US To Import 17 Mln Bottles Of Infant Formula From New Zealand, Ireland

(RTTNews) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the intended availability of around 17 million bottles equivalent of general infant formula to be imported from New Zealand and Ireland.

Under the FDA's enforcement discretion to source more infant formula to the U.S., French food company Danone SA will send 555,000 cans Aptamil Gold Plus from New Zealand. This is equivalent to about 1.1 million pounds or about 16.5 million full-size, 8-ounce bottles. The infant formula is likely to be available starting August across several retail channels in the U.S.

Further, Abbott Nutrition will import 18,677 cans of Similac Advance 2'-FL Stage 1 from Ireland. This is equivalent to about 35,000 pounds or about 535,000 full-size, 8-ounce bottles. The product will be available in mid- July.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is evaluating options for getting the product to the U.S. as quickly as possible.

Danone earlier had agreed to send about 750,000 cans of Aptamil First Infant Milk Stage 1 in July from Ireland. This would be equivalent to about 1.3 million pounds or nearly 19 million full-size, 8-ounce bottles.

Earlier this week, the FDA announced the availability of around 696,000 cans or about 21 million full-size, 8-ounce bottles of general formula milk from Australian organic infant formula and baby food producer, Bellamy's Organic. Earlier, UK-based Global Kosher also agreed to send more than 4.8 million cans of general infant formula, which are equal to more than 128 million full-size, 8-ounce bottles.

In its latest update, the FDA noted that its increased flexibilities have resulted in total estimated quantity of 18.3 million cans, or about 400 million full-size, 8-ounce bottles of infant formula products from various countries.