First baby method cargo arrives in U.S. from Europe

WASHINGTON, Might 22 (Reuters) - A navy cargo aircraft carrying the first cargo of toddler formula from Europe to help tackle a critical shortage in the United States landed in Indianapolis on Sunday, and the White Home stated a second flight had been organized.

A Feb. 17 recall by top child system maker Abbott Laboratories (ABT.N) and the closing of its manufacturing plant in Sturgis, Michigan during an investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has created one of the largest toddler formula shortages in latest historical past for U.S. families.

"This is a crucial step, but it is in no way the one step that must take place. We are going to continue to work as the president has instructed us to search for every opportunity to extend supply," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who greeted the aircraft on its arrival.

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

President Joe Biden's administration is looking for to stock empty shelves with 1.5 million containers of Nestle (NESN.S) specialty infant formulation. Biden final week invoked the Cold War-era Defense Manufacturing Act to help increase provides.

The White House mentioned on Sunday a second flight carrying method would leave from Ramstein Air Base in Germany in coming days. The White Home said that Abbott and a second child formulation maker, Reckitt , were the first corporations given precedence status for raw supplies underneath the Protection Production Act.

Pallets of infant formulation being shipped from Europe to america during Operation Fly Formulation are seen in a transport plane at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, in a photograph launched Might 22, 2022. The White House/Handout by way of REUTERS

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Nestle additionally said extra shipments would arrive within the coming days. read more

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

Abbott, the most important U.S. supplier of powder toddler formula, closed its Michigan plant following stories of bacterial infections in 4 infants, worsening a scarcity amongst a number of producers that began with supply-chain issues tied to the coronavirus pandemic.

Abbott Chief Govt Robert Ford apologized for the scarcity on Sunday and promised to fix it, adding the plant would reopen within the first week of June, and it might take six to eight weeks for merchandise to achieve store cabinets.

"We're sorry to every family we've let down since our voluntary recall exacerbated our nation’s baby components shortage," he wrote in a Washington Publish column.

New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday declared a state of emergency to stop price gouging of child components.

"This emergency government order will assist us to crack down on any retailer looking to capitalize on this disaster by jacking up costs on this essential good," Adams mentioned in a press release.

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

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Rules.