Anjelah Nelson (34) faces a thunderstorm as she rolls a shopping cart full of Buy Buy Baby packages into the back of her car in Manhattan, New York. “They haven’t had any baby food again,” she says over the chatter of the wheels. ‘What a nightmare.’
Nelson delivers packages for the American retailer Buy Buy Baby: bibs, diapers, toys – everything parents could need for their babies is available here in large quantities. Except baby milk powder; there is a huge shortage of these throughout the United States.
In many American supermarkets, the shelves of baby milk powder are empty, or almost empty. At CVS, the largest pharmacy chain in the US, in Manhattan, an employee tells us that what does come in will disappear in no time.
Delivery man Nelson, herself a mother of two teenagers, is concerned about young parents not getting enough nutrition for their babies. The milk powder shortage mainly results in a financial loss for her: half of her orders normally consist of baby food. As a result, she is now losing about $300 a week in income. Nelson’s next stop is a pharmacist in the Chelsea neighborhood for whom she delivers medicines to patients. “Who knows, he might have gotten something again.”
Death of two babies
It all started in February, with the deaths of two babies who contracted a bacterial infection after drinking baby food. Two other infants had to be hospitalized. After that, the baby food from manufacturer Abbottt Nutrition was taken off the market as a precaution, and production was also stopped. It is not yet clear whether the manufacturer can be blamed for anything.
Abbott Nutrition is a giant in the US baby milk powder market, with a 40 percent market share. The recall of their products has therefore led to huge shortages: the supply of baby milk powder in the US has fallen by almost half.
Baby food is essential for many families in the US. A majority of U.S. six-month-old babies are fed some or all of baby food. In addition, not all mothers produce enough milk, and not all babies respond well to it. For many women with busy jobs, it is also almost impossible to pump between work.
Old cans of milk powder are sold for five times the price
Americans now sometimes have to drive for hours to find baby milk powder in other cities or states. Photos are shared on Facebook of old cans that were still hidden somewhere in the cupboard. ‘I need this! Please let me know if this is still available,” a mother said in a private Facebook group. Cans that normally cost between 10 and 20 dollars sell for five times as much.
“We’re sorry to all the families we’ve disappointed,” Robert Ford, CEO of Abbott Nutrition, wrote last weekend. The Washington Post† The company has made a $5 million fund available to support families.
The milk powder shortages are also made political. Republicans blame the crisis on President Joe Biden and his “failed leadership.” Other companies in the country have also been struggling with shortages since the corona crisis: factories do not have enough staff, there are problems with distribution. Biden should have found a solution to this long ago, Republicans say. What they prefer not to talk about is that it was former President Donald Trump who concluded a new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada in 2020, containing stricter restrictions on the import of Canadian milk powder.
Last week, President Biden even pulled a 1950 war law to increase production of baby milk powder. For example, the president can force suppliers of raw materials to give priority to manufacturers of baby food.
Friends bring baby milk from Israel
At the end of the afternoon, delivery person Anjelah Nelson finally reaches the pharmacy. Do they still have cans of baby food left over? He’s been called five times today, says pharmacy owner Manish Goswani. “But I always have to disappoint customers.” His pharmacy never sold baby food.
“This is every mother’s worst fear,” says Michal Doutsch, who just walked out of the Buy Buy Baby in Manhattan with a big belly. “That you can’t feed your child.” She is expecting her son in eight weeks. She hopes she can breastfeed him. “You never know in advance.” Her friends visiting from Israel will soon be bringing cans of baby milk powder.
More parents are seeking refuge abroad. Xiara Alberto (24), who gave birth to her son two months ago, is now ordering her baby food in Germany. ‘But you have to be able to afford that. Unfortunately, a black market has emerged. Many greedy parents stock up as soon as they can and resell them on social media for a much higher price.’
Military transport with baby milk from Germany
The shortages should not last longer than eight to ten weeks. In the meantime, the government has organized aid from abroad: On Sunday, a military plane arrived in Indianapolis full of baby milk powder from Germany. More than half a million baby bottles can be filled with this. Another such cargo will cross the Atlantic in the coming days.
Doutsh hopes the crisis surrounding her baby’s arrival is over. “This is my first child,” she says. ‘Everything around pregnancy is already so stressful. You shouldn’t have to worry about feeding your child.’