White House says 1.25 million baby formula to arrive from Australia

The White House announced that 1.25 million cans of baby formula will be shipped to the United States from Australia in the coming weeks and months.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration made an announcement on Friday afternoon that the shipment, manufactured by Bubs Australia, will arrive in the United States in the coming weeks and months. The total shipment is equivalent to 27.5 million full-size, 8 ounce bottles of baby formula, according to the FDA. It contains several varieties of baby formula, such as stage 1 and 2 cans of Bubs Organic Grass Fed, Bubs Supreme A 2 Beta-Casein Protein and Bubs Easy-digest Goat Milk. The out-of-stock rate for baby formula in the United States increased to 70% for the week ending May 22, compared to a 45% out-of-stock rate for the week prior to that.

The nationwide baby formula shortage has escalated recently due to a voluntary recall by Abbott Nutrition of specific powdered formulas made at its Sturgis, Michigan facility after four complaints that four babies who consumed products made from the plant have been sick with a bacterial infection, and two of them died.

Abbott Nutrition said on May 11 that it could be months before its Sturgis plant's stock will reach store shelves after a voluntary recall forced the company to stop operations at the facility. The plant was closed in February. Abbott said that none of the infant deaths have been linked to any products made at the Sturgis plant.

The plant is expected to restart production on June 4 and is projecting that products from the plant won't be on store shelves until at least mid-July.

When questioned by U.S. House lawmakers on Wednesday, he apologized for the disruption but didn't answer questions about the Sturgis plant.

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