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Across the country, families have been sent scrambling, and some major retailers have been forced to ration supplies as the US contends with a shortage of infant formula.
Stores have been dealing with supply chain issues since the beginning of the pandemic, with baby formula becoming the latest commodity to disappear from store shelves, though the Infant Nutrition Council of America said that manufacturers’ have been ramping up production to meet families’ needs.
The shortage was exasperated by a February recalled of powdered baby formula that led to illnesses in multiple children.
“We know that the recall of Abbott’s Similac infant formula has further exacerbated an industry-wide infant formula supply shortage, and we deeply regret the anxiety and impact this is having for parents, caregivers and healthcare providers,” an Abbott spokesperson said. "We are doing everything we can to address it.”
According to reports, upwards of 30 percent of baby formula products were out of stock at US retailers as recently as the end of March.
The Council further advised that parents should keep a 10-day to two-week supply of formula for children without stockpiling products.
In response to the shortages, retailers such as Kroger, Walgreens, and CVS have all announced they will be limiting how much formula parents can purchase to help alleviate the supply chain strains.
“Due to increased demand and various supplier challenges, infant and toddler formulas are seeing constraint across the country," a Walgreens spokesperson stated. "We continue to work diligently with our supplier partners to best meet customer demands.”
Officials have also issued alerts warning to parents about trying to cut corners to stretch out the amount of formula available to their children.
Health officials said that parents should not try to dilute the formula to make it last longer, as children won’t “get enough carbohydrates for their brain or protein for growth or any of the other vitamins and minerals,” because it will throw off the ratio of the product.
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