Enlarge image
Supermarket shelf in the US state of Georgia: lack of baby milk
Photo: ERIK S. LESSER / EPA
Because of the shortage of baby milk powder in the USA, the head of the manufacturer Abbott has now personally apologized to the affected families.
"We are sorry for every family we have let down by the fact that our voluntary recall has increased our country's baby milk shortages," said company boss Robert Ford in an article published by the Washington Post on Saturday.
Abbott closed a milk powder factory in the state of Michigan in February after the death of two babies and started a voluntary recall of the baby milk produced there.
The suspicion that the deaths were due to contaminated baby milk was not substantiated.
According to Abbott, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discovered certain irregularities at the Sturgis site.
"This is tragic and heartbreaking," Abbott CEO Ford wrote.
His company will set up a $5 million fund to help families whose babies have been hospitalized after consuming the recalled milk.
The lack of baby milk in the US was originally caused by supply chain problems and the loss of workers due to the corona pandemic.
The troubles at Abbott further exacerbated the problem.
According to Ford, the company now wants to take "serious steps" to reduce the bottlenecks.
For example, production facilities for other foods would be used temporarily for baby milk.
Abbott also imports baby milk to the United States from its factory in Ireland.
Ford also announced "significant investments" to "ensure this never happens again."
The US government is also taking action because of the supply bottlenecks.
The White House referred to a law according to which manufacturers of baby milk can be given priority in the supply of raw materials.
Baby milk is also said to be flown in from abroad on commercial planes chartered by the army.
The first such flight was supposed to bring 132 pallets of baby milk from Germany to Indianapolis at the weekend.
asa/AFP
