An infant formula shortage crisis continues to impact families across the United States. Policy approaches that enforce antitrust laws and increase social safety net programs can help alleviate many causes of the infant formula shortage.

Three U.S.-based companies, including Abbott Nutrition, Gerber Products Company, and Reckitt, produce about 98 percent of the formula purchased in the U.S., according to the Center for American Progress (CAP). Earlier this year, the Abbott Nutrition plant shut down after four infants became ill from a contaminated batch of formula, resulting in a nationwide shortage.

A few months after the shutdown, the Abbott Nutrition plants resumed production. Still, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf says the formula shortage will “take a while to fix.” Recent data from Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) Worldwide reveals that 70 percent of infant formula remains out of stock nationwide.

“Single parents and guardians in low-wage jobs [who are] already disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and economic recession” are struggling to feed their children, Arohi Pathak, Director of Policy for CAP’s Poverty to Prosperity Program, tells Food Tank.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that infants in low-income families, infants of color, and infants living in rural communities are most likely to consume formula and are, therefore, most at risk.

“The shortage is also severely affecting women who do not breastfeed, foster, adoptive, and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex (LGBTQI+) parents,” Pathak says. “Individuals with disabilities or other health issues who rely on formula for their nutritional intake and survival,” Pathak mentions, are also finding it difficult to acquire formula.

To prevent future shortages, Pathak urges policymakers to focus on “long-term solutions.” These include reducing the market concentration of domestically-produced formula and directing FDA to identify reliable foreign formula producers that meet FDA safety, nutrition, and other standards.

Read the full article about the baby formula crisis by Sycamore May at Food Tank.