To increase access to infant formula for low-income families enrolled in WIC, the Agriculture Department offered on Monday nationwide waivers to states to receive and distribute imported formula. The waivers were part of administration responses to formula shortages.
“USDA is committed to providing our WIC families with nutritious foods, and while we continue working with our many partners to bring the infant formula shortages to a speedy conclusion, we’re also going to keep looking for ways to help families here and now,” said Agriculture deputy undersecretary Stacy Dean, who oversees public nutrition programs. The USDA previously urged state officials to allow WIC participants to purchase alternate sizes, form or brands of infant formula if their usual size and brand are not available.
Also on Monday, the White House said Nestle will send 110,000 pounds of infant formulas, enough to make 1.6 million eight-ounce bottles, to Fort Worth, Texas, from Germany on Thursday. It would be the fifth flight through Operation Fly Formula, which uses cargo aircraft under contract with the Pentagon to shorten the time needed to transport formula. Last week, the White House said it had approved flights carrying the equivalent of equivalent of 94.5 million bottles.