Maker of Walmart, Amazon store-brand baby formulas warn of shortages through 2022

The manufacturer of the store-brand baby formulas for large U.S. retailers, including Walmart and Amazon, expects shortages and high demand through the rest of the year, according to its CEO.

Murray Kessler, chief executive of Perrigo Company, told Reuters that their factories are working overtime to help with the national shortage.

"We have stepped up and are killing ourselves to do everything we can," Kessler said.

According to Kessler, Perrigo’s formula manufacturing facilities in Ohio and Vermont are now running at 115% of capacity, with a focus on items requested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration – the generic versions of Similac Pro Sensitive and Pro Advance and Enfamil Gentle Ease and Infant.

The Biden administration has come under fire for failing act more quickly on a whistleblower complaint to the FDA about potential contamination issues at the Abbot Nutrition baby formula factory in Michigan last fall.

“The FDA reacted far too slowly to this report,” Rep. Rose DeLauro (D-CT) said in a letter to the Health and Human Services inspector general.

A recall for baby formula manufactured at the Michigan factory was only recalled Feb. 17, almost six months after the whistleblower report came in. This month, the FDA said it was investigating four bacterial infections reported in babies given the company’s formula, which may have contributed to the death of two.

The factory was forced to shut down, exacerbating national shortages from the pandemic and high prices from rising inflation.

Supply shortages of baby formula rose from 11% in November to 31% in the first week of April and a staggering 40% in the first week of May, according to statistics kept by Datasembly.