The 2022 baby formula shortage in the United States stemmed from a major recall, contamination and supply chain weaknesses compounded by limited market competition. Federal measures and imports eventually eased the crisis, but shortages persisted in some areas.
The main trigger for the 2022 baby formula shortage was Abbott’s voluntary recall of several formula brands. On February 17, 2022, Abbott recalled powder formulas made at its plant in Sturgis, Michigan. The brands included Similac, EleCare and Alimentum. These recalls came after four consumer complaints connected Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella Newport with the formulas.
At the time, Abbott supplied 40% of all the baby formula in the United States. By May 2022, the out-of-stock rate for infant formula reached 70%.
In October 2022, Abbott recalled a small number of its “ready-to-feed” liquid products and formulas but indicated this recall would not impact supplies in the United States.
Problems in the supply chain that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic made the formula shortage worse, as noted in a report from the U.S. Digital Service. A 2022 study in Springer Nature also highlighted that the baby formula market is dominated by a few manufacturers, creating a situation where disruptions could greatly impact the overall supply.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said that “just-in-time” distribution systems, which keep low inventory to reduce costs, caused a vulnerable manufacturing and supply system.
The federal government implemented significant measures to end the shortage, including Operation Fly Formula. This project focused on importing infant formula from other countries via planes to help meet the urgent demand.
Additionally, former President Joe Biden utilized the Defense Production Act to increase manufacturing capacity, ensuring the production of more formula domestically.
The Department of Health and Human Services relaunched its Infant Formula webpage to assist parents, providing updated information to help navigate the situation.
In August 2022, Abbott restarted the production of Similac. By October 2022, the in-stock rates for infant formula had reached 40% and were increasing. This was double the availability at the peak of the crisis.
However, reports showed that some parents in parts of the U.S. were still facing a baby formula shortage in late 2022.
Califf said the reasons some areas didn’t have formula on shelves related to “distribution inefficiencies,” but there was evidence that the shortage was less extensive than before.
A 2024 study from the University of California Davis found that 81% of parents switched to a different formula during the shortage. This change often led to problems for the babies. For example, about 60% of parents who switched formulas reported their infants experienced issues like fussiness, gas, spitting up, constipation and diarrhea.
The survey also noted that babies who needed special formulas for health reasons faced these health issues more frequently during the shortage.
“I was really shocked to see so many babies have adverse effects from changing formulas, that’s something we don’t really talk about,” Jennifer Smilowitz, assistant professor of Cooperative Extension for the Department of Nutrition and one of the study’s authors, said.
Compounding the issues caused by the baby formula shortage, there are also concerns about a potential link between baby formula and preterm infants developing a severe intestinal disease called necrotizing enterocolitis. As a result, baby formula lawsuits have been filed on behalf of premature infants diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis. However, the recalls only pertained to contamination concerns and were unrelated to necrotizing enterocolitis cases.
Editor Lindsay Donaldson contributed to this article.
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