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Nestlé SA is shipping supplies of baby formula to the United States from the Netherlands and Switzerland to alleviate shortages in US supermarkets, the company said on Tuesday.
The world’s largest food company rushed shipments from Gerber Good Start Extensive HA from the Netherlands and Alfamino from Switzerland, prioritizing them because they are necessary for the babies with allergies to cow’s milk protein, a spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
“We gave priority to these products because they have a critical medical purpose, since they are for babies with allergies to cow’s milk protein” , the company said.
“Both products were already being imported, but we advanced shipments and rushed by air to help meet the needs i nimmediate.”
The baby formula aisles in U.S. supermarkets … have been emptied by panicked parents since major US manufacturer Abbott Laboratories recalled dozens of types of its Similac, Alimentum and EleCare formulas in February.
Reckitt Benckiser is boosting baby formula production by about a 30% and making more frequent deliveries to stores as it seeks to counter national shortages at US supermarkets, a company executive said Tuesday.
The shortage began with supply chain problems during the pandemic and was exacerbated by a recall stemming from a September complaint, when infant formula manufactured by Abbott Laboratories was first linked to a case of a rare bacterial infection.
Danone, owner of Happ labels and Family and Happy Baby, said it is working to boost production, as is Nestlé.
The shortage has prompted calls for greater flexibility to purchase alternative formulas, especially for low-income families receiving federal assistance. Almost half of the babies in the program are covered by an Abbott contract.
Nestlé said it has ramped up production, with factories running at full capacity, and is increasing its product offerings in physical and online stores, as well as in hospitals.
Danone continues to push to increase production as much as possible, a spokeswoman said in an email.
The company website also lists recommended substitutions with similar recipes.
“High demand has affected our formula availability,” he said, declining to comment. whether the company was shipping products from other regions or what formulas it is prioritizing. “Our manufacturing plant is operating at full capacity and we are prioritizing the production of our best-selling infant formulas.”
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