The U.S. Health and Human Services Agency, along with the Food and Drug Administration, announced a new initiative Tuesday aimed at improving baby formula safety and supply.
Under the directive of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Operation Stork Speed seeks to provide safe, reliable, and nutritious infant formula options for American families.
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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 statement. “Helping each family and child get off to the right start from birth is critical to our pursuit to Make America Healthy Again.”
As part of the new initiative, the FDA said it will begin with a comprehensive review of infant formula nutrients. The regulatory health agency said it will also increase testing for heavy metals and contaminants in baby formula and other foods children consume, while also encouraging companies to increase transparency with “clearer labeling” on their products.
Additionally, the FDA said it is collaborating with the National Institutes of Health — along with “other scientific bodies” — to address what it describes as “research gaps” regarding the short-term and long-term health impacts associated with baby formula.
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“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,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Sara Brenner. “Whether breastfed, bottle fed or both, the rising generation must be nourished in a way that promotes health and longevity over the course of their lives.”
