Parents of infants will be seeing formula back on the shelves sooner than they think.
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said that about a million containers will be on store shelves two weeks sooner than they would otherwise.
The formula shortage has been around since the Abbott plant shut down production in February due to contamination problems.
Similar to Michigan, some states have reported that more than 50% of formula supply that is sold out is on recall.
Read more: University of Michigan expert: Formula shortage hitting low-income families hardest
This past week infant formulas from overseas have been flown into the United States to help ease the stress about the shortage.
So far about 78,000 pounds have arrived and according to officials, another 2 million cans from Kendal Nutricare in the U.K. will be arriving in June.
“We’ll begin to see hopefully more supply in the next couple of weeks, and over the course of several weeks we should see a lessening of the tremendous stress people have been feeling,” said Vilsack.
This past month the White House announced the first two Defense Production Act authorizations for infant formula. Both of these authorizations are backed by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Related: Scammers exploit baby formula shortage: What to know
Here is a list of manufacture hotlines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):
Manufacturer hotlines
- Gerber’s MyGerber Baby Expert: Reach a certified nutrition or lactation consultant by phone, text, Facebook Messenger, web chat, or video call, who can help you identify a similar formula that may be more readily available
- Abbott’s Consumer Hotline: Call 1-800-986-8540
- Abbott’s urgent product request line: Ask your OBGYN or your infant’s pediatrician to submit an urgent product request by downloading and completing the form - PDF
- Reckitt’s Customer Service line: Call 1-800 BABY-123 (222-9123)
Click here to join the Detroit Area Formula Finder Facebook page.
Michigan WIC resource
Michigan’s Women, Infants & Children (WIC) program announced that people who receive benefits can purchase a variety of powder baby formula using their WIC benefits due to the Abbott recall. You can find the full list of baby formulas that can be purchased temporarily on the state’s website right here, or in the document below.