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Parents swap and sell baby formula as Biden focuses on shortage

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

The White House says President Biden spoke with executives from manufacturers Reckitt and Gerber about production and leaders from Walmart and Target about how to increase access.

President Joe Biden is stepping up his administration’s response to a nationwide baby formula shortage that has forced frenzied parents into online groups to swap and sell to each other to keep their babies fed.

Retailers are limiting what customers can buy, and doctors are urging parents to contact food banks, physicians' offices as well as warning against watered-down formula or making DIY recipes.

The White House says Biden spoke Thursday with executives from manufacturers Reckitt and Gerber about how they could increase production and how his administration could help. And he talked with leaders from Walmart and Target about how to restock shelves.

The administration plans to monitor possible price gouging and work with international trading partners on imports, even though 98% of baby formula is domestically made.

The administration says the shortage stems from supply chain disruptions and a safety recall by Abbott, stemming from contamination concerns.

Click here to read the rest of this article from the Associated Press.