Top infant formula manufacturers Reckitt Benckiser (RKT.L) and Nestle have increased supplies to the United States in order to address a shortfall that has emptied shelves and generated parental worry.
Baby formula aisles at US supermarkets have been destroyed since major US maker Abbott Laboratories (ABT.N) recalled formulas in February following reports of bacterial illnesses.
Abbott announced on Monday that it has achieved an agreement with the US Food and Drug Administration to resume manufacturing of infant formula at its Michigan factory, a significant step toward alleviating the statewide shortage.
Meanwhile, other baby formula manufacturers have increased output and shipped excess supplies to the United States.
Reckitt Benckiser is increasing infant formula manufacturing by roughly 30% and increasing delivery frequency to US shops, an executive told Reuters on Tuesday.
Reckitt, which manufactures its US formula in three facilities in Michigan, Indiana, and Minnesota, has offered factories ‘unlimited overtime’ to work extra shifts, according to Robert Cleveland, senior vice president, North America and Europe Nutrition at Reckitt.
Prior to the Abbott recall, Reckitt supplied little more than a third of the US infant formula market, compared to Abbott’s around 44%. Reckitt Benckiser, based in the United Kingdom, told Reuters that it now accounts for more than half of the country’s entire baby formula supply.
‘We may pack an entire truck before shipping it. We’re not doing that in terms of timing. We’re filling it with as much merchandise as we can and simply trying to get it out the door,’ Cleveland explained.
The Food and Drug Administration announced on Monday that the United States will allow baby formula imports from overseas manufacturers who do not normally sell their products in the country.
Nestle is transporting baby formula supplies from the Netherlands and Switzerland to the United States, the firm said in an emailed statement to Reuters on Tuesday.
According to the company, Gerber baby food formula is being shipped from the Netherlands to the United States, and Alfamino infant formula is being shipped from Switzerland.
‘We prioritised these items because they serve a key medical purpose for newborns with cow’s milk protein sensitivities,’ the business explained. ‘Both products were already imported, but we bumped shipments up and hurried them through air to help meet acute needs.’
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