Shelves of baby formula at a store in Virginia on May 13. Photo: Liu Jie/Xinhua via Getty Images
Nestlé, the owner of Gerber baby food, has flown in extra baby formula to the U.S. from Switzerland and the Netherlands to help alleviate the ongoing baby formula shortage.
Why it matters: The result of pandemic supply chain issues and a massive recall, the shortage has seen parents scrambling to find baby formula.
- About 3 in 4 babies are fed formula by six months old as a complete or partial substitute for human milk, writes Axios' Nathan Bomey.
The big picture: The company has imported shipments of Gerber Good Start Extensive HA from the Netherlands and Alfamino from Switzerland, a Nestlé spokesperson told Axios in a statement.
- Those formulas were specifically chosen because they "serve a critical medical purpose as they are for babies with cow’s milk protein allergies," they added.
- Both formulas were already being imported, which enabled Nestlé to act quickly.
- The company is also reviewing new guidance issued by the Food and Drug Administration on Monday to determine "where we may be able to tap into the Nestlé global nutrition network to help."
What they're saying: "At Gerber, our mission is 'anything for baby' and we are absolutely committed to doing everything we can to help get parents and caregivers the formula they need so their babies can thrive," the statement read.
- "We moved shipments up and rushed via air to help fill immediate needs."
Go deeper: Why there is a baby formula crisis and what can be done about it