The US president Joe Biden met with baby formula manufacturers and retailers Walmart, Target, Reckitt and Gerber on Thursday to discuss with them the steps they were taking to address the baby formula shortage parents across the US are facing.
The Biden administration in a release after the meeting said that it was discussing measures to address the worsening shortage of baby formula. The officials announced efforts to hasten manufacturing and increase imports as pressure grew to respond to the situation as parents’ worries increased as store shelves remained empty.
They also discussed steps that the federal government can take to help restock the empty store shelves. The focus was also on ensuring that rural areas in the US also have access to baby formula amid the crisis, people familiar with the developments told The New York Times.
The administration announced that to increase supply it will push states waive packaging regulation in order to allow manufacturers to get baby formula to retail store owners quicker. The Federal Trade Commission and state officials have been tasked to crack down on those who are charging customers more than the usual price. It will ask companies to implement buying limits, the people mentioned above told The New York Times.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will soon announce that the US will begin importing more shipments of baby formula. Despite these steps, the officials accepted that there will be no immediate relief. The NYT report also pointed out that the shortage is expected to last for months even though the government, manufacturers and retailers are working together to address the crisis.
The Biden administration is facing harsh criticism from the Republican party. The Republicans have sharpened their criticism of Biden and ahead of the midterm congressional elections have chosen to turn the crisis into a political weapon.
They said that the shortage was evidence that the Democratic rule in Washington led to inflation, high gas prices and economic challenges.
“Our message to parents is, we hear you, we want to do everything we can and we’re going to cut every element of red tape to help address this and make it better for you, to get formula on the shelves. The steps the president took today are an acknowledgment and a recognition that more needs to be done,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.
(with inputs from The New York Times)
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