First baby formula shipment arrives in U.S. from Europe

WASHINGTON, Could 22 (Reuters) - A military cargo airplane carrying the first shipment of infant method from Europe to assist handle a essential shortage in the USA landed in Indianapolis on Sunday, and the White Home mentioned a second flight had been arranged.

A Feb. 17 recall by prime baby formula maker Abbott Laboratories (ABT.N) and the closing of its manufacturing plant in Sturgis, Michigan throughout an investigation by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration has created one of the biggest infant components shortages in recent history for U.S. households.

"This is a crucial step, but it is not at all the only step that must happen. We will continue to work as the president has instructed us to search for every opportunity to extend provide," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who greeted the aircraft on its arrival.

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"This particular system is for a very, very small percentage of children. Roughly 17,000 children in the nation basically are the beneficiaries of this explicit components," he said.

President Joe Biden's administration is searching for to inventory empty shelves with 1.5 million containers of Nestle (NESN.S) specialty toddler formulas. Biden final week invoked the Cold War-era Protection Production Act to assist enhance supplies.

The White House stated on Sunday a second flight carrying system would go away from Ramstein Air Base in Germany in coming days. The White Home said that Abbott and a second child formula maker, Reckitt , had been the first companies given priority status for raw supplies under the Protection Production Act.

Pallets of toddler formulation being shipped from Europe to america during Operation Fly Formula are seen in a transport plane at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, in a photograph launched Might 22, 2022. The White Home/Handout via REUTERS

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Nestle also said more shipments would arrive within the coming days. learn more

Troops used forklifts to unload boxes of the cargo from the aircraft in Indianapolis and onto trucks heading to distribution facilities.The White House said 78,000 kilos (35,000 kg) of specialty infant components - enough for 500,000 bottles - had arrived on the flight.

Abbott, the biggest U.S. provider of powder toddler system, closed its Michigan plant following reports of bacterial infections in 4 infants, worsening a shortage among a number of manufacturers that began with supply-chain points tied to the coronavirus pandemic.

Abbott Chief Government Robert Ford apologized for the scarcity on Sunday and promised to fix it, adding the plant would reopen in the first week of June, and it could take six to eight weeks for merchandise to reach retailer cabinets.

"We're sorry to each household we've let down since our voluntary recall exacerbated our nation’s baby formulation scarcity," he wrote in a Washington Post column.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday declared a state of emergency to prevent value gouging of child formulation.

"This emergency government order will assist us to crack down on any retailer trying to capitalize on this crisis by jacking up prices on this essential good," Adams said in a statement.

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Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein and Chris Gallagher, further reporting by Jessica DiNapoli in Davos, Switzerland, Barbara Goldberg in New York and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Enhancing by Ross Colvin, Bill Berkrot, Chris Reese and Paul Simao

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