The first international shipment of specialty baby formula has arrived in the United States by a military plane, enough for more than a million and a half bottles.
The first flight of “Operation Fly Formula” landed in Indianapolis weighing more than 78, 000 pounds, as part of the Biden administration’s ongoing efforts to address the baby formula shortage.
The first Operation Fly Formula has landed at Indianapolis airport, a C-17 carrying hypoallergenic formula for babies and kids with cows milk allergies pic.twitter.com/eHEuafKrmC
— Jo Ling Kent (@jolingkent) May 22, 2022
According to the White House, the formula brands that the shipment includes is: Alfamino Infant, Alfamino Junior, and Gerber Good Start Extensive HA, and will be distributed to medical offices and pharmacies, but not store shelves.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who greeted the plane on the tarmac, said the shipment will feed about 9,000 babies.
Folks, I’m excited to tell you that the first flight from Operation Fly Formula is loaded up with more than 70,000 pounds of infant formula and about to land in Indiana.
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 22, 2022
Our team is working around the clock to get safe formula to everyone who needs it. pic.twitter.com/cX4KU0eDtZ
The plane specifically landed in Indianapolis so that it was able to use Nestle’s supply chain infrastructure to get the products shipped across the country.
In a statement, the White House claims by “bypassing regular air freighting routes will speed up the importation and distribution of formula and serve as an immediate support as manufacturers continue to ramp up production.”
More shipments of formula is expected to arrive in the next coming days.
The Biden administration has struggled to relieve the formula crisis nationwide, due to the closure of the largest domestic manufacturing plant in Michigan.