Stateside has suffered the worst shortage of infant formula in decades, an important source of nutrition for millions of babies in the country. Numerous media outlets have reported on the matter in recent days, and it is take stance even the president Joe Biden.

US channel CNN saysthat the shortage of substitutes has continued for months, even though the substitute is being produced at full capacity. Some retailers have limited the number of products a customer can purchase at one time.

The problem underlying the problems in supply chains that began with the corona pandemic.

Earlier in the year, the problem worsened when substitute maker Abbott Nutrition closed its plant in Sturgis, Michigan.

Four babies who had received a factory-made substitute had had a bacterial infection. Two of the babies died as a result of the infection.

Abbott is one of the largest manufacturers of infant formula in the United States, so the closure of the plant and the recall of products have had a large impact on the market.

White House published on Thursday, a statement that President Biden has instructed his administration to work urgently to ensure the safety and availability of substitutes. The problem is still expected to continue for at least several more months.

Numerous families with infants are affected by the shortage, as only one in four children under the age of six in the United States is exclusively breastfed. This is influenced by many factors, such as a quick return to work after giving birth.

The shortage of substitutes particularly affects the African-American population, which has lower numbers of breastfeeders, according to the British newspaper The Guardian.