First Baby Formula Shipment Arrives From Europe On Military Plane

U.S. Military Assists In Baby Formula Imports To U.S.

Photo: Getty Images

The first shipment of baby formula from Europe arrived on a military transport plane in Indiana on Sunday (May 22). The shipment contains 78,000 pounds of formula to help ease the shortage that has worsened across the country over the past several months.

"Typically, the process to transport this product from Europe to U.S. would take two weeks. Thanks to Operation Fly Formula, we cut that down to approximately three days," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.

Officials said that the shipment contains medical-grade formula produced by Nestlé at an FDA-approved factory. More shipments are planned throughout the week.

"There's about enough formula on that plane, specialty medical grade formula, for about a half a million bottles. That's about 15% of the overall national volume this coming week," White House National Economic Council Director Brian Deese told Fox News Sunday.

While the baby formula has been an ongoing issue due to the coronavirus pandemic, it turned dire following the February closure of an Abbott Nutrition factory in Sturgis, Michigan, leaving parents struggling to find formula for their children. 

Abbott reached an agreement with the Food and Drug Administration to reopen the plant in the coming weeks, and the company hopes the have formula back on store shelves within the next two months.


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