US outlines plan for long-term baby formula imports

By MATTHEW PERRONE
AP Health Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators have revealed their plan to allow foreign baby formula manufactures to stay on the market long term. The Friday announcement from the Food and Drug Administration aims to diversify the nation’s highly concentrated formula industry and prevent future shortages. The U.S. has been forced to turn to foreign suppliers to boost formula supplies after FDA inspectors temporarily shuttered the nation’s largest domestic manufacturing plant in February. Since then the U.S. has imported the equivalent of 300 million bottles of formula. Under the new plan, foreign manufacturers will have until 2025 to comply with U.S. standards for formula nutrition, labeling and manufacturing.