The closure of an Abbott factory in the United States has led to a shortage of baby milk powder, reaching a stock-out rate of 43%. The White House announces new measures to prevent parents from finding empty shelves.
Why is there a milk shortage in the United States?
For several days, American parents are facing a shortage of powdered milk for their baby. Last weekend, the stock-out rate reached 43%, 10% more than the average for April 2022, according to data provider Datasembly. The infant milk shelves are indeed empty, in particular because of supply problems, as well as closing of a factory of the manufacturer Abbott. The starting point of this shortage? The death of two babies which forced this milk manufacturer to recall powdered milk on February 17 (including the Similac milk), at its plant in Michigan. The targeted milk was ultimately not in question, but milk production could not resume, which aggravated the shortage. In addition, babies who depend on specially adapted milks produced only by Abbott are the most affected by this crisis. According to the White House, 5,000 infants are affected, as well as children suffering from rare metabolic diseases.
What measures announced by the White House?
This Thursday, May 12, the White House assured to take this shortage of milk very seriously. But the government has been singled out on numerous occasions for its lack of action in the face of this shortage which has affected infants for several weeks. “It’s a job that’s been going on for months.” replied spokeswoman Jen Psaki. “Our message to parents is: we heard, we want to do everything we can.”, she said. Joe Biden and his administration notably plan toincrease infant milk imports, and reduce the administrative burden for families who buy their milk powder using food stamps. Finally, the federal competition authority should tackle the resale of milk powder at prices that exceed the usual rates.