The first shipment of baby formula from Europe arrived in the U.S.

A military cargo plane with the first shipment of infant formula from Europe landed in Indianapolis.

Recall that an acute shortage of infant formula occurred in the U.S. due to the fact that on February 17 leading baby formula manufacturer Abbott Laboratories recalled its products and closed its plant in Sturgis, Michigan.

A senior administration official noted the importance of supplies from Europe, while stressing that more work remains to be done to resolve the crisis.

“This is an important step, but it is far from the only step that needs to be taken. We will continue to work as directed by the president and look for every opportunity to increase supplies,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who welcomed the plane upon its arrival.

“This particular formula is for a very, very small percentage of children. About 17,000 children in the country will basically get this particular formula,” Vilsack said.

Last week, Biden tapped the Defense Production Act to help increase supplies.

Nestle said new shipments will be delivered in the coming days.
Abbott, the largest U.S. supplier of powdered infant formula, closed its Michigan plant after reports of bacterial infections in four infants, compounding a shortage among several manufacturers that began because of supply chain problems related to the pandemic.

Company CEO Robert Ford apologized Sunday for the shortage and promised to fix the situation, adding that the plant would reopen the first week of June and that it would take six to eight weeks for the products to hit store shelves.