The White House is teasing a plan to import more baby formula as the closed manufacturing facility takes steps to come back online amid the nationwide shortage.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre previewed the Food and Drug Administration's announcement regarding the reopening of the Abbott Nutrition facility in Sturgis, Michigan, after a number of its powdered formulas were recalled due to contamination concerns.
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"We're also moving as quickly as possible to safely bring in additional products from other countries as soon as today," Jean-Pierre told reporters on Monday.
Jean-Pierre described the baby formula shortage as one of President Joe Biden's "top" priorities, saying he and his aides were working "overtime."
"The president understands. He gets it, gets how stressful it is for parents trying to feed their children," she said.
Biden met with baby formula manufacturers and retailers last week before announcing another round of measures aimed at addressing the problem, including calling on the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to crack down on price gouging and unfair market practices. He had earlier worked with industry partners to increase production and discourage hoarding, in addition to expediting FDA review processes and seizing importation opportunities from countries such as Chile, Ireland, Mexico, and the Netherlands.
The Abbott recall in February was triggered by reports of four infants who had become sick with Cronobacter sakazakii, two dying from the bacterium.
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A recent Datasembly analysis found that 40% of major baby formula brands were sold out across the country at the end of last month.