The French agri-food group Danone said on Friday that it had “more than doubled” in recent months its exports of Neocate brand infant milk to the United States, hit by shortages, and is preparing to send 500,000 additional boxes at the end of June. “Our commitment today is to provide 500,000 boxes in addition to what we have provided to the United States in recent months,” a spokesman for the group’s “specialty nutrition” division told AFP. which however refuses to communicate the total quantity of the deliveries. These additional boxes of Neocate, intended for babies with a cow’s milk or food protein allergy, are due to arrive in the United States by the end of June for distribution to families in early July.
The quantity of product announced must allow the preparation of 5 million baby bottles of approximately 250 milliliters. The United States has been experiencing a shortage of baby milk for several months, caused by supply and labor problems linked to Covid-19, then worsened by the closure, in February, of a factory of the manufacturer Abbott in Michigan, after a product recall suspected of causing the deaths of two infants. To meet the needs of the American market while continuing to supply the other countries where the Neocate brand is distributed, Danone indicated that it had increased production of this brand in a factory in England. “Danone is currently discussing with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the White House the possibility of importing non-medical baby formulas into the United States that are not currently available in the country,” the statement added. French industrialist. Danone achieved 20% of its turnover in the United States in 2021, but only has a 5% market share in infant milk. Its competitor Nestlé sent more than 31 tonnes of infant milk cans to the United States on Sunday from Switzerland and the Netherlands.
