Silver State Times

As the baby formula shortage continues to be a major problem, lawmakers recently criticized Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf and the entire organization for their slow response on the matter.

Lawmakers called the FDA's response to the shortage a "dereliction of duty," CNBC reported.

"The shortage was caused in large part by the lack of action by the FDA and by corporate greed and consolidation," Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) said during a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), who is up for reelection this fall, was among 50 Democrats who voted to nominate North Carolina's Califf to be commissioner of the FDA, the Senate reported on its site. Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) also voted for Califf.

"We write today with great concern regarding the infant formula shortage that has impacted families with young children across the United States, including Nevadans," Cortez Masto and Rosen said in a recently addressed letter to the FDA. "If this shortage is not resolved quickly, families will have few options for ensuring their young children, especially infants, get the critical nutrition they need."

Critics have largely attributed the shortage to the Abbott Nutrition baby formula factory in Sturgis, Michigan, shutting down, CNBC reported. A whistleblower complaint in October alleged that the factory improperly tested formula and falsified records, among several other violations. Lawmakers said that the FDA did not properly investigate this complaint in a timely manner.

Abbott Nutrition in February recalled products made in the Sturgis factory and temporarily closed down after its formula led to the deaths of two infants and caused bacterial infections in four others, Fortune reported.

Califf and the FDA have asked for a budgetary increase to help with staffing at the agency and to improve hiring and salary authorities, CNBC reported. Some lawmakers, however, believe the problem with the FDA is due to internal issues rather than lack of funding.

"You have serious structural leadership issues," DeLauro said. "Someone in this agency needs to have serious and relevant food credentials who understand it because otherwise, food safety will continue to be a second-class citizen at the FDA."

Califf said he expects formula supply to return to normal within two months, CNBC reported. Abbott Nutrition is slated to reopen the Sturgis factory on June 4 and expects its formula to reach shelves in six to eight weeks.

In an effort to combat the shortage, President Joe Biden's administration has resorted to shipping specialized infant formula to the U.S. from Europe, ABC News reported. The shipments, however, will for the most part be distributed to families with prescriptions and hospitals.

"We urge clear communication to the public regarding updates on shortages, including cross-agency collaboration to provide regular updates on availability of formula products, safety of alternatives, and where to find up-to-date information," Cortez Masto and Rosen said in the letter to the FDA.