LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — The federal government is ramping up oversight of infant formula, as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on March 18th announced a new initiative to improve the safety, nutrition, and availability of formula for American families.

The program, called Operation Stork Speed, was launched under the leadership of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Sara Brenner. It will include more testing for heavy metals, an updated nutrient review process, and efforts to make labels clearer for parents.

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“The FDA will use all resources and authorities at its disposal to make sure infant formula products are safe and wholesome for the families and children who rely on them,” Kennedy said in a March 18 news release. “Helping each family and child get off to the right start from birth is critical to our pursuit to Make America Healthy Again.”

Parents felt the impact of the 2022 shutdown of Abbott Nutrition’s Sturgis plant, which suspended production following reports of bacterial contamination, according to PBS News. The shutdown contributed to a nationwide infant formula shortage, compounded by ongoing pandemic-era supply chain issues.

Now, federal officials say they’re working to address long-standing concerns about infant formula.

As part of the initiative, the FDA said it will begin “the first comprehensive update and review of infant formula nutrients by the FDA since 1998” and will issue a Request for Information in the coming months to begin the process.

Brenner said the effort aims to ensure caregivers can trust the quality of the product.

“The FDA is deeply committed to ensuring that moms and other caregivers of infants and young children and other individuals who rely on infant formula for their nutritional needs have confidence that these products are safe, consistently available, and contain the nutrients essential to promote health and wellbeing during critical stages of development and life,” Brenner said.

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The FDA’s efforts, officials said, are designed to ensure that the U.S. infant formula supply “ranks best in the world.”