A sigh of relief in the US: A delivery of baby food, carried by military aircraft, reached the United States on Monday. Meanwhile, work continues at full speed to solve the biggest baby food crisis in recent decades and ensure safe baby food. The US government said there should be a second flight later this week, departing from the US base in Ramstein, Germany.
US President Joe Biden last week reactivated a Cold War-era emergency law to allow the private sector to intervene to solve the problem. According to the Berlin-based Association of Milk Exporters, US authorities are currently requesting deliveries from Germany.
The background to the crisis is the closure of an important baby food factory in the US due to lack of hygiene.
However, the need is far from being met
To ensure the supply, the US government has created “Operation Fly Formula”, based on the English term for baby food “Infant Formula”. The US Department of Defense may also use commercial aircraft to transport the gunpowder.
According to US information, 132 pallets from the Swiss Nestle group arrived in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Sunday, and another 114 pallets will arrive on the next flight. The amount of powder supplied would be enough for about 1.5 million baby bottles, but this is far from the required amount.
“Apologies to every family”
The American group Abbott had to temporarily close its factory in the state of Michigan in mid-February. According to the authorities, the reason for this was bacterial infections in four infants. In fact, Abbott covers a larger portion of infant formula in the US. “We apologize to every family we have failed,” Abbott CEO Robert Ford wrote in the Washington Post over the weekend.
Europe is now ramping up production
To resolve the crisis, British company Reckitt Benckiser has increased its baby food production by about 30 percent and increased its deliveries. France’s Danone has also increased its exports, according to US Customs data. Delivery by other manufacturers is now also causing problems. On the one hand, according to the milk export association, it must become clear whether companies actually have the capacity to expand their production.
Much more important, however, is the issue of market approval. Such procedures usually take a long time. In this case, however, the US has an urgent need. Whether this could change anything in the approval process remains to be seen.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
