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Fact check: Third-party sellers on Canadian Amazon can ship baby formula to U.S. customers

Ana Faguy
USA TODAY

The claim: American parents can get baby formula by using Canadian Amazon

Many parents are desperate to get formula for their babies amid recalls and supply chain strains in the U.S.

With nearly 45% of baby formula sold out at retailers across the country, parents have turned to social media to find strategies to purchase formula. 

A May 12 Facebook post, a screenshot of another Facebook post, touted one of those strategies: purchasing formula from Amazon.ca – the Canadian version of the online retailing giant or Canadian Amazon. 

The post accrued nearly 5,000 shares in less than a week. 

While the original user said she had "zero clue if this is true," some users who commented suggested the method did work: "So I just tried this because can't find formula anywhere and it says delivery May 20!"

But buying baby formula from Amazon.ca is not a guaranteed way for American parents to get formula. Amazon won't ship to a U.S. address through this site, so the method will only work if buyers purchase through a third-party seller who ships the product themselves. 

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USA TODAY reached out to the original user and the user who posted the screenshot for comment.

Baby formula in stock at Amazon

Only third-party sellers can ship their goods across the border

Purchases from the Canadian iteration of Amazon only work in specific circumstances, an Amazon spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY. 

U.S.-based Amazon customers can purchase baby formula products from third-party sellers on Amazon.ca who ship their products directly to customers in the U.S. But U.S. customers can't receive formula from Amazon.ca that is sold by Amazon or sold by third-party sellers and shipped by Amazon.

When USA TODAY attempted to purchase formula through Amazon.ca that was shipped by Amazon, the site displayed the following message: "Sorry, but this item can't be shipped to your selected address. Learn more. You may either change the shipping address or delete the item from your order." 

While some third-party sellers on Amazon.ca may ship baby formula to U.S. customers, medical experts warn against using baby formula that does not originate in the U.S. 

Fact check:No, manufactured and homemade baby formula are not the same

Infant formula is one of the most highly regulated foods in the U.S., according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Safety standards that ensure formulas have the necessary nutrients for a baby's growth and development are controlled by an act of Congress. The FDA also monitors all infant formulas.

Formulas are regulated by their country of origin, so there is no guarantee of the safety of a product arriving from another country, according to the pediatrics group. 

There's also the risk that imported formulas are not shipped or stored correctly, and if formula is not kept at the correct temperature, the product could lose some of its nutritional value, the American Academy of Pediatrics warned.

Our rating: Partly false

Based on our research, we rate PARTLY FALSE the claim that American parents can get baby formula by using Canadian Amazon. This method will only work if parents are purchasing baby formula from third-party sellers who ship their own products. Pediatricians discourage purchasing formula from outside the U.S. given the differing quality standards and other safety concerns.

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