US market.
"We have significantly increased the amount of our infant formula available to consumers by ramping up production and accelerating general product availability to retailers and online, as well as in hospitals for those most vulnerable," the statement said.
Supermarkets across the US have been hit by shortages of baby formula as a result of ongoing disruptions in the supply chain and after a series of recalls by manufacturer Abbott Nutrition following complaints of illnesses in four infants who consumed its products. Retail giants including Target, Walgreens, and CVS have rationed supplies online or in store.
Nestle said it would send supplies of its Alfamino infant formula from Switzerland and its Gerber formula from the Netherlands to the US to help ease constraints.
"We prioritized these products because they serve a critical medical purpose as they are for babies with cow's milk protein allergies," the statement said.
"Of note, both products were already being imported but we moved shipments up and rushed via air to help fill immediate needs," it added.
The shortage of baby formula has caused concern among parents who are anxious about feeding their children.
"It's stressful enough being a new mom, whether it's your first, second, third child, or whatever, but this is an extra layer of stress," Jessica Booth, of Long Island, New York, recently told Insider's Jane Ridley.
Abbott Nutrition recently stated it could restart production at its shuttered Michigan plant within two weeks. It would still take around six to eight weeks for products to reach the shelves following the restart, the company added.
The US Food and Drug Administration announced on Tuesday that it is encouraging international formula manufacturers to send more supplies to the US, where the body would make it easier to accept and distribute products.
FDA commissioner, Robert M. Califf, added that the initiative could result in imported formula reaching US shelves in "a matter of weeks."