Washington - President Joe Biden on Wednesday invoked the Defense Production Act to speed production of infant formula. Faced with an acute domestic shortage caused by the safety-related closure of the country’s largest formula manufacturing plant, flights from overseas had been authorized to import supply.

The Defense Production Act order requires suppliers of formula manufacturers to fulfill orders from those companies before other customers, in an effort to eliminate production bottlenecks. Biden authorised the Defense Department to use commercial aircraft to fly formula supplies that meet federal standards from overseas to the U.S., in what the White House is calling “Operation Fly Formula.”

“I know parents across the country are worried about finding enough formula to feed their babies,” Biden said in a video statement released by the White House. ”As a parent and as a grandparent, I know just how stressful that is.”

The announcement came two days after the Food and Drug Administration said it was streamlining its review process to make it easier for foreign manufacturers to begin shipping more formula into the U.S.

A deal was also reached to allow Abbott Nutrition to restart its Sturgis, Michigan, plant, the nation’s largest formula plant, which has been closed since February due to contamination issues. The company is to overhaul its safety protocols and procedures before resuming production.

Abbott said it will take eight to ten weeks after an Ok from the FDA, before new products begin arriving in stores. No timeline has been yet set to restart manufacturing.
-AP