About half of infant formulas in the United States are purchased by those who take advantage of WIC’s federal benefits, which allow them to receive formula for free, but limit what type, size, and brand they can choose.
About 1.2 million babies are in the WIC program, officially known as the Special Supplementary Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. Each country has a contract with one manufacturer. Abbott Nutrition, which is struggling with mass withdrawal of its formula, is the exclusive supplier to about half of the babies at WIC. The withdrawal in February exacerbated the shortage caused by ongoing supply chain problems, leaving all parents with fewer choices in many stores. President Joe Biden has been criticized for failing to address the issue earlier and for taking limited action.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday outlined steps it has already taken to help low-income families, mainly by providing state waivers to give WIC-enabled parents a wider range of options. if they can find other brands on the shelves and their babies can easily change formulas.
The exemptions granted in February allow families to buy alternative sizes of containers, including those that exceed the typical maximum values and formulas, as well as to buy alternative brands without medical notes. Flexibility allows parents to receive a liquid concentrate or ready-to-eat formula, not just a powder.
The third type of waiver allows stores to accept an exchange of a formula purchased with the benefits of WIC.
The agency called on all states to take advantage of flexibility, reiterating a call from the White House on Thursday. Agriculture Minister Tom Wilsac sent a letter to state health commissioners on Friday, confirming the available exemptions.
Most states use all three waivers, but Michigan uses two and Illinois uses none. Ten states and Puerto Rico use one waiver.
The exemptions are helping to ease some of the pressure on low-income families, said Gary Henchi, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Food Research and Action, an advocacy group.
“Parents would have the opportunity to choose the formula that is available, instead of being able to get only a formula that is not on the shelf,” she said.
Abbott, meanwhile, is paying discounts until August for competitors’ products in states where WIC’s families are limited to buying its formula. This will allow parents to receive free formula, regardless of the manufacturer. It also directs supplies from a production base in Ireland to serve the WIC families.
Abbott and Gerber increase production
Abbott said on Friday it was working to increase the supply of formula throughout the board by boosting production at other facilities. Since February, the company says it has imported “millions of cans” of baby milk powder to the United States from its plant in Cuthill, Ireland. He also converted other production lines at a production facility in Columbus, Ohio, to make the Similac liquid formula more nutritious.
The company also says it offers more generous coupons so consumers can buy its products at a reduced price.
Gerber, meanwhile, said she had stepped up her efforts to produce more baby formula. This is a self-described “small player” in the market.
“We have significantly increased the amount of our baby food available to consumers by increasing production and speeding up the overall availability of products for retailers and online, as well as in hospitals for the most vulnerable,” a Gerber spokesman told CNN on Friday.
CNN’s Brenda Goodman and Jen Christensen contributed to this story.
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