FDA easing regulations to prevent future infant formula shortages

The Biden administration is taking new steps to prevent another infant formula shortage. The White House is going to work with foreign formula makers to try and keep their products on the market in the United States over the long term.

Back in February, Abbott, the largest maker of baby formula in the U.S., was forced to shut down a plant in Michigan over safety concerns. The plant re-opened in June but was forced to shut down again because severe weather damaged the facility.

The initial Abbott shutdown caused a ripple effect, sending parents across the country scrambling to find food to feed their babies. The second shutdown in June only extended the problem.

After weeks of near empty shelves, the FDA eased federal import regulations so foreign manufacturers could sell infant formula in the U.S.

This week, the FDA announced the agency will begin working with those foreign formula makers to secure long-term authorization to market their products in the U.S. permanently. The FDA will provide a way for producers temporarily selling in the U.S. to meet existing regulatory requirements so they can stay on the market.

The FDA will also host meetings and provide foreign producers with a single point of contact to work through the regulatory system and make the application process more efficient.

By providing more choices and making the supply chain more resilient, the Biden administration  hopes parents in the U.S. won’t need to worry about finding food for their babies.

“The need to diversify and strengthen the U.S. infant formula supply is more important than ever,” said FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf, and Susan Mayne, the director of the agency’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, in a statement. “The recent shutdown of a major infant formula plant, compounded by unforeseen natural weather events, has shown just how vulnerable the supply chain has become.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.