DeLauro Introduces Legislation to Maintain Infant Formula Supply & Improve Product Safety
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, today introduced the Keep Infant Formula Safe and on the Shelves Act, legislation that will ensure that an infant formula shortage cannot potentially happen again.
"In one of the wealthiest nations in the world, there is no excuse for a child going hungry," said Congresswoman DeLauro. "The infant formula crisis, exacerbated by substandard safety practices at an Abbott Nutrition facility in Sturgis, MI, cannot be allowed to happen again. My legislation will improve product safety, maintain infant formula supply, and keep workers safe."
"Parents and caregivers should never have to desperately scramble to find infant formula only to find empty shelves at the grocery store," said Brian Ronholm, director of food policy for Consumer Reports. "Consumer Reports strongly supports the Keep Infant Formula Safe and on the Shelves Act because it would strengthen the FDA's oversight of infant formula manufacturers and prevent another crisis from happening again. The bill would ensure the plentiful supply of safe infant formula and hold manufacturers accountable by increasing the frequency of inspections of these plants, requiring these plants to share test results with the FDA, and requiring manufacturers to notify the FDA when they become aware of circumstances that could lead to a shortage."
The Keep Infant Formula Safe and on the Shelves Act is comprehensive legislation that would increase the Food and Drug Administration's inspection frequency and reporting for infant formula manufacturing facilities, build a supply infrastructure to ensure we have safe infant formula readily available, and clarify that the Defense Production Act can be invoked if any food related shortages are to occur.
"The food we give to our babies should be thoroughly inspected and meet the highest standard of safety," continued DeLauro. "This legislation would ensure that we meet that standard, requiring the FDA and infant formula manufacturers to do their due diligence to keep safe product on shelves and contaminated product out of our homes. We owe this to our families and to our children."
Joining Congresswoman DeLauro in introducing this legislation as original cosponsors are U.S. Representatives Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., Nanette Diaz Barragán, Ayanna Pressley, Kim Schrier, M.D., Katherine Clark, Michael F.Q. San Nicolas, John B. Larson, Mike Thompson, Susan Wild, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Jerrold Nadler, Al Lawson, John P. Sarbanes, Cheri Bustos, Rashida Tlaib, Grace F. Napolitano, Frederica S. Wilson, Jim Cooper, Earl Blumenauer, Salud Carbajal, Dwight Evans, Lori Trahan, Mark Pocan, David Trone, Ritchie Torres, David N. Cicilline, Danny K. Davis, Jackie Speier, Lauren Underwood, Mark DeSaulnier, Carolyn B. Maloney, Andre Carson, Jahana Hayes, Chellie Pingree, Suzanne Bonamici, Mike Levin, Joe Courtney, Grace Meng, Ed Perlmutter, Judy Chu, Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D., Dina Titus, Madeleine Dean, Jan Schakowsky, Karen Bass, Barbara Lee, Val B. Demings, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Jamie Raskin, Chris Pappas, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Derek Kilmer, Sean Casten, Deborah K. Ross, Haley Stevens, Brenda L. Lawrence, Abigail D. Spanberger, Steve Cohen, Jimmy Panetta, Katie Porter, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Mike Doyle, Gerald E. Connolly, Kathy Castor, Jim Himes, Betty McCollum, Jason Crow, Ruben Gallego, Eric Swalwell, Mary Gay Scanlon, Peter Welch, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Darren Soto, Ed Case, Tony Cárdenas, Sheila Jackson Lee, Anne Kuster, James Langevin, Lois Frankel, and Peter DeFazio.
You can find the bill text here. You can find a fact sheet on the legislation here.