EXCLUSIVE: Nestlé ships baby milk powder from Europe to the US

FILE PHOTO: The logo at the Nestle research center at Vers-chez-les-Blanc in Lausanne, Switzerland August 20, 2020. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

Por Richa Naidu

LONDON (Reuters) – Nestle SA is flying batches of baby formula to the United States from the Netherlands and Switzerland to ease shortages in U.S. supermarkets, the company said on Tuesday.

Nestle is shipping Gerber baby formula from the Netherlands and Alfamino baby formula from Switzerland to the United States, it said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

“We prioritized these products because they have a critical medical purpose, as they are for infants with allergies to cow’s milk protein,” the company said. “Both products were already being imported, but we’ve moved shipments forward and rushed by air to help meet immediate needs.”

Shelves of baby formula in US supermarkets have been emptied by alarmed parents since major US manufacturer Abbott Laboratories recalled dozens of types of its Similac, Alimentum and EleCare formulas in February.

Reckitt Benckiser is increasing production of baby formula by 30% and making more frequent deliveries to stores to counter national shortages at US supermarkets, an executive told Reuters on Tuesday.

(Editing by Matt Scuffham and Jason Neely, Editing by Louise Heavens; translation by Flora Gómez)

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