Two House committees announced this week that they are investigating the issue, a spokesman told CNN that the House of Representatives’ oversight and reform committee sent letters to four separate baby formula companies on Friday morning asking for information. on supply chain problems.
In addition, a spokesman for the House of Representatives’s Energy and Trade Committee announced a May 25 baby formula hearing and told CNN they plan to call representatives from the Food and Drug Administration and Abbott, a major baby formula maker, to testify. .
US stores have been struggling to keep baby formula in stock for months due to withdrawals, inflation and supply chain problems. Manufacturers have said they are producing at full capacity, but that is not enough to meet demand. Although this has become a bipartisan issue on Capitol Hill, lawmakers are pointing the finger at various parties, with Democrats blaming companies and Republicans blaming the Biden administration and the FDA.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Congress had to address the shortage of baby formulas in America “right now” at a news conference Thursday.
“Right now the baby is crying, the baby is hungry, we have to deal with it now,” Pelosi told reporters. “And I think we have a good focus on that. And we’ll see what the president says. And we also have our suggestions. “
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell criticized the Senate administration on Thursday for tackling the lack of a formula, calling it an “outrageous, unacceptable situation” that “has been going on in a slow motion for months.”
He added: “Much of this stemmed from the withdrawal, which led to the shutdown of the plant, but it seems that while President Biden’s administration and the FDA knew all about the problem as it developed, they slept on the return switch. online, “McConnell continued, adding:” The administration needs to be more proactive and forward-looking. “
He mentioned the contamination of Abbott Nutrition formula, which may have affected four babies. Two died after consuming a powdered formula produced by the company’s plant in Sturgess, Michigan, earlier this year.
The FDA has withdrawn three brands of baby powder formulas manufactured by the company due to potential bacterial infections, including salmonella. The agency advised parents not to buy or use certain batches of Similac, Alimentum and EleCare baby powder, all Abbott brands.
Abbott said Wednesday it could restart production at the Michigan facility, pending FDA approval, within two weeks. The closed plant formula can be on the shelves six to eight weeks later.
The FDA told CNN on Thursday that the agency was “doing its best” to make sure there was enough formula available for people who needed it, adding that they acknowledged that “many users did not have access. to infant foods and critical medical foods that are used to using and frustrated by their inability to do so. “
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