Senators raise questions about baby formula shortage

In a new letter to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf, M.D., U.S. Senators Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) demanded answers regarding what they say was the FDA’s inadequate investigation into Abbott Nutrition’s Michigan manufacturing facility and failure to mitigate the nationwide baby formula shortage. The senators also requested information regarding when the White House was made aware of the dire situation and the steps available to limit the harmful impact on families and their newborns.

“Infant formula supplies at local grocery stores were relatively stable for the first half of 2021. The out-of-stock percentage started to climb steadily in the later half and continued to worsen throughout this year,” the senators wrote. “It’s concerning that FDA and key officials in the Administration did not anticipate this crisis or take action within days following Abbott Nutrition’s voluntary recall considering the company holds 48.1 percent of the U.S. market in infant formula. Families are getting to the brink of pursuing unsafe and potentially dangerous options to feed their infants including homemade infant formula. And physicians are, once again, running defense on misinformation due to a lack of federal action to get the word out on safe alternatives.”