The US will charter an airlift to import baby milk

• USA Concern among Americans about the shortage of formula milk causes shortages in supermarkets

The United States will mount an airlift to import powdered baby milk on

to fill shortages of that product, the White House said Wednesday.

The shortage - the result of supply chain problems and massive product recalls - is driving parents to despair and has become a

as November's midterm elections approach.

The Department of Defense "will use its contracts with cargo airlines, as it did to move materials during the early months of the Covid pandemic, to

that meet Food and Drug Administration standards. "

of the United States (FDA)," the White House said.

"The air connection through regular routes will speed up the importation and distribution of powdered milk and will serve as immediate support

and efforts are redoubled for the air operation.

Biden also mentioned the

to prioritize supplies to baby product makers.

"Instructing companies to prioritize and allocate production of this key baby product will help increase production and speed up supply chains," the White House added.

Initially caused by supply blockages and labor shortages, the powdered milk shortage deepened in February when,

manufacturer Abbott announced a "voluntary recall" of its baby formula made in its facilities in Michigan.

The FDA investigation clarified the formula and reached an agreement with Abbott to resume production, but it will take weeks to get the essential product to warehouses.

filling the gap

Biden wrote to the heads of the Departments of Agriculture and Health, that imports of the powdered formula "will serve as a bridge to the acceleration of production."

"However, I ask that you take all appropriate measures available to

safe formula in the country immediately," the president said in his letter.

The shortage has left

Powdered milk is a necessity for many families, particularly low-income families where mothers must return to work almost immediately after giving birth and are unable to breastfeed.

One more problem is that

have skyrocketed.

Parents' desperation is evident on social media where posts shared hundreds of thousands of times urge parents to

something advised against by experts who say this will not have the necessary nutrients for children and could put them sick.

This is already having political consequences with the Republican opposition - which has its sights set on regaining control of Congress in the November elections - taking advantage of the issue to attack Biden and the Democrats.

The United States

of powdered baby milk.

The product's average stock-out rate reached 43% at the start of this month, according to Datasembly, which collected information from more than 11,000 sellers.

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