WASHINGTON, D.C. (WTAJ) — Another shipment of baby formula is set to leave Europe and is destined to reach Pennsylvania in the next few days, according to President Biden.
After 78,000 pounds of formula landed in Indianapolis, the president took to Twitter to announce the next shipment was in the works.
“I have an update on Operation Fly Formula. We have secured a second flight to transport Nestlé specialty infant formula to Pennsylvania. The flight and trucking will take place in the coming days, and I will continue to keep you updated.”
President Joe Biden via Twitter
According to a White House release, 114 pallets of formula would leave the Ramstein Air Base in Germany and land at the Washington Dulles International Airport and then make its way north via FedEx to a Nestle plant in Pennsylvania. The Gerber Good Start Extensive HA shipment can fill an estimated 1.4 million 8oz. bottles, they said.
The second shipment, set to arrive in the “coming days,” was announced by Biden just days after the United States received 78,000 pounds of formula through their Operation Fly Formula. The Operation is a result of a major country-wide shortage brought on by Abbott Nutrition being shut down by the FDA.
The manufacturer can now receive priority orders of raw materials like sugar and corn syrup for infant formula, which the White House said will allow the manufacturer to increase production quickly by one-third.
Nestle said that over the past few months it has worked “around the clock” to address the formula shortage and help meet demand.
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“We have significantly increased the amount of our formulas available to consumers by ramping up production and accelerating general product availability to retailers and online, as well as through hospitals and home health care for those most vulnerable,” the company said in a release.
U.S. regulators and Abbott Nutrition hope to have its Michigan plant reopened next week, but it will take about two months before product is ready for delivery. The Food and Drug Administration this week eased importation requirements for baby formula to try to ease the supply crunch, which has left store shelves void of some brands and some retailers rationing supply for parents nervous about feeding their children.
Michael Conroy and The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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