Alright, I'm kinda starting to worry about this whole food shortage thing we keep hearing about. It seems everyday we are made aware of another food item which is running low.
This one, though, hits me hard for some reason.
Yes, I've got a soft spot for infants (don't tell my wife), and when food is running low for our youngest and most precious demographic, well that just makes me all sorts of sad.
This was just a week ago that we reported on this issue, saying that 31% of formula inventory was out of stock in April:
And now the mainstream media is picking up the story and saying it's jumped to 40% in just a few weeks.
At retailers across the U.S., 40% of the top-selling baby formula products were out of stock as of the week ending April 24, a new analysis from Datasembly, which tracked baby formula stock at more than 11,000 stores, shows. National out-of-stock levels jumped nine percentage points, from 31% to 40% between April 3 and April 24. That's up sharply from 11% in November…
Drugstore chains Walgreens and CVS Health, and department store Target in April put limits on how many baby formula products consumers can purchase at one time.
Walgreens and CVS have a limit of three baby formula products per transaction, while Target set the number at four. What's more, the price of baby formula is up 18% over the past year!
Now, all signs say that this is a supply chain issue, as we're used to hearing by now, but there was also a major baby formula recall back in January which didn't help.
I'm kinda hoping that some of these momma bears are stocking up on formula as part of their nesting stage and maybe that is also a contributing factor. Anything besides the thought of baby formula running out is fine with me!
The Infant Nutrition Council of America recently assured parents in a statement on its website that manufacturers are increasing production to meet families' needs. The council also encourages parents to keep a 10-day to two-week supply or formula at home, while urging them not to stockpile products…
In January, Enfamil, a leading baby formula brand, said it was coping with an unprecedented 18% surge in demand for baby formula nationwide.
So yeah, try not to hoard this stuff. Though it's a difficult time in history to resist the urge with all the talk of food shortages.
And I know it's hard and very time-consuming, but there's nothing better for your child than a fresh bottle of mother's milk. So if possible, get out that pump and clear out some room in your freezer. And if you're lucky enough to work from home, this will work especially well once your leave is up.
I know, I know, easy for me to say. I just sit on the couch and watch hockey, occasionally washing a bottle or two at intermission. But even I realize the dangerous signs of this shortage!
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