Baby formula accessibility remains a problem following nationwide shortage
It can be difficult and expensive for parents to acquire formula if their infant has specific dietary needs.
Photo by Rawpixel from Freepik
For Long Beach mother Dalma A., feeding her son last year was a struggle. Unable to breastfeed, she pumped milk and supplemented with formula his first six months. Then, she kept him on a strictly formula-only diet until introducing solid foods.
But nearly two years out from a nationwide formula shortage, Dalma still had trouble finding the right food for her infant. At the end of 2023, she still had to drive to different Targets, Vons and Ralphs grocery stores until she found Kendamil, the British formula her infant son took well. She said she would often buy the last one or two cans left on the shelf.
“I know maybe three other moms personally that have struggled with (finding the formula they want),” said Dalma, 32. “For me, one of the biggest obstacles was finding a formula that had ingredients I was okay with my baby taking,” she added.
While the shortage has significantly improved, parents like Dalma still find it difficult to balance nutritional value with availability and rising costs.
Experts said that some families may have to drive 20 or 30 minutes to find their formula at another vendor if they don’t have a Target or Walmart near them, making extra gas part of their formula expenses.
“There are still hiccups here and there,” said Sagrario Nielsen, a deputy director with Public Health Foundation Enterprise WIC. PHFE WIC is the country’s largest WIC agency, administering the federal supplemental nutrition program for low-income women, infants and children in Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties.
“We're not seeing a consistent amount of Nutramigen (formula for babies with a cow's milk allergy). Not everywhere can you find (speciality formula) Similac Alimentum, so we have to work with parents to get it for them,” Nielsen said.
The strain is especially inconvenient for working parents on top of the cost of the formula itself. A 30-ounce can can cost around $40 to $50, while large cans of specialty formula cost even more at about $70.
The cost of baby food and formula has also risen 5.6% between June 2023 and June 2024, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.
Pediatricians recommend breastfeeding first and formula as a necessary supplement or alternative. However, single, queer and low-income parents are the most likely to be working jobs with limited or no parental leave. Formula may be their only option, said Amina Mirza, the Long Beach office administrator for Birth Workers of Color, a national nonprofit that provides doula services for marginalized communities.
“Folks that have to go straight back to work don't have the luxury of being able to stay with their baby nursing,” she said. “I utilize formula like medicine. Human milk is plan A, and if that doesn't work, formula is an incredible alternative — sometimes the only option, which is why it's so important for it to be accessible.”
Dr. Tanya Altmann of Calabasas Pediatrics has also noticed recent supply issues with some formula companies.
“Depending on what infant formula your baby is on, some companies have still been having supply issues. You may see ebbs and flows, like you would any product in the grocery store,” Altmann said.
Sometimes, it takes a crisis to enact policy change.
In February 2022, contamination forced Abbott Nutrition, the top supplier of U.S. formula, to close its Michigan plant (a jury recently ordered Abbott to pay $495 million in damages after an Illinois girl developed a bowel disease from specialized formula).
The closure of the country’s largest formula facility, ensuing recalls and pre-existing COVID-19 supply chain issues set off the shortage. The dilemma prompted Altmann to lobby the FDA to make international formulas available in the U.S. She is now on the medical advisory board for Bubs, an Australian formula company.
“Parents would ask me, ‘Why does Europe have different formulas? Why do they have different ingredients that seem healthier?’” Altmann said. “I was never interested in learning more about formula because breast milk was deemed to be the best. Then the formula shortage hit.”
President Joe Biden announced Operation Fly Formula in May 2022 to transport specialty formulas into the U.S. Altmann said that international formulas are available in California grocery stores and on Amazon for those who can afford it.
Dalma, the mom in Long Beach, tried shipping HiPP formula from Germany, but it got expensive. She said she went through a can a week and paid about $45 for a can that might cost $35 in the U.S.
“More organic ingredients means it will be pricey, so I’m wondering if there's a way to balance that,” Dalma said. The formula she decided on for her son, Kendamil, is made with whole milk in Europe and is available at California stores like Target and Ralphs.
She joined a support group for new mothers last year called Transitions in Motherhood. The Long Beach group’s co-founder and president, Tara Farajian, said that the lingering impacts of the formula shortage are still hitting families — and that can’t be overlooked.
“It's not just that you can't find it in the stores — it's also the financial ability to purchase formula,” she said. “The cost can be devastating for a family that's trying to make month-to-month bills. We're talking hundreds of dollars for a month of formula.”
On Thursday, July 25, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine released a report identifying vulnerabilities in the infant formula industry, including production concentration and poor backup plans to protect against supply disruptions.
The Food and Drug Omnibus Reform Act of 2022 already requires risk planning from formula manufacturers, but the report recommends the FDA make sure they are being implemented properly.
Families seeking help should talk to their pediatrician, who may be able to supply formula samples or direct them to resources. Once babies are four to six months, parents can diversify their diets with solid foods, according to the CDC.
Dalma A. requested that her name be abbreviated due to liability with her work contract.
