White House announces second baby formula flight, arriving later this week
The flights come after President Biden invoked the Defense Production Act to relieve the baby formula shortage
The White House has announced that a second Operation Fly Formula flight has been sourced for later this week, which will transport 114 pallets of Gerber Good Start Extensive HA infant formula to the United States.
President Biden made the announcement on Sunday morning, which comes after the first flight landed in the United States over the weekend.
U.S. Air Force planes departed Germany's Ramstein Air Base with a total of 14 pallets containing over 71,000 pounds of baby formula.
The operation comes after President Biden invoked the Defense Production Act to speed up production of baby formula.
BABY FORMULA FLIGHTS TO RELIEVE SHORTAGE TO ARRIVE THIS WEEKEND
U.S. servicemembers loaded more than 71,000 pounds of baby formula at Ramstein Air Base in Germany for flights that are scheduled to depart for Indiana on Sunday. (Pool Video/CNN / FOXBusiness)
A statement from the White House said that the administration is "working around the clock" to keep shelves of baby formula stocked.
"The Biden-Harris Administration will continue to identify opportunities to invoke the Defense Production Act and further increase infant formula production to maximum capacity. The Biden-Harris Administration has been working around the clock to increase production of infant formula and keep store shelves stocked during the Abbott Nutrition voluntary recall," the statement reads.
ABBOTT SAYS IT WILL BE AT LEAST TWO MONTHS BEFORE BABY FORMULA FROM SHUTTERED PLANT HITS SHELVES
U.S. servicemembers loaded more than 71,000 pounds of baby formula at Ramstein Air Base in Germany for flights that are scheduled to depart for Indiana on Sunday. (Pool Video/CNN / FOXBusiness)
The nationwide baby formula shortage has escalated recently due to a voluntary recall by Abbott Nutrition of specific powdered formulas that were made at its Sturgis, Michigan, facility after four complaints that four babies who consumed products made from the plant got sick with a bacterial infection, and two of them died.
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Abbott Nutrition said in a statement on May 11 that it could be months before stock from its Sturgis, Michigan plant will reach store shelves after a voluntary recall forced the company to cease operations at the facility. The plant originally closed in February. Abbott has said none of the infant deaths have been linked to any product made at the Sturgis plant.