ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Florida's baby formula shortage outpaces the national average following a significant jump in mid-May, indicating there's more work to do to get products on store shelves, according to a retail data group.
The share of baby formula out of stock in Florida hit 79.85 percent for the week of May 15-22, which is higher than the nationwide out-of-stock percentage of 70.12 percent, Datasembly reports.
In the Tampa metro area, the figure is 77.39 percent.
Retailers have limited how much baby formula people can purchase given the ongoing shortage, with quantities varying by store. The on-demand grocery service Instacart told CNN that searches for formula hit a record high in mid-May but orders are struggling to be completed given the shortages.
The company says it will implement a purchase limit to help families get access.
Ongoing supply disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic took a turn for the worse when Abbott Nutrition recalled several major brands of powdered formula and shut down its Michigan facility when officials began investigating four babies who suffered infections after consuming formula from the company, according to The Associated Press.
FDA Commissioner Robert Califf this week, while testifying before a House subcommittee investigating the shortage, acknowledged the agency's response to inspect issues at the Michigan plant — issues going far back as September — as "too slow." Califf told lawmakers Thursday it will take until July before store shelves are stocked again with formula.
And Abbott should be able to make more formula than before the company's announced recall, a spokesperson said.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has set up a website where people can get connected to resources to find formula near them, plus additional guidance for parents.