Biden uses Defense Production Act to tackle US baby formula crisis

Government aims to speed production after closure of Abbott plant, as experts urge parents not to concoct own alternatives

Joe Biden has invoked the Defense Production Act to address the shortage of infant formula by speeding production and authorizing flights to import it from abroad, as experts warned desperate parents not to concoct their own home brew" alternatives.

The safety-related closure of the nation's largest formula manufacturing plant has seen a nationwide squeeze on supply. The Defense Production Act order requires suppliers of formula manufacturers to fulfill orders from those companies before other customers, in an effort to eliminate production bottlenecks.