Amidst worsening shortage of special milk, the US is flying in millions of cans of baby formula made from Australian goat and grass-fed cow milk.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Bubs Australia, a company that produces premium infant nutrition and dairy products, would deliver at least 1.25 million cans of several varieties of their new-born formula, including Bubs Organic Grass-Fed and Bubs Easy-digest Goat Milk.
The imports will be enough to make 27.5 million 8-ounce bottles. FDA stated that some of the cans are ready to ship, and more will be made and distributed in the coming weeks.
This decision to ship cans comes after the FDA announced additional flexibility to import infant formula from other countries. Usually, the United States produces 98% of the baby formula within the country.
FDA Commissioner Robert Califf stated that the administration would continue to work around the clock with the US government and businesses to ensure ample infant formula is available.
He also said that the FDA would ensure the availability and accessibility of more infant formula to parents and caregivers in the near future. He added that the authority would not stop until the US stores have safe and healthy infant formula.
On May 27, Kendamil, a UK-based baby formula manufacturing firm, announced the supply of 100 truckloads worth of baby formula to the US.
In recent weeks, parents have resorted to more desperate measures, with harmful do-it-yourself (DYI) or homemade formula recipes to feed infants viral on social media.