Operation Fly Formula will deliver more baby formula to the US on Wednesday
WASHINGTON (WISH) — A second plane loaded with baby formula will arrive in the United States on Wednesday as part of Operation Fly Formula.
The delivery comes three days after the first flight of the operation, which saw a military plane carrying 78,000 pounds of formula land at Indianapolis International Airport.
More than 100 pallets of Gerber Good Start Extensive HA infant formula will be loaded onto a military aircraft at Ramstein Air Base in Germany and flown to Washington Dulles International Airport, according to the White House. From there, the formula will be transported to a Nestlé facility in Pennsylvania.
The shipment is the remainder of the equivalent of up to 1.5 million 8-ounce bottles of three formulas — Alfamino® Infant, Alfamino® Junior, and Gerber Good Start® Extensive HAGerber formula — all of which are hypoallergenic formulas for children with cow’s milk protein allergy.
The White House says these formulas were made a priority because they serve a critical need and are in short supply in the U.S. due to the closure of the Abbott Nutrition plant in Sturgis, Michigan.
Abbott said Tuesday it plans to restart its Sturgis plant on next Saturday, with the first batch of formula expected to hit store shelves around June 20.
Abbott shut the plant down in February and recalled various brands of formula after FDA investigators found bacteria in several areas inside the plant. The plant closure and subsequent recall contributed to the baby formula shortage.