Retailers in Franklin County and the North Quabbin region say it is getting easier to stock baby formula, a stark contrast from five months ago when a near-monopoly on the market and a recall by one of the industry’s largest manufacturers resulted in a nationwide shortage.
In February, Abbott Laboratories voluntarily recalled certain Similac, Alimentum and EleCare products. This was the result of four complaints of the common environmental bacteria Cronobactersakazakii in infants who consumed formulas produced in the company’s Sturgis, Michigan, facility. According to The New York Times, several infants became ill and two died. The recall compounded an ongoing problem with availability, which was already strained due to labor shortages and supply chain issues.
Kelly Ardinger, a full-time employee who orders inventory for the Athol Market Basket location’s three health and beauty aisles, said she is starting to see more volume and more variety come into the store about five months after she had near-empty shelves, which at the time she referred to as “ridiculous.” She now says she has no issue getting Enfamil and Similac, including the types for babies with particularly sensitive stomachs.
Matthew Deane, president of Foster’s Supermarket in Greenfield, said Similac — a formula that is covered through the federal assistance program WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children) — has become much more available and is no longer difficult to get.
“We’ve had it in stock a few months now, pretty much nonstop,” he said.
Deane said the problem started to subside over the summer. He mentioned roughly 75% of his formula customers use WIC.
Brian Cocco, store manager at Food City in Turners Falls, agreed that baby formula has “started to trickle in a lot better” as of late. He said Food City uses the same warehouse as Foster’s and many of his customers use WIC.
In response to the lingering shortage, the U.S. Department of Agriculture had decided to extend through December a key funding flexibility in the WIC program that has allowed state agencies and their infant formula manufacturers to work together to provide more options for families needing formula. Under this flexibility, the USDA covers the added cost of non-contract formula to make it financially feasible for states to allow WIC participants to buy alternate formula sizes, forms or brands.
WIC state agencies generally have contracts with one of three manufacturers to provide formula to WIC infants partially or fully fed with formula. Using the new authority provided by the Access to Baby Formula Act, the USDA recommended in May that state agencies contracting with Reckitt Mead Johnson (RMJ) or Gerber seek contract flexibility to allow alternate formulas if the contracted size, form or brand of formula was unavailable.
Kristen O’Brien, the WIC program director at Community Action Pioneer Valley, said the state WIC program quickly came together with a plan and applied for waivers to allow for alternative formulas (such as Enfamil) to be covered until the situation was resolved.
“The federal policy flexibilities have been helpful in getting families more access to formula,” O’Brien said this week. “We haven’t needed the federal funding flexibilities because the contract we have also received temporary flexibilities from Abbott that have supported parents’ access to alternative formulas during the recall and shortage.”
She said the shortage has been significantly alleviated in the past few months. She mentioned her program serves approximately 915 participants across the Franklin County and North Quabbin regions, but this number fluctuates daily based on new enrollments and terminations. Of the 915, O’Brien said, there are roughly 175 infants and about 100 of them are solely reliant on formula, meaning they are not breastfed.
The USDA also previously provided flexibility to temporarily allow alternate formula in states that contract with Abbott, the third formula manufacturer and the subject of the voluntary recall in February. Abbott will cover that cost difference through the end of the year, according to the USDA.
“USDA, in partnership with the Biden-Harris Administration, remains committed to using every tool we have available to support WIC families as we improve the supply of infant formula,” U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement. “By maximizing flexibilities a nd providing ongoing support, we can continue to ensure WIC families are able to access the formula they need for their infants.”
More information about US DA’s response can be found on the Food and Nutrition Service’s Infant Formula Shortage Response webpage at bit.ly/3sMNO9I.
Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.