First baby method cargo arrives in U.S. from Europe

WASHINGTON, Might 22 (Reuters) - A army cargo plane carrying the first cargo of toddler formula from Europe to assist handle a essential shortage in the US landed in Indianapolis on Sunday, and the White Home said a second flight had been arranged.

A Feb. 17 recall by high child system maker Abbott Laboratories (ABT.N) and the closing of its manufacturing plant in Sturgis, Michigan throughout an investigation by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration has created one of the biggest infant method shortages in current history for U.S. households.

"This is a crucial step, however it is in no way the one step that must happen. We will continue to work as the president has instructed us to look for each opportunity to increase supply," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who greeted the aircraft on its arrival.

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"This specific formulation is for a very, very small proportion of children. Roughly 17,000 kids in the nation mainly are the beneficiaries of this explicit components," he said.

President Joe Biden's administration is seeking to inventory empty cabinets with 1.5 million containers of Nestle (NESN.S) specialty infant formulation. Biden last week invoked the Cold Warfare-era Protection Manufacturing Act to assist enhance supplies.

The White Home stated on Sunday a second flight carrying formulation would depart from Ramstein Air Base in Germany in coming days. The White House stated that Abbott and a second child components maker, Reckitt , have been the primary companies given priority status for raw provides underneath the Defense Production Act.

Pallets of infant system being shipped from Europe to america throughout Operation Fly Components are seen in a transport plane at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, in a photograph released Could 22, 2022. The White Home/Handout by way of REUTERS

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Nestle also mentioned extra shipments would arrive within the coming days. read more

Troops used forklifts to unload bins of the cargo from the aircraft in Indianapolis and onto vans heading to distribution centers.The White Home said 78,000 kilos (35,000 kg) of specialty toddler formulation - enough for 500,000 bottles - had arrived on the flight.

Abbott, the biggest U.S. provider of powder infant components, closed its Michigan plant following stories of bacterial infections in 4 infants, worsening a shortage among multiple producers that started with supply-chain points tied to the coronavirus pandemic.

Abbott Chief Government Robert Ford apologized for the scarcity on Sunday and promised to repair it, adding the plant would reopen in the first week of June, and it would take six to eight weeks for products to achieve retailer shelves.

"We're sorry to each household we've let down since our voluntary recall exacerbated our nation’s baby formulation shortage," he wrote in a Washington Publish column.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday declared a state of emergency to forestall value gouging of baby system.

"This emergency executive order will assist us to crack down on any retailer trying to capitalize on this disaster by jacking up costs on this important good," Adams stated in a statement.

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Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein and Chris Gallagher, further reporting by Jessica DiNapoli in Davos, Switzerland, Barbara Goldberg in New York and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Modifying by Ross Colvin, Invoice Berkrot, Chris Reese and Paul Simao

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