The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is offering a nationwide waiver for infant formula, according to the USDA's website.
This flexibility comes after the Biden administration's Operation Fly Formula, and its implementation is possible due to new authority given to the USDA as a result of the Access to Baby Formula Act.
“USDA is committed to providing our WIC (Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children) 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," USDA Deputy Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Stacy Dean told the USDA's website.
Dean went into some detail about strategies as well.
“We’re maximizing flexibility, encouraging action and providing ongoing support so we can all overcome this obstacle together," she said.
These flexibilities build on past established ones, following a large recall of baby formula due to bacterial contamination at a production center. The flexibilities focus mainly on a well-known aspect of the WIC program, since participants in the program are the biggest consumers of baby formula in the nation. State regulators are being encouraged by the federal government to take similar actions to fast-track the availability of formula.
