The shortage of baby formula currently gripping the US started during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021, there were reports that families across the country were struggling to find key baby products like diapers, wipes and formula. The shortage was mainly blamed on supply-chain issues – however, some experts pointed out that panic buying was aggravating the situation, too. During the pandemic, it was hardly a surprise that people were stocking up on products they deemed essential.
According to Datasembly, a real-time product data provider, for the first seven months of 2021, the out-of-stock percentages “were relatively stable” and fluctuated by between 2% and 8%. Then the situation started to worsen and, in January 2022, baby formula shortages hit 23%.
Abbott baby formula recall
In the US, there are four companies holding the largest market share in the formula manufacturing industry: Abbott Laboratories, Mead Johnson, Perrigo Company PLC and Nestle Sa. The country normally...