Baby formula goes on sale at a big box store on January 13 in Chicago. Baby formula was in short supply at many stores across the US for several months.
Image by Scott Olson / Getty
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Image by Scott Olson / Getty
Baby formula goes on sale at a big box store on January 13 in Chicago. Baby formula was in short supply at many stores across the US for several months.
Image by Scott Olson / Getty
Formula shortages have worsened and have led some retailers to limit how much customers can buy in a given transaction.
During the week of March 13, approximately 29% of infant formula products were out of stock at retailers across the United States.
That’s according to data from product data company Datasembly, which analyzed more than 11,000 sellers of infant formula in the country.
Out-of-stock rates for infant formula ranged from 2% to 8% in the first seven months of last year, but it has steadily increased since then and reached 23% in January, Datasembly reported.
Thousands of babies around the country depend on formula every year. Only 25% of babies born in 2017 were Breastfeeding exclusively with breast milk during their first six months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The pressure on infant formula comes as the US economy continues to face rising inflation and ongoing supply chain problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Consumers have taken to social media to complain about empty shelves, and shortages have prompted at least one national chain to distribute stockpiles of infant formula.
Walgreens, the pharmaceutical giant with more than 9,000 stores across the United States, is limiting purchases of all infant and toddler formulas to three servings per transaction.
A Walgreens spokesperson told NPR: “Due to increased demand and varying supplier challenges, infant and toddler formula varieties are being restricted nationally.” “We continue to work diligently with our supply partners to best meet our customers’ needs.”
This happened just two months after the healthcare company Abbott has recalled some of its infant formulas about consumer complaints regarding Cronobacter sakazakiiand SalmonellaNewport.
The company said none of the products distributed – including Similac, Alimentum and EleCare infant formula – tested positive for the bacteria. However, it did find evidence of Cronobacter sakazakiiin non-product contact areas of its Sturgis, Mich., manufacturing facility.
Abbott later extended the recall after learning of the death of an infant who had taken Similac PM 60/40 and tested positive for it.Cronobacter sakazakiibut it says the cause of the infection has yet to be determined.
