Baby Formula Shortage Prompts Hearing From U.S. House, Calling the Issue 'Increasingly Alarming'

Baby formula shortage across the nation has caught the attention of the authorities, prompting a hearing from the U.S. House to address the issue.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, a Democratic representative from New Jersey, called the baby formula shortage "increasingly alarming" and that the shortfalls demand the immediate attention of the U.S. Congress, according to New York Post.

Pallone pointed out that the focus of the hearing will revolve around understanding the cause of the baby formula shortage, and what steps were done to address the production and supply of the said product.

The hearing is scheduled to take place on May 25, per the Daily Mail.

The announcement of the hearing came a day after Republican Senator Mitt Romney From Utah slammed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Agriculture, and urge the agencies to move fast to address the issue.

Romney said in a letter addressed to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, that he is concerned about the lack of effective mitigation strategy regarding the issue.

White House Spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday said that making the baby formulas available during a shortage is one of the Biden administration's top priorities.

Jean-Pierre added that the White House and the FDA are committed to getting more supply of the product into the market.

Pallone noted that lawmakers are ready to work with the Biden administration to address the issue, but specific steps to be taken by the administration and the House committee were not made clear.

Baby Formula Shortage

Baby formula shortage is evident across the United States, as parents report going to stores in search of the product only to be welcomed by empty shelves, CBS News reported.

A recent analysis from Datasembly, 43 percent of the top-selling baby formulas was out of stock as of the week ending May 8.

Datasembly tracks baby formula stock at more than 11,000 stores.

Five states also experienced scarcer baby formula stocks.

In Tennessee, 54 percent of the top-selling products were sold out, while 53 percent of the baby formulas in Texas are also sold out.

Meanwhile, top-selling baby products in Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota were sold out at 50 to 51 percent.

Out of stock levels, around 40 to 50 percent were also recorded at other 25 U.S. States, including Washington D.C.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Monday said that the FDA is working "around the clock" to address the issue. Psaki also announced that the U.S. is looking to import foreign baby formulas to meet domestic demands.

Cause of Baby Formula Shortage

The current baby formula shortage came after Abbott issued a recall for their products, specifically Similac, Aliment, and EleCare, on February 17 over complaints of bacterial infection.

Reports claimed that the bacterial infections in infants who consumed the said baby formulas resulted in at least two deaths and several reported illnesses.

On Tuesday, Abbott Nutrition told the Post that they are doing everything to address the baby formula shortage.

Abbott Nutrition underscored that they are prioritizing the production of baby formulas in order to replenish the supply loss in the market. The company added that they are also importing products from the FDA-registered plants in Ireland.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written BY: Joshua Summers

WATCH: US Faces Nationwide Baby Formula Shortage - From Inside Edition