Post by minx on May 17, 2022 12:27:09 GMT -5
So here's the skinny.
Baby formula is one of the most highly regulated things in America (as it should be)
Only three companies in the US produce baby fomula
Abbott (makers of Similac)
Mead-Johnson (makers of Enfamil)
Nestle (forgot their brand - think it's called Good Life)
Perrigo (all other generic brand formulas)
Four babies tested positive for a bacterial disease - two died and the other two had to be hospitalized.
They were all on Similac. When the FDA inspected Abbott's main plant where the formula the babies consumed was produced, they found trace amounts of bacteria, but many other health violations that were more serious, so the plant was shut down.
This is a major manufacturer, and their main production plant. So needless to say formula production was cut by a HUGE amount (40%), leading to shortages, especially of formulas that are formulated for babies with allergies to milk or soy, and babies with major digestive disorders. In addition, WIC contracts with formula manufacturers - you can't just buy any old brand it turns out. In a majority of states, it's Similac or nothing.
Here are my questions?
1) Why aren't these plants inspected on a more regular basis?
2) Since all formulas are the same basically, why does WIC restrict you to only one brand name (and a pretty expensive one at that - we switched to the generic ones to save $$$)
3) Why has Congress waited so long to do anything at all about this, and why is their response so anemic?
I mean the Party of Family Values should have been all over this shit, seeing as the have such mad love for de babies, right?
Whitless sent out a press release today (after Abbott has been cleared to re-open and resume production mind you), asking why BIDEN didn't do more to prevent this, and saying he wrote Biden a letter demanding action.
Such a strong response. And clearly the president is the one who controls the purse strings and regulators. Maybe he should get off his lazy ass and do something productive for a change....
Okay, off the soapbox.
Baby formula is one of the most highly regulated things in America (as it should be)
Only three companies in the US produce baby fomula
Abbott (makers of Similac)
Mead-Johnson (makers of Enfamil)
Nestle (forgot their brand - think it's called Good Life)
Perrigo (all other generic brand formulas)
Four babies tested positive for a bacterial disease - two died and the other two had to be hospitalized.
They were all on Similac. When the FDA inspected Abbott's main plant where the formula the babies consumed was produced, they found trace amounts of bacteria, but many other health violations that were more serious, so the plant was shut down.
This is a major manufacturer, and their main production plant. So needless to say formula production was cut by a HUGE amount (40%), leading to shortages, especially of formulas that are formulated for babies with allergies to milk or soy, and babies with major digestive disorders. In addition, WIC contracts with formula manufacturers - you can't just buy any old brand it turns out. In a majority of states, it's Similac or nothing.
Here are my questions?
1) Why aren't these plants inspected on a more regular basis?
2) Since all formulas are the same basically, why does WIC restrict you to only one brand name (and a pretty expensive one at that - we switched to the generic ones to save $$$)
3) Why has Congress waited so long to do anything at all about this, and why is their response so anemic?
I mean the Party of Family Values should have been all over this shit, seeing as the have such mad love for de babies, right?
Whitless sent out a press release today (after Abbott has been cleared to re-open and resume production mind you), asking why BIDEN didn't do more to prevent this, and saying he wrote Biden a letter demanding action.
Such a strong response. And clearly the president is the one who controls the purse strings and regulators. Maybe he should get off his lazy ass and do something productive for a change....
Okay, off the soapbox.