05-24-2022, 07:24 AM
Can BABY Solve The Formula Shortage?
<!-- SC_OFF --><div class="md"><p>As the formula shortage continues to grip the US, many parents have been left struggling to access the product they rely on to feed their babies. At the start of May, 43% of baby formula was out of stock at retailers, according to Datasembly, a product data firm. One mother, speaking to the New York Times, described the situation as “a nightmare”.</p> <p>Here’s a look at how the problem started, what parents can do and what the FDA and government are doing to try to end the shortage.</p> <p>In February, Abbott Laboratories, maker of popular baby formulas, closed a manufacturing facility in Sturgis, Michigan, after it recalled infant formula products when a federal investigation started after four babies taking the formula developed bacterial infections, two of whom died. Abbott has said there is no link between its formula and the illnesses. Baby formula was already being affected by pandemic-related supply chain problems, but the Michigan plant closure “really exacerbated things”, said Dr. Christopher Duggan, director of the Center for Nutrition at Boston children’s hospital.</p> <p>Dr. Ann Kellam's, a University of Virginia faculty pediatrician and board president of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, explains: “This is a really difficult situation to be in. It’s hard enough to be a parent to a baby, infant or toddler, and it’s OK to use a different brand of formula than you’re used to using.” For children with a medical condition that is treated with formula, however, parents must talk with their pediatrician or a pediatric registered dietitian to ensure a switch will be safe and well tolerated, said Duggan.</p> <p>If a mother has been partially breastfeeding and their baby is four months old or younger, there are also ways to boost production but parents should see a lactation consultant or breastfeeding medicine physician, said Kellam's, whose organization published a list of recommendations.</p> <p>However, families could soon see some relief. The FDA and Abbott have reached a proposed settlement that would allow the company to reopen the closed Michigan facility, with oversight from an independent expert, according to the agency. The company stated it could restart the site within two weeks and that it would then take an additional six to eight weeks before its products are available.</p> <p>The FDA has also announced a series of measures designed to increase supply. On Monday, the agency said it would implement processes to make it easier for foreign baby formula manufacturers to sell their products in the US. Currently the US produces about 98% of formula domestically.</p> <p>The FDA will also, on a case-by-case basis, ease some of the requirements it puts on formula companies, for example around labeling.</p> <p>Some are calling for federal action to tackle the monopoly a handful of companies have on the formula market. Booker, Warren and other senators call for immediate antitrust review in their letter to Vilsack, writing: “This is yet another example of how alarming levels of consolidation hurt American families and can no longer be ignored”</p> <p>So let's dive right into it, and allow me to introduce to you a company who may be able to shift some gears. ELSE Nutrition is an Israel-based food and nutrition company, develops innovative clean labeled plant-based food and nutrition that produces all-natural, dairy-free, soy-free, and healthy food and nutrition products for infants, toddlers, children, and adults. With the rise in cases of dairy intolerance in babies, there is a greater demand for organic and clean-labeled infant nutrition products. The company’s products are 100% natural and plant-based, made from almonds, buckwheat, and tapioca. Free of hormones, antibiotics, gluten, and other hazardous ingredients, allowing them to get a first-mover advantage in this market.</p> <p>Else has become well positioned for leadership in the space. With a growing shortage of baby products and a desperate need for toxic-free products, Else Nutrition (BABY) is reshaping the industry and filling a market gap with its plant-based and heavy-metal-free baby food products.</p> <p>Following an investigation into possible contamination in Abbott’s baby products, the products were recalled from shelves, and the company closed its largest formula manufacturing plant. According to Datasembly, a data analytics firm, baby formula supply shortages increased to 40% last week from 11% in November 2021, although the FDA claims to be working with American manufacturers to increase output and streamline paperwork to allow more imports. Moreover, recent consumer reports have revealed that 50 well-known infant nutrition products contain high levels of heavy metals, adding to the pressure.</p> <p>The company is a strong player in the plant-based infant formula and pediatric nutrition markets, with the opportunity for significant investment in innovation. With the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) support, Else’s products can now reach low-income families who can benefit from the cleanest, purest, and most complete nutrition available.</p> <p>The company recently announced that Amazon would accept Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) purchases of Else Nutrition products, allowing SNAP users to buy food with SNAP benefits in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam. </p> <p>This step will undoubtedly increase brand awareness and revenue growth for the company, but it will also provide Else Nutrition with a way to address the CURRENT supply shortages. The growing acceptance of the company’s products among parents and government approval indicates that the company is prepared to take over existing manufacturers that remain ignorant of toxic metals in their products.</p> <p>The use of the cleanest ingredients and the most stringent processing methods to ensure purity has resulted in the company pushing the industry toward safer and better newborn nutrition solutions. ELSE’s commitment to addressing heavy metals issues by developing a safe line of newborn nutrition products earned it the Clean Label Project Purity Award for its Super Cereal for Babies. Else, is the first and only baby cereal product in the United States to receive this award, testing for over 400 impurities, heavy metals, and toxins such as arsenic and lead cadmium.</p> <p>Bottom line, Else is primed for growth and is highly undervalued. They have made steady progress in the last few months, becoming Amazon’s number one, best selling baby and infant formula product and winning numerous awards for its clean and safe plant-based baby products. Now the company is emerging as THE one that could solve the shortage of baby food products today.</p> </div><!-- SC_ON --> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Zero-0-Waste"> /u/Zero-0-Waste </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/investing/comments/uw40u6/can_baby_solve_the_formula_shortage/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/investing/comments/uw40u6/can_baby_solve_the_formula_shortage/">[comments]</a></span>
<!-- SC_OFF --><div class="md"><p>As the formula shortage continues to grip the US, many parents have been left struggling to access the product they rely on to feed their babies. At the start of May, 43% of baby formula was out of stock at retailers, according to Datasembly, a product data firm. One mother, speaking to the New York Times, described the situation as “a nightmare”.</p> <p>Here’s a look at how the problem started, what parents can do and what the FDA and government are doing to try to end the shortage.</p> <p>In February, Abbott Laboratories, maker of popular baby formulas, closed a manufacturing facility in Sturgis, Michigan, after it recalled infant formula products when a federal investigation started after four babies taking the formula developed bacterial infections, two of whom died. Abbott has said there is no link between its formula and the illnesses. Baby formula was already being affected by pandemic-related supply chain problems, but the Michigan plant closure “really exacerbated things”, said Dr. Christopher Duggan, director of the Center for Nutrition at Boston children’s hospital.</p> <p>Dr. Ann Kellam's, a University of Virginia faculty pediatrician and board president of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, explains: “This is a really difficult situation to be in. It’s hard enough to be a parent to a baby, infant or toddler, and it’s OK to use a different brand of formula than you’re used to using.” For children with a medical condition that is treated with formula, however, parents must talk with their pediatrician or a pediatric registered dietitian to ensure a switch will be safe and well tolerated, said Duggan.</p> <p>If a mother has been partially breastfeeding and their baby is four months old or younger, there are also ways to boost production but parents should see a lactation consultant or breastfeeding medicine physician, said Kellam's, whose organization published a list of recommendations.</p> <p>However, families could soon see some relief. The FDA and Abbott have reached a proposed settlement that would allow the company to reopen the closed Michigan facility, with oversight from an independent expert, according to the agency. The company stated it could restart the site within two weeks and that it would then take an additional six to eight weeks before its products are available.</p> <p>The FDA has also announced a series of measures designed to increase supply. On Monday, the agency said it would implement processes to make it easier for foreign baby formula manufacturers to sell their products in the US. Currently the US produces about 98% of formula domestically.</p> <p>The FDA will also, on a case-by-case basis, ease some of the requirements it puts on formula companies, for example around labeling.</p> <p>Some are calling for federal action to tackle the monopoly a handful of companies have on the formula market. Booker, Warren and other senators call for immediate antitrust review in their letter to Vilsack, writing: “This is yet another example of how alarming levels of consolidation hurt American families and can no longer be ignored”</p> <p>So let's dive right into it, and allow me to introduce to you a company who may be able to shift some gears. ELSE Nutrition is an Israel-based food and nutrition company, develops innovative clean labeled plant-based food and nutrition that produces all-natural, dairy-free, soy-free, and healthy food and nutrition products for infants, toddlers, children, and adults. With the rise in cases of dairy intolerance in babies, there is a greater demand for organic and clean-labeled infant nutrition products. The company’s products are 100% natural and plant-based, made from almonds, buckwheat, and tapioca. Free of hormones, antibiotics, gluten, and other hazardous ingredients, allowing them to get a first-mover advantage in this market.</p> <p>Else has become well positioned for leadership in the space. With a growing shortage of baby products and a desperate need for toxic-free products, Else Nutrition (BABY) is reshaping the industry and filling a market gap with its plant-based and heavy-metal-free baby food products.</p> <p>Following an investigation into possible contamination in Abbott’s baby products, the products were recalled from shelves, and the company closed its largest formula manufacturing plant. According to Datasembly, a data analytics firm, baby formula supply shortages increased to 40% last week from 11% in November 2021, although the FDA claims to be working with American manufacturers to increase output and streamline paperwork to allow more imports. Moreover, recent consumer reports have revealed that 50 well-known infant nutrition products contain high levels of heavy metals, adding to the pressure.</p> <p>The company is a strong player in the plant-based infant formula and pediatric nutrition markets, with the opportunity for significant investment in innovation. With the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) support, Else’s products can now reach low-income families who can benefit from the cleanest, purest, and most complete nutrition available.</p> <p>The company recently announced that Amazon would accept Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) purchases of Else Nutrition products, allowing SNAP users to buy food with SNAP benefits in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam. </p> <p>This step will undoubtedly increase brand awareness and revenue growth for the company, but it will also provide Else Nutrition with a way to address the CURRENT supply shortages. The growing acceptance of the company’s products among parents and government approval indicates that the company is prepared to take over existing manufacturers that remain ignorant of toxic metals in their products.</p> <p>The use of the cleanest ingredients and the most stringent processing methods to ensure purity has resulted in the company pushing the industry toward safer and better newborn nutrition solutions. ELSE’s commitment to addressing heavy metals issues by developing a safe line of newborn nutrition products earned it the Clean Label Project Purity Award for its Super Cereal for Babies. Else, is the first and only baby cereal product in the United States to receive this award, testing for over 400 impurities, heavy metals, and toxins such as arsenic and lead cadmium.</p> <p>Bottom line, Else is primed for growth and is highly undervalued. They have made steady progress in the last few months, becoming Amazon’s number one, best selling baby and infant formula product and winning numerous awards for its clean and safe plant-based baby products. Now the company is emerging as THE one that could solve the shortage of baby food products today.</p> </div><!-- SC_ON --> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Zero-0-Waste"> /u/Zero-0-Waste </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/investing/comments/uw40u6/can_baby_solve_the_formula_shortage/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/investing/comments/uw40u6/can_baby_solve_the_formula_shortage/">[comments]</a></span>