mommy i want some milk oh sure angel come here give me a little something recent shortages of
various products have mostly just been inconvenient but now there's a shortage
of baby formula there's a lot of questionable information out there so here are 10 things you
need to know about the baby formula shortage formula fact this flavor is baby formula
the latest statistics indicate that about 25 of caregivers 30 years old and over use some
type of formula to feed their babies teenagers use formulas at a much higher rate which is about 57
in california the percentage who use formula is only about 10 percent arkansas and alabama have
two of the highest rates of caregivers opting to use formula at around 40 to 50 percent
those who choose to feed their babies using formula became comfortable relying on the
commercially available products because they are generally of high quality and were always
available many may prefer a certain brand over another or they may need a certain brand of
formula based on the particular nutritional needs of their baby even caregivers with specific needs
were able to get the products they wanted that's what we need then yes the modern logistics and
supply chain networks allowed people to get the products they needed on a reliable basis
parents across america were caught off guard several months ago when they started seeing
sinning and sometimes empty shelves when shopping for baby formula the sudden scarcity led some
people to overbuy which only worsened the problem for other parents the baby formula shortage is a
problem that is likely going to linger making things difficult for the foreseeable future
formula for trouble getting some trouble we're there on a double many of us were unaware just
how precarious the global supply chain was until the pandemic related shutdowns exposed
its shortcomings not being able to get your favorite brand of coffee at the grocery store
or waiting a few extra weeks for a dress to arrive from overseas are sometimes referred to as first
world problems however the alarming shortage of certain baby formulas in the united states cannot
be taken lightly and it seems the shortages were largely preventable the supply chain was already
strained when abbott laboratories closed its baby formula plant in february due to concerns
about possible contaminated formula abbott is one of only a handful of companies that make
most of the baby formula sold in america according to one news report four manufacturers make up
nearly 90 percent of the market space it's been several months now so you have to start to wonder
what's going on with the supply of baby formula i smelled something fishy apparently the federal
government is moving to help get abbott's michigan plant up and running sooner rather than later
in the meantime abbott has put out a statement that provided a toll-free number 1-800-881-0876
so customers can call to request baby formula directly from the company on a case-by-case basis
total recall we're going to be recalling all of that paper products from cars to
kale are subject to recalls all the time but they usually aren't big stories unless they
are directly related to injuries or deaths the food and drug administration expressed concerns
about a possible bacterial outbreak at abbott's michigan plant this led abbott to voluntarily
shut down the plant so it could investigate abbott decided to recall several brands of baby formula
manufactured at the plant the plant was shut down in february because the fda asserted that at least
two babies had died after consuming contaminated formula produced at the plant
the company has publicly pushed back against the government's allegations that the problem
originated at the plant abbott contends that the baby's cases do not match up and that there
is no evidence that actually points to the plant being the source of the contamination
it's you it's your fault regardless of what the truth is the plant has been closed for over three
months and this has shined a spotlight on the fact that it produces a significant percentage of all
the baby formulas sold in america the fda does not seem to have had a plan to sustain the supply
of baby formula after the shutdown this would seem something that needed to be addressed knowing that
it shut down the major formula producer in the country formula for cooperation we have to fight
together difficult times often lead to creative measures one of the ways parents are dealing with
the baby formula shortage is to form connections online and on social media to support one another
the cooperative efforts these folks are making are one of the things you need to know about the baby
formula shortage information about stores and internet sites where they can potentially find
baby formula is collected and shared this kind of help is especially helpful if a baby is in need of
a specialty formula because of unique nutritional requirements groups on facebook and other social
media platforms offer support information and even alternatives to commercial baby formula
some of these groups post homemade formula recipes but diy formula recipes can be a controversial
topic was it stupid and dangerous many doctors and other health care professionals have expressed
skepticism and some have even warned about serious health dangers associated with homemade formulas
the ongoing baby formula shortage has few silver linings but perhaps one positive note
is that communities have been formed on social media to help everyone navigate this difficult
time social media is often rightly criticized for the negativity and triviality it encourages
so it's good to see the platforms being put to a good use for a change supply and demand
exactly supply and demand like this a report put out by the department of agriculture states the
special supplemental nutrition program for women infants and children wic is the major purchaser of
infant formula in the united states no one wants any american babies to go hungry but
if the government is going to put itself in the position of stockpiling baby formula then it seems
like it should have the responsibility to step up when the store shelves start to go bare there are
some questions that still haven't been answered about the program such as how much baby formula
does the us government currently have stacked on pallets and warehouses many people were probably
surprised when they saw the photographs of pallets of baby formula sitting at the southern border
while parents were dealing with a baby formula shortage why the government admits that it buys a
lot of baby formula so it has to do a much better job of helping to get it to the people when there
is the kind of shortage parents are experiencing the government pressured the michigan processing
plan to shut down so that means the government is on the hook to help solve the problem as quickly
as possible it makes no sense to have pallets of baby formula sitting in a warehouse in texas
or any place else when there are those scrambling right now to find formula to feed their kids
red tape so much red tape the biden administration has stated that it is working to allow baby
formula that was to be exported to other countries to remain in america to be sold to anxious parents
this plan can help boost supplies a little bit in the short term but more could be done the food
and drug administration and abbott have supposedly reached an agreement that would allow the michigan
plant to reopen soon however the company has stated that it expects there to be as much as a
six to eight week lag time after the plant resumes production to the baby formula reaching the store
shelves currently there are tariffs on imported baby formula and this has kept the supply of
foreign made products smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2021 the fda blocked supplies of
formula from germany because of labeling issues that apparently have nothing to do with product
safety the government needs to get out of the way and let people buy the baby formula they
want whether it's made in america or germany it's up to us to us the biden administration
decided to invoke the defense production act which is intended to make it easier for plants
to produce more formula it has also announced operation fly formula that will use military
planes to transport baby formula to america from other countries government red tape is always
annoying but now it's causing serious problems and it's contributing to the baby formula shortage
alternate sources i might have a solution most baby formula used by american parents is made
in american plants but there are some imported baby formulas that are made in europe and canada
the food and drug administration and other government agencies have discouraged parents from
buying foreign-made baby formula according to the government these foreign formulas often don't meet
fda regulations however these compliance failures often boil down to paperwork and
labeling issues and usually have nothing to do with health and safety concerns
you didn't file your paperwork last night this is an important point because parents shouldn't have
to worry about the safety of domestic or imported formulas when all the evidence shows they are safe
it's probably past time for the fda to focus on more pressing problems than baby formula
labels importing more formula from canada and europe could be part of a long-term strategy to
prevent shortages in the future on the other hand there is no good reason why american
companies shouldn't be able to produce enough baby formula to supply the population the supply chain
challenges partially brought on by the shutdowns certainly had a serious impact but the government
and the private secret seem to move much too slowly to try to correct the problem diy it's
homemade you can find pretty much anything on the internet these days and you can find many
recipes for homemade baby formula do-it-yourself baby formula is controversial in some quarters
including with many pediatricians the food and drug administration's position is that parents
should not make their own baby formula government officials and many doctors seem to be concerned
that the homemade formulas won't contain enough fat calories and other vital nutrients to ensure
proper nutrition the recipes found online for homemade formula usually include the following
ingredients whole milk some recipes call for raw milk cream lactose whey sunflower oil coconut oil
and filtered water these recipes remind potential users to include the full fat ingredients and use
the highest quality ingredients available only use quality ingredients some of the people who
post homemade formula recipes insist that their recipes are actually the healthier option but
this is a decision that parents have to make for themselves there are a lot of variations possible
within the basic recipes such as adding particular ingredients to satisfy a baby's unique nutritional
needs like many things you see on the internet parents need to be vigilant and perform the
due diligence to ensure that the do it yourself recipes are safe and provide the proper nutrition
the social media formula don't believe everything you read on wikipedia many caregivers have turned
to social media for help as they seek advice and information about how to get enough formula
to feed their babies as helpful as social media can be to those looking for answers
it can also muddy the waters and leave people wondering what the truth is for example there's
a story making the rounds on social media that accuses billionaire bill gates of causing the
baby formula shortage the theory argues that gates caused the shortage to benefit his investment in a
company that produces breast milk in a laboratory according to the company its product is still
three to five years away from market conspiracy theories gain currency when people feel like
the mundane explanations are inadequate another controversy fueled by the baby formula shortage
that has sprung up on social media involves the current abortion issues in the country some people
would probably argue the connection is tenuous at best it's all connected shut up however others on
social media are making the argument that everyone should have unfettered access to abortion because
if more babies are born the baby formula shortages will only get worse some parents should probably
focus on getting their babies enough nutrition and lay off the social media for a while
supply chain i believe we can correct the supply chain issue anyone who's been shopping during the
last two years is well aware of the ongoing supply chain issues america and most of the
world have been experiencing to various degrees unfortunately it's a complicated problem with many
facets and few easy fixes the supply chain was put under unprecedented strain during the pandemic
businesses factories and plants were shut down for various amounts of time but demand for many
products went up as people scrambled to adjust to the shutdowns and spent weeks and then months
mostly at home america has a shortage of tens of thousands of truck drivers and since most goods
are delivered to stores by truck it's no surprise many items including baby formula have experienced
shortages the economy relies on a global supply chain and this is supposed to facilitate the flow
of relatively inexpensive goods from all corners of the globe we are doomed however baby formula
doesn't seem to have benefited much from this because getting formula from
europe for instance hasn't always been easy the current administration is working to correct
some of these supply chain issues but there is no magic wand to waive so it will take time to
get things back to normal this is an important thing to consider and one of the things you
need to know about the baby formula shortage stick around leave a comment tap or click on
another great video hit that subscribe button and ring that notification bell