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Over 90,000 Tins of Baby Formula Arrive in United States From Australia Amid Shortages

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Roughly 95,000 tins of baby formula were flown into the United States from Australia on June 12 amid a nationwide shortage, marking the fourth flight as part of “Operation Fly Formula.”

Bubs Australia Ltd said in May that it planned to ship at least 1.25 million cans of its baby formula to the United States in an effort to alleviate supply issues.

The New South Wales-based company announced on June 10 that it had reached a deal with American grocery chains Kroger Co. and Albertsons to import the formula under the fourth flight of the Biden administration’s “Operation Fly Formula.”

Under that operation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services has been granted permission to use Department of Defense-contracted commercial aircraft to pick up infant formula from overseas “that meets U.S. health and safety standards, so it can get to store shelves faster.”

Bubs Australia Ltd said the product was expected to hit shelves in retail stores beginning June 20.

The latest shipment was flown into Los Angeles on June 12, ABC News reported, and is one of two that will be arriving in the United States this week from the company. The second shipment is expected to touch down in Columbus, Ohio, on June 16, according to the outlet.

“We extend our thanks to our retail partners, who will [endeavor] that our products quickly get to retail shelves in the States and stores in most need with the highest stock-out rates,” Bubs Founder and CEO Kristy Carr said in a statement to ABC news.

Combined, the shipments will bring in more than 4 million 8-ounce bottles, or 380,000 pounds, of baby formula to Kroger Co. and Albertsons stores.

The Epoch Times has contacted Bubs Australia for comment.

The Biden administration has said it’s been working hard to address the current nationwide shortages, which have been prompted by supply chain issues during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shortages have been worsened further by the shut down of Abbott Nutrition’s plant in Sturgis, Michigan, amid a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigation into alleged bacterial contamination at the site.

The FDA has since reached an agreement with Abbott to reopen the plant and the company announced last weekend that it restarted formula production at the Sturgis facility.

However, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General announced in a statement on June 2 that it is launching an investigation into the FDA’s response to the issues at the Sturgis plant.

“We will determine whether FDA followed the inspections and recall process for infant formula in accordance with Federal requirements,” the statement reads.

That audit is expected to be completed in 2023.

Biden last week announced the sixth Operation Fly Formula flight, in which Delta Air Lines will move Kendamil formula free of charge from Heathrow Airport in London to Logan Airport in Boston and Detroit Metro Airport between June 20 and June 24.

However, some lawmakers, including Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), have criticized the administration over its response to nationwide shortages, pointing to “the sheer incompetence of Joe Biden and House Democrats.”

Biden said on June 4 that over 127 million bottles of infant formula that have been deemed safe are heading to U.S. shelves “as soon as possible.”

Katabella Roberts

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Katabella Roberts is a reporter currently based in Turkey. She covers news and business for The Epoch Times, focusing primarily on the United States.



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