Over 70,000 Lbs. of Baby Formula Lands in the U.S. from Europe as Operation Fly Formula Begins

Nicholas Rice
·3 min read
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Over 70,000 Lbs. of Baby Formula Lands in the U.S. from Europe as Operation Fly Formula Begins
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The first batch of baby formula imported from abroad as part of Operation Fly Formula arrived in the United States over the weekend.

President Joe Biden announced on Twitter Sunday that the first international shipment was set to land as the nation grapples with the ongoing baby formula shortage.

"Folks, I'm excited to tell you that the first flight from Operation Fly Formula is loaded up with more than 70,000 pounds of infant formula and about to land in Indiana," Biden, 79, said in a tweet.

"Our team is working around the clock to get safe formula to everyone who needs it," the president added.

The shipment is enough to fill over half a million baby bottles, the Associated Press reported, and weighs 78,000 pounds, per White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

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A US military aircraft carrying 132 pallets of Nestle Health Science Alfamino Infant and Alfamino Junior formula arrives to Indianapolis International Airport in Indianapolis, Indiana, US, on Sunday, May 22, 2022. The first air shipment of baby formula, originating from Zurich, Switzerland, was delivered under the Operation Fly Formula emergency program authorized by President Biden to address a national shortage that has parents struggling to meet the needs of their newborns.

Kaiti Sullivan/Bloomberg via Getty

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According to ABC News, the aircraft that was transporting the shipment carried two types of baby formula — Nestlé Health Science Alfamino Infan and Alfamino Junior.

U.S. airmen load pallets with baby formula which arrived by three trucks from Switzerland for the United States at Ramstein American Air Force base on May 21, 2022 in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. A total of 32500 KG will be flown to the USA tomorrow morning. The U.S. government has launched Operation Fly Formula, in which the Agriculture Department, the Department and the Department of Health and Human Services and the Pentagon are cooperating to find alternative sources of baby formula from abroad after Abbott Laboratories temporarily closed a Michigan manufacturing plant following possible contamination in February. The closing has resulted in a nationwide shortage of baby formula.

Thomas Lohnes/Getty

A second flight, carrying Gerber Good Start Extensive HA formula, is expected to arrive sometime later this week.

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Each formula, the outlet noted, is hypoallergenic and was created for babies who are allergic to cow's milk protein.

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Shelves normally meant for baby formula sit nearly empty at a store in downtown Washington, DC, on May 22, 2022. - A US military plane bringing several tons of much-needed baby formula from Germany landed on May 22, 2022, at an airport in Indiana as authorities scramble to address a critical shortage.
Shelves normally meant for baby formula sit nearly empty at a store in downtown Washington, DC, on May 22, 2022. - A US military plane bringing several tons of much-needed baby formula from Germany landed on May 22, 2022, at an airport in Indiana as authorities scramble to address a critical shortage.

SAMUEL CORUM/AFP via Getty

The first flight, which departed from the Ramstein Air Base in Germany, delivered the much-needed formula to Indiana. The location was chosen as it's home to a Nestlé distribution hub, per CBS News.

After the aircraft's arrival, the baby formula was loaded into FedEx trucks. Nestlé is now set to take part in performing a standard quality control check on the delivery, which will then allow it to be distributed, the outlet added, citing an administration official who was on-site at the drop-off.

"We at FedEx are honored to be called on to use our network in support of this important mission with the U.S. Government," Richard W. Smith, President and CEO-elect of FedEx Express, said in a statement. "The lack of access to formula is impacting babies and families across the country, and we are proud to support the distribution of these critical items to deliver hope to those in need."

RELATED VIDEO: First Lady Jill Biden Addresses Parents Amid Nationwide Formula Shortage in New PSA

The nationwide baby formula shortage is worsening each day, with new data from Datasembly showing the national out-of-stock rate hit a high of 43 percent for the first week of May.

While stocks of some formulas started to run short last year amid the pandemic, the issue has escalated due to challenges with the supply chain, product recalls by some American manufacturers and inflation.

Biden previously announced that he was "invoking" the Defense Production Act in an effort to improve formula production in the U.S. last week.

In a statement on Sunday, the president said a second Operation Fly Formula flight will transport the remaining Gerber formula to Washington Dulles International Airport. The infant formula will then be transported to a Nestlé facility in Pennsylvania from there.