Press Releases - President Biden Announces Twenty-Second Operation Fly Formula Mission

Biden Administration will facilitate air shipment of approximately 1.5 million 8-ounce bottle equivalents of Kendamil infant formula from September 1 to 5

Today, President Biden is announcing that his Administration is sourcing four flights, facilitated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), for Operation Fly Formula to transport Kendamil baby formula from England to New York, NY via flights from September 1 to 5. These four deliveries will include in total approximately 101,335 pounds of Kendamil EU Organic First Infant Milk Stage 1, the equivalent of approximately 1.5 million 8-ounce bottles. The product will be available at Target stores nationwide. Parents and pediatricians can learn more about Kendamil infant formula at https://us.kendamil.com and compare its nutritional content per 100kcal with other leading baby formula brands at https://us.kendamil.com/pages/compare-kendamil.

In May, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that the agency is exercising enforcement discretion so that Kendamil can export additional infant formula into the U.S., including Kendamil EU Classic First Infant Milk Stage 1 and Kendamil EU Organic First Infant Milk Stage 1. Kendamil plans to export approximately 58 million 8-ounce bottle equivalents to the U.S. market under Operation Fly Formula.

President Biden launched Operation Fly Formula to speed up the import of infant formula and start getting more formula to stores as soon as possible. Under Operation Fly Formula, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the General Services Administration (GSA), and the Department of Defense (DOD) are partnering to pick up overseas infant formula that meets U.S. health and safety standards, so it can get to store shelves faster. By September 5, Operation Fly Formula will have transported more than 85 million 8-ounce bottle equivalents to the U.S.

In addition, the Biden Administration has taken a number of other important actions to ensure there is enough safe infant formula for families, including invoking the Defense Production Act, entering into a consent agreement between the FDA and Abbott Nutrition to reopen the company’s Sturgis facility, and issuing FDA guidance so that major formula manufacturers can safely import formula that is not currently being produced for the U.S. market. Details of our actions can be found at whitehouse.gov/formula.