The U.S. government is flying out the first shipments of baby formula this weekend from Europe. The Department of Defense “will use its contracts with commercial air cargo lines, as it did to move materials during the early months of the Covid pandemic, to transport products from manufacturing facilities abroad that have met Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety standards,” the White House said.
“Bypassing regular air freighting routes will speed up the importation and distribution of formula and serve as an immediate support as manufacturers continue to ramp up production,” it said, dubbing the effort “Operation Fly Formula.”
“Operation Fly Formula” will send 132 pallets of Nestle Health Science Alfamino Infant and Alfamino Junior formula to Indiana from an airbase in Germany. Around 1.5 million 8-ounce bottles of three hypoallergenic formulas will arrive this week. According to officials, another 114 pallets of Gerber Good Start Extensive HA formula will arrive within the coming days. The shipments arrived via military aircraft, and President Biden authorized the operation. Unfortunately, no commercial flights were available to transport this weekend’s load.
Over the past few weeks, U.S. parents struggled to find baby formula. The country’s largest plant closed following a recall. And as stated previously, 98% of the country’s formula is made domestically. Thankfully, the Michigan Abbott plant reopens in the coming weeks. However, it will take about two months before new products can be shipped domestically. This week, the Food and Drug Administration eased importation requirements for baby formula to ease the supply crunch.
