US parents turn to black market due to formula shortage

Image source, Lauren

Lauren wanted to give her baby more milk. He had to be taken to the hospital twice because he was spitting up so much after nursing.

She couldn't find any infant formula in the US.

Lauren went to the black market to get a brand that is not allowed to be imported into the US.

The US has warned against buying milk that hasn't been approved for export.

Customs officials seized $30,000 worth of European formula last year because it didn't have proper nutrition labeling. They stopped formula worth $162,000 at the border two years ago.

Lauren, a nurse in Missouri, consulted with her doctor and other people about the risks.

She says that if this is healthy for European babies, American babies are the same.

The rules don't seem right to Lauren. She is not the only person with questions.

The baby formula shortage has exposed a mix of weak oversight and rigid government rules that have left the industry vulnerable to crisis.

"I'm angry," says a New Jersey mother. She spends a lot of time looking for formula for her nine-month-old son who has allergies. We don't know what to feed our babies.

I'm not sure how they could let it get to this point.

Last year there were signs of the shortage. Abbott Nutrition, the company behind the brand Similac, issued a large product recall in February. A large share of US production was knocked out due to authorities shutting down one of the firm's factories.

The government's handling of the situation at the factory has been criticized after it was revealed that a whistle blower had warned about sanitary problems months before inspectors responded.

Analysts say the FDA made matters worse by overestimating the ability of Abbott's rivals to fill the gap in production after parents panicked.

More than half of American infants get some formula by three months of age. Political pressure has been increasing to find a solution.

Last month, US President Joe Biden announced "Operation Fly Formula", which allowed the FDA to temporarily relax its rules and approve the use of military jets to ship formula from overseas.

A number of companies have applied to bring formula into the US. The UK's Kendamil is one of the brands that have received waivers.

Morvarid Rahmani is a professor of operations management at Georgia Tech.

She says there is not a shortage. Taking timely action could have made a difference.

The FDA had been doubted before the shortage.

Baby food, sunscreen, and cosmetics were some of the products that were warned of being risky. Some parents are turning to banned foreign baby milk products because of stricter rules in overseas markets, such as a ban on corn syrup.

Image source, DOLLY DELONG

Parents are no longer putting a lot of stock in FDA guidance according to a certified infant feeding technician.

"Especially right now, we're seeing this very rapid approval of foreign imports, which is very exciting, but I think a lot of parents are starting to wonder: was the FDA actually concerned about what was safest and healthiest for my baby or were they concerned about protecting the interests of American

She points out that parents won't believe they're no longer safe once the Waiver allowing in foreign formulas ends. The question is if these formulas will stay or not.

It's important to increase the number of formula suppliers in the US.

The market is dominated by two companies, Abbott and Reckitt Benckiser, which make Enfamil.

It's difficult to break into.

Half of all US formula sales go to low-income families in social support programmes, and many of the government contracts to supply formula to them are held by Abbott and Reckitt Benckiser. There are lengthy reviews of mixes and border taxes for new entrants.

US formula sales are in decline as birth rates and breastfeeding rates go up.

The managing director of Holle's US unit is from Switzerland. He says the regulatory hurdles for imported infant formula are very high.

"Holle has observed this field for a long time but has to date never apply for admission due to enormous cost and time expenses," he says.

Image source, Getty Images

Laura Modi wants the market to be more open. She was dismayed by the lack of choice she encountered as a new mother so she launched her own start-up.

The reason we're in this shortage is because only two players own the majority of the market. We should be able to find another manufacturer when one goes down.

The FDA has referred to the current waivers as temporary.

Commissioner Roger Califf called for more funding and power to monitor company supplies during hearings in Washington last month. He has defended the rules in general.

Something needs to change according to Lauren. She tells them to do better. Our children's lives are in danger.