FDA Reveals What Caused The Baby Formula Crisis. The FDA.

[LongJim]

The wheels of government bureaucracies turn slowly.  Very slowly.

https://reason.com/2022/07/07/fda-finally-admits-it-caused-the-baby-formula-shortage/

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"The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has finally determined what's to blame for America's recent shortage of baby formula.

The FDA.

More specifically, it's the FDA's unnecessary and protectionist rules that effectively ban foreign-made baby formula from being imported into the United States. On Wednesday, the agency announced plans to tweak those rules so foreign formula manufacturers can permanently import their goods into the U.S., giving American consumers greater choice in the marketplace and ensuring more robust supply chains.

"The need to diversify and strengthen the U.S. infant formula supply is more important than ever," FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in a statement. "Ensuring that the youngest and most vulnerable individuals have access to safe and nutritious formula products is a top priority for the FDA."

That might be true now, but it clearly hasn't been the case in the past.

When the Abbott Nutrition plant in Michigan was forced to close temporarily due to an FDA investigation into possible contamination, it created a supply shock that left store shelves empty and parents scrambling to find formula. Because of the FDA's protectionist rules (and high tariffs levied on foreign-made formula), markets could not adapt quickly to the shortage here in America—instead, we got political stunts like the White House's "Operation Fly Formula" that accomplished little.

In testimony to Congress, FDA officials admitted to botching the response to the contamination at the Abbott plant. But the real culprit of the recent shortage was a deeper and more pervasive one. No matter what nationalists like Sen. Josh Hawley (R–Mo.) might suggest, closing off the country to international trade is not a recipe for resilience. The baby formula crisis demonstrated that it is quite the opposite."

[Coffee and TV]

lol another classic example of conservatives blaming socialism for something capitalism created. 

Only 4 companies control 90% of formula made in the US, and the plant had to be shut down after 2 infants died from the formula. The infants died because regulators skimped on inspections during Covid. 

Don't forget to include the ban the Trump admin put on Canadian baby formula btw. 

[LongJim]

3 hours ago, Coffee and TV said:

lol another classic example of conservatives blaming socialism for something capitalism created. 

I didn't get that from the article.  Interesting take.

[southsideguy]

part of the problem is how retailers do business.  Shelf space is a premium and retailers charge vendors/manufacturers slotting fees or similar fees to find space on the shelf for the products.   If a vendor/manufacturer won't play ball the product won't get on the shelf.  This cuts down on competition.  

[El Paso Eagle]

Is it a good thing to have so few companies control the market? Probably not. However it had to come as no surprise to the FDA of the situation and potential impact to the supply chain for having that plant down. So even when they admit to not handling it correctly it is somehow capitalism's fault for government bureaucracy. Typical response from the left. I'm sure more government oversight and more regulations would have made things much better.

[Censored by Laurie]

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/27/podcasts/the-daily/baby-formula-shortage-bacteria.html

for anyone actually interested in a proper journalistic take...rather than one starting from it's own conclusion. 

[Censored by Laurie]

also, really into this "buy more foreign goods" , kinda globalist approach being taken here. 

[Cr1028]

Wow, so you are saying 90% or more of US baby formula will be manufactured in China within ten years? Lovely. It just keeps getting better.

[Censored by Laurie]

29 minutes ago, Cr1028 said:

Wow, so you are saying 90% or more of US baby formula will be manufactured in China within ten years? Lovely. It just keeps getting better.

Well no…not them. Just the E.U. We know that’s safe formula because of all the government regulatio…oh crap my argument fell apart again. 

[Cr1028]

5 minutes ago, Censored by Laurie said:

Well no…not them. Just the E.U. We know that’s safe formula because of all the government regulatio…oh crap my argument fell apart again. 

I like your reply. I didn’t see the part restricting imports to come only from the EU in the OP. Is that in one of the other links?

[UNTLifer]

17 hours ago, Coffee and TV said:

Don't forget to include the ban the Trump admin put on Canadian baby formula btw. 

Uh oh.

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2022/may/24/facebook-posts/importing-baby-formula-us-allowed-albeit-uncommon/

[UNTLifer]

17 hours ago, Coffee and TV said:

lol another classic example of conservatives blaming socialism for something capitalism created. 

Only 4 companies control 90% of formula made in the US, and the plant had to be shut down after 2 infants died from the formula. The infants died because regulators skimped on inspections during Covid. 

How did capitalism cause, in your words, regulators to skimp on inspections?