The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Tuesday launched an inquiry into the ongoing shortage of baby formula in the United States.
The inquiry also seeks to find out what factors “have led to concentration in the infant formula market and the fragility of the supply chains for these crucial products,” the FTC said.
The FTC said on Tuesday it will examine mergers and acquisitions in the infant formula market “to better understand current concentration, how it came to be, and how that should inform future merger review.”
In a statement, FTC Chair Lina Khan said the ongoing baby formula shortage is causing “enormous anxiety, fear, and financial burden for American families” and said she is committed to investigating and enforcing the law against anyone who has deceived, defrauded, or scammed desperate families.
She said the FTC is also investigating “whether manufacturers or distributors are engaging in unlawful discrimination that may be limiting remaining infant formula supplies at smaller retailers.”
- Instances where families have experienced fraud, deception, or scams when attempting to purchase infant formula or been forced to purchase formula from online resellers at exorbitant prices;
- Families’ experiences purchasing infant formula through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) throughout the crisis;
- Retailers’ experiences obtaining brands not ordinarily covered by their state’s WIC programs and their experiences working with distributors and manufacturers throughout the crisis;
- Whether small and independent retailers have faced particular difficulties accessing limited supplies of infant formula compared to large chain retailers;
- The impact of mergers and acquisitions on the number of infant formula suppliers, capital investment, and total manufacturing capacity;
- The impact of state WIC competitive bidding on the number of infant formula suppliers, capital investment, and total manufacturing capacity;
- The impact of FDA regulations on the number of infant formula suppliers, capital investment, and total manufacturing capacity, including capacity located outside the United States; and
- Whether there are other regulatory barriers that have prevented companies located outside the United States from entering the infant formula market.
“The FTC is launching a public inquiry to identify the factors that contributed to the shortage or hampered our ability to respond to it,” Khan said. “Learning from this experience can help determine how we can minimize the risk of similar shortages in the markets for other life-sustaining products.”
The FTC will be working with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) which administers WIC, to analyze the results of the public inquiry and see whether any policy changes may be needed to prevent future shortages.
Prior to the February temporary closure of the Abbott plant, shortages of baby formula were noted amid supply chain pressures triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra said in an interview with CNN on May 16 that he had been alerted to the baby formula shortage situation by the FDA since 2021.