First baby components cargo arrives in U.S. from Europe

WASHINGTON, Could 22 (Reuters) - A navy cargo aircraft carrying the primary cargo of toddler method from Europe to help handle a important shortage in the United States landed in Indianapolis on Sunday, and the White Home said a second flight had been arranged.

A Feb. 17 recall by prime child components maker Abbott Laboratories (ABT.N) and the closing of its manufacturing plant in Sturgis, Michigan during an investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has created one of many biggest toddler formula shortages in latest historical past for U.S. households.

"This is a crucial step, however it's certainly not the only step that should happen. We will continue to work because the president has instructed us to search for each opportunity to increase provide," mentioned Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who greeted the plane on its arrival.

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"This specific system is for a really, very small share of kids. Roughly 17,000 children within the country basically are the beneficiaries of this particular formulation," he mentioned.

President Joe Biden's administration is in search of to stock empty shelves with 1.5 million containers of Nestle (NESN.S) specialty toddler formulas. Biden final week invoked the Cold Struggle-era Defense Manufacturing Act to help enhance supplies.

The White House mentioned on Sunday a second flight carrying formula would go away from Ramstein Air Base in Germany in coming days. The White House said that Abbott and a second child components maker, Reckitt , were the primary companies given priority status for uncooked provides underneath the Protection Production Act.

Pallets of toddler formula being shipped from Europe to the USA during Operation Fly Formula are seen in a transport aircraft at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, in a photograph released Might 22, 2022. The White Home/Handout through REUTERS

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Nestle additionally said more shipments would arrive in the coming days. read extra

Troops used forklifts to unload containers of the cargo from the airplane in Indianapolis and onto vans heading to distribution facilities.The White House mentioned 78,000 pounds (35,000 kg) of specialty toddler formula - sufficient for 500,000 bottles - had arrived on the flight.

Abbott, the most important U.S. provider of powder toddler method, closed its Michigan plant following studies of bacterial infections in 4 infants, worsening a shortage among a number of producers that started with supply-chain points tied to the coronavirus pandemic.

Abbott Chief Government Robert Ford apologized for the shortage on Sunday and promised to repair it, adding the plant would reopen within the first week of June, and it will take six to eight weeks for merchandise to reach store shelves.

"We're sorry to every family we have let down since our voluntary recall exacerbated our nation’s child method shortage," he wrote in a Washington Post column.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday declared a state of emergency to prevent price gouging of baby formula.

"This emergency executive order will assist us to crack down on any retailer looking to capitalize on this crisis by jacking up costs on this essential good," Adams mentioned in a statement.

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Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein and Chris Gallagher, extra reporting by Jessica DiNapoli in Davos, Switzerland, Barbara Goldberg in New York and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Modifying by Ross Colvin, Bill Berkrot, Chris Reese and Paul Simao

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