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'It's my baby or theirs': Families share worry, frustration amidst formula shortage

Greeley Tribune - 5/23/2022

May 23—One local father stood crying in the formula aisle on Thursday evening. A mother who witnessed it cried, too. They're not the only ones shedding tears right now.

Another mother was looking for formula earlier on Thursday, distraught by the nearly-empty shelves and daunted by the idea of driving around town in search of a specific kind.

Many families in Weld County are feeling the impact of the baby formula shortage. They're tired and worried.

"I have tried connecting with friends and a few groups, and I feel like my daughter uses a common formula. It's one most people are looking for," said Natasha-Marie Kohler. "I tend to see others asking for the same brand. It hurts, because I feel like it's my baby or theirs. It's tough. I feel like I'm on a terrible show that makes you choose what baby gets to eat and which doesn't."

Kohler's story is common. Seven other mothers all talked about driving around town to every store they could think of, hoping to get one can of the kind they need. Often, they're returning to their babies empty handed.

Many are relying on their loved ones — from Texas, California, Washington, Utah, Wyoming and larger cities in Colorado — to search. Others are buying online or getting as much as their doctors can provide. They're calling local stores daily to see if what they need has possibly been restocked.

None of these options are great, though. There's the added cost of travel and shipping, concerns about lost packages, shipping delays or package damage.

Some families may be limited on where they can purchase formula if they typically purchase it with Women, Infant and Children (WIC) or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Even if a store has the kind a baby needs, there is no guarantee it will be available when someone can get there.

Hannah Vannini's premature daughter was discharged from the hospital last week. She needs a particular recipe to ensure proper weight gain and prevent a return to the neonatal intensive care unit. They're days from being out.

Vannini has family looking in other states, too, but if they can't find any?

"I have no idea," Vannini said. "I really don't. I have a call with the pediatrician to see if we can supplement (in) some other way. That's our first option."

Trying to feed their children — the bare minimum — has been a challenge emotionally, financially and logistically.

"It's very stressful not knowing whether we'll be able to feed our babies in the upcoming weeks," said Chanell Ponce, mother to a 4-month-old.

'If it helps just one mom'

Seeing the concerns, Montgomery Smith decided to help make things a little easier for other parents and guardians in the area.

She completely formula fed her first child, 4, but is returning to work next week and will be unable to breastfeed her 3-month-old. Though her son has not been solely fed formula, she is transitioning him. The idea of not finding the kind he needs — a sensitive mix for acid reflux — scares her and empathizes with others who may already be in this situation.

Many of the other mothers have tried breastfeeding, too. For their own reasons — accessibility at work, milk production issues, health concerns or babies refusing to breastfeed — formula is the best option right now.

"Both of my kids refused to breastfeed, so the only way to make sure they are fed is with formula," Fernandez said. "With my first, he refused right after birth and needed donor milk in the hospital. My second, while we were in the hospital, she breastfed and struggled a bit. As soon as we got home, it went downhill and only lasted a week."

Smith started the "Where is Formula — North Colorado" Facebook group while she was in the check-out line during her Thursday trip to connect people with the formula they need.

Group members are encouraged to take a picture of what's available when they go shopping and share the location. This saves time locating the specific kind of formula, cutting down travel time and stress.

Members have also offered extras — often types that didn't work for their children — for free or low cost. They are offering to keep an eye out for specific formulas, as well.

"I just imagined the relief it would be, to be able to open a post and see the formula I need without having to scour the earth to find it or wait days, possibly weeks, for my store to have it in stock," Smith said. "I know that relief is the feeling that many moms are experiencing right now with this group. If it helps even one mom feed her babies, I'd call that a success."

Garcia and Kohler both said it's been great to see others come together during this time, but it's still not enough.

"We shouldn't have to go through this. I can't even imagine other moms that can't find anything or don't have friends or family in other places," Garcia said. "I've had to ask my friends to look for other kinds for other moms that are struggling to find specific (types) for preemies. We haven't had any luck. It's the worst feeling when you're down to one can and don't know how you're gonna provide the next bottle for your baby."

The Greeley Community Help Page has been a place for people to seek or share formula, as well. Group administrator Shannon Hawley posted a notice this week that the group will not tolerate selling formula. If someone is selling, they will receive one warning.

If people are selling above store prices, they will be blocked immediately. Hawley said price gouging and taking advantage of others during this time is unacceptable.

Pickups, donations and posting information about the location of formula are welcome. Additionally, others are sharing safe substitutes if parents cannot find a specific kind. Many stores, however, have placed limits on the amount of formula that can be purchased per transaction.

"This group has amazing members that always come through for each other in tough times like these," Hawley said. "I'm very grateful for this community."

Monique Printz is offering to pick up formula for those who are unable to get to a store, for whatever reason. She has two children. Both were formula fed, with one recently taken off formula.

"I know how scary it is when there is no formula for my baby," Printz said. "I especially know how frustrating it is to be stuck on a work schedule and not able to leave at a moment's notice just for formula."

She can be reached through either Facebook group, and encourages others to help in whatever way they can. That could be picking up a can for a family, taking a photo while in the store or sharing resources.

It doesn't have to be much — Printz said she doesn't have a lot of spare cash — because the smallest things still help.

"It's so rewarding to know you helped someone in any way, and the world really needs some help right now," Printz said.

Other resources include the United Way of Weld County Diaper Bank has formula. It is open Monday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will have special hours on Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The Mothers' Milk Bank, a program through the Rock Mountain Children's Foundation, and Gov. Jared Polis have urged people to provide financial support or donate breast milk to help during the shortage.

The milk bank collects, processes and distributes donor milk from anywhere in the state. Any amount of donated milk is welcome and appreciated. It also provides financial assistance to support costs for families.

"Some parents are facing the unthinkable reality of not being able to feed their children through no fault of their own, so Colorado is partnering on an option to address the formula supply issue," Polis said in a statement. "It is critical that we use every option out there to make sure our infants do not go hungry. Moms who are able to donate breastmilk should do so as a lifeline for those who can't, and no matter how you feed your baby, a fed baby is the priority."

How we got here

The infant formula shortage is — like most things — nuanced and impacted by multiple factors.

First, NPR reports that four companies control 90% of the U.S. formula market. One of those companies is Abbott Nutrition.

The Food and Drug Administration recently investigated Abbott, one of the major producers of formula in the United States where it found bacteria in the company's Michigan plant. The FDA recalled multiple brands of formula and shut down the plant in February.

Formula was made in "insanitary conditions and in violation of current good manufacturing practice requirements," the FDA report stated.

It produced 20% of the formula in the country, NPR reported. Because of the monopoly on formula, when one plant or company is affected, the whole supply chain is generally disrupted.

Abbott is set to restart production in the coming weeks after it fulfills the federally-mandated consent decree. Once the plant receives approval to restart production, it could take six to eight weeks before more product shows up in stores.

During a congressional hearing, representatives criticized the FDA for not investigating a whistleblower report from October that alleged safety violations, falsifying documents and skipping proper testing.

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf told Congress he reviewed the complaint but did not say whether it should have intervened sooner. Califf said the agency also needs more funding to strengthen its regulatory abilities, saying there is a lack of administrative staff, experts and overall resources.

Another variable in the shortage has to do with trade agreements, some of which date back further than the Donald Trump or Joe Biden administrations. Part of U.S. policy restricts importing certain formula, even if it meets or exceeds FDA safety requirements.

The United States entered the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement in 2020, under Trump. This specifically discourages the importation of infant formula from Canada when done in large volumes — with tariffs over 17% in some cases — according to the Office of the United States Trade representative. The goal was to allow American companies to expand their overseas sales.

No formula was imported to the U.S. from Canada in 2021, Fortune reported. Instead, formula was exported from the states to the northern neighbor. The Department of Agriculture said the country exported $151.3 million worth of baby formula in 2021, which was the country's leading dairy export.

The formula shortage can be partially blamed on how WIC programs award contracts, as well. Those who participate in WIC can purchase formula for less than the general retail price, but recipients are typically limited to certain brands. Whichever companies have contracts are the ones whose products are covered by WIC funds.

Abbott is one of the brands who has received WIC contracts in recent years, meaning the shortage hit recipients the hardest. The National WIC Association says Abbott holds contracts in 49 states, territories and tribal organizations. Without products on the shelves due to the recall and Michigan plant shutdown, parents and guardians were severely limited.

Finally, changes in demand have created issues within the supply chain, the Atlantic reported. Families stockpiled formula at the beginning of the pandemic — like others did with toilet paper — but that need dropped in 2021. Manufacturers reduced production.

Now, in 2022, a slight uptick in the birth rate is increasing the demand. Combined with the other contributing factors, stores are seeing an out of stock rate of roughly 40%. Just one year ago, those numbers hovered around 2% to 8%.

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GREELEY, CO — MAY 21: Shelves that typically hold infant formula are seen at Safeway at the Centerplace shopping center in Greeley on Thursday, May 19, 2022. Safeway had the most formula, at the time, out of any other grocery store chain. The United States is experiencing a major formula shortage, which was partially caused by a recall and production plant shutdown. (Jadyn Watson-Fisher/Staff reporter)

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GREELEY, CO — MAY 21: Shelves that typically hold infant formula are bare at Walmart on the corner of 23rd Ave. and 31st St. in Greeley on Saturday, May 21, 2022. The United States is experiencing a major formula shortage, which was partially caused by a recall and production plant shutdown. (Jadyn Watson-Fisher/Staff reporter)

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GREELEY, CO — MAY 21: Shelves that typically hold infant formula are nearly empty at Walgreens on the corner of 35th Ave. and 37th St. in Evans on Thursday, May 19, 2022. The United States is experiencing a major formula shortage, which was partially caused by a recall and production plant shutdown. (Jadyn Watson-Fisher/Staff reporter)

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National response

Several things have been done to help ease the burden during the shortage, though families are still far from a normal and stress-free situation.

Biden implemented the Defense Production Act earlier this week, which gives the president more control over production of goods during emergencies, the Federal Emergency Management Agency says. In this situation, suppliers of formula ingredients must prioritize sending those to manufacturers.

The Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture are directed to use the Defense Department's commercial planes to import formula from other countries.

Plus, Congress passed two bills on Wednesday — HR 7790 and HR 7791 — to help during the shortage.

HR 7790, known as the Infant Formula Supplemental Appropriations Act, designated $28 million of emergency funds to increase the number of FDA inspectors, prevent fraudulent formula from entering the market, improve industry data collection and provide more resources for staff specifically working on formula issues.

It requires the FDA commissioner to meet with the House Appropriations Committee weekly.

On Tuesday, Colorado Rep. Ken Buck (R-Windsor) tweeted, "The most vulnerable population in America doesn't have a stable source of food, and what has Congress done? Nothing, except pass a $40 billion Ukraine Aid Package that included funds for global food security for countries not impacted by the war."

The bill was approved, 231-192, mostly along party lines. Despite his criticism, neither Buck nor Lauren Boebert (R-Rifle) voted in support.

"Rather than solving the baby formula crisis, this legislation gives the Food and Drug Administration$28 million without requiring any specific plan to address the current shortage or providing for accountability, Buck said in a statement to the Tribune. His statement is similar to others in the GOP who rejected the measure.

"In fact, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf has so far refused to explain why his agency took more than three months to address the looming crisis or give a detailed strategy to prevent this from happening in the future. I could not in good conscience vote for a bill that fails to help parents desperate for a solution and gives more taxpayer dollars to the rudderless federal agency that helped cause this problem in the first place."

Buck voted to approve HR 7791, the Access to Baby Formula Act, which passed in a bipartisan vote of 414-9. Boebert voted against it, as well.

This bill loosened the restrictions on purchasing requirements for WIC and SNAP during "emergencies, disasters and supply chain disruptions," the bill summary states. This means the USDA may waive limits on the amount of formula purchased through WIC or SNAP and it can waive brand purchasing requirements.

Parents in Weld County are grateful to see the legislation passed, but they're frustrated with the state's representation.

They disapproved of voting against measures to help end the shortage and prevent future ones. This is especially the case, they said, when those who voted against it don't have a plan and are not concerned about going hungry.

Kitlitz said the expansion for low-income families is good, but all babies — regardless of how much their parents or caregivers earn — deserve to eat.

"It is very disappointing to know that the person we trust to have our best interests at heart turned out to be the one voting against every mother, parent, caregiver who formula feeds their baby in this county," Ponce, from Evans, added.

'I'm nervous'

Things will hopefully turn around with the new bills in effect, the expectation for Abbott to resume production and imported formula on the way.

That could still take weeks, and time is something these parents don't have.

They need food now. The health and lives of children are dependent on finding the right kind.

"This formula shortage makes me nervous," Smith said. "I'm nervous for the moms going back to work trying to exist fully pumping, for the moms who aren't able to be able to breastfeed, for the babies who have an allergy and need special formula, and for the families using formula, wondering if they will be able to find a way to feed their babies."

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