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Pics of shelves FULL of baby formula at border centers spark outrage as US parents struggle

New data has revealed that parents in Tennessee are the hardest hit by the baby formula shortage, while the second to be hit is Delaware

American families have been trawling online stores, Amazon, going to nearby towns and searching everywhere to deal with a shortage of baby formula across the US. In the midst of this, a Florida Republican lawmaker has released images shelves stocked full with the coveted product at a migrant processing facility near the US-Mexico border. Florida Congresswoman Kat Cammack tweeted the two images to express her outrage at the formula being sent to the border. In one of the images, one can see full shelves of baby formula and food from a processing center at the southern border. The other image shows empty shelves at an American grocery store where baby formula was supposed to be. "The first photo is from this morning at the Ursula Processing Center at the U.S. border. Shelves and pallets packed with baby formula. The second is from a shelf right here at home. Formula is scarce. This is what America last looks like," she captioned the photos.

The baby formula problem is the result of supply chain disruptions and a safety recall. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned consumers on February 17 to avoid some powdered baby formula products from a Sturgis, Michigan facility run by Abbott Nutrition, which then initiated a voluntary recall. Earlier this year, four babies were hospitalized after eating contaminated formula after the Abbott facility allegedly flouted FDA hygiene procedures. One of the babies died. 

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New data obtained by the Daily Mail has revealed that parents in Tennessee are the hardest hit by the baby formula shortage. The second to be hit is President Joe Biden's home state of Delaware. In Tennessee, 54.71 percent of the state's usual supply is out of stock, while the figures in Delaware and Texas are 54.51 percent and 52.01 percent respectively. The data was obtained from Datasembly from the first week in May. Datasembly collects real-time data from 11,000 grocery stores nationwide and calculates the shortages per state. Significantly hit by the crisis are also Montana and Nevada. With 26.36 percent of the usual supply being out of stock, Colorado was reporting the fewest problems. The only other states to have supply outages at less than 30 percent were New Mexico and Indiana.

While retailers are limiting what can be bought by their customers, parents are being urged by doctors and health workers to contact food banks or physicians' offices. They are also being warned against watering down the formula to stretch supplies or using online DIY recipes. Besides babies, special needs kids and their parents are struggling to get through the crisis. While parents are trawling the empty aisles of New York stores, pharmacies are struggling to help children who have ongoing prescriptions for formula.

Amid the crisis, Gov Kathy Hochul has said that the state’s health department is communicating with formula manufacturers in an attempt to track production, supply and shipments. “In close coordination with our federal partners, New York State will continue to do everything possible to support New York families in need of formula for their infants,” Hochul reportedly said. “My administration is committed to ensuring every newborn and child has access to the nutritional support they need to stay healthy."

However, desperate parents have been expressing outrage at the Biden admin after seeing the stocked shelves while they hunt for the product. One social media user wrote: "This is disgusting-my grandchildren need formula-we’ve been driving all over SW Florida trying to find it!" One social media user even brought in the veterans into the equations in a cheeky comment: "HORRIBLE THAT OUR BABY FOOD IS GOING TO THE BORDER. IMAGINE HOW OUR VETERANS FEEL..." "Why is it there is a shortage of baby food for American citizens while pallet loads of baby food are being held at the border for illegals use? Explain that to me," asked another on social media user. One wrote: "So all the baby food is going to the Southern border. Your baby is hungry but the illegals coming here are very well fed! And for free too! Thanks Joe Biden!"