Nestlé to ship specialty formula to US during infant formula crisis

08 Aug 2022 --- The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announces that additional supplies of specialty formula are incoming from The Netherlands-based Nestlé Health Science. The shipment will include hypoallergenic formula as well as formula for infants with cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA).

The announcement comes one week after the FDA announced another infant formula company based in The Netherlands, Danone, would also be providing around 24,000 pounds of formula to help aid the US.

These new shipments into the US are the result of the Formula Act, which suspended tariffs on imported infant formula until the end of the year. The US initially started Operation Fly Formula and have now removed the tariffs surrounding imports.

Getting by with a little helpThe FDA announces that Nestlé will ship the equivalent of 495,000 full-size, 8-ounce bottles to the US this month.
The US has been in the grips of an infant formula supply chain struggle provoked by the pandemic and exacerbated by the double closure of Abbott Nutrition’s Sturgis, Michigan plant. 

Nestlé aims to aid the US in this by providing 37,500 cans – approximately 495,000 full-size, 8-ounce bottles – of SMA Nutrition Althéra. This is an extensively hydrolyzed, whey protein-based and hypoallergenic powdered formula that is meant to be used under medical supervision for infants with CMPA or other food allergies. The formula should be available this month.

The FDA is utilizing enforcement discretion for the products following a review of the safety, nutritional adequacy, labeling and microbiological testing as well as the inspection history of the production facilities.

Safety is key
The FDA has further announced a number of flexibilities in standards in order to promote domestically produced formula as well. Moreover, it holds that these efforts are already paying off, noting the re-opening of the Abbott plant will also help to increase formula production and availability.

In addition, the organization is warning parents and caregivers against making their own infant formula or diluting the formula they have. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has also announced resources to help parents and caregivers find and receive formula in emergencies.

Additionally, the FDA has stated they will continue to monitor for fraudulent infant formula products and will work with online retailers to ensure none of their products contain harmful or volatile products. It further stated that it would dedicate “all available resources” to make sure that formula products are available in the US as they are often the only source of nutrition for infants. 

Edited by William Bradford Nichols

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