The major withdrawal of infant formulas from US maker Similac has exacerbated current pandemic supply problems for some Canadian retailers, according to the Canadian Retail Council, while other stores generally manage to keep shelves full, with shortages mostly temporary. .
A number of Similac powder products were withdrawn in February, when four babies in the United States fell ill with a bacterial infection after consuming formula made at the Abbott Nutrition facility in Michigan. Two of the four hospitalized babies have died. The plant was closed while the US Food and Safety Administration (FDA) investigated.
The company, the largest producer of baby food in the United States, said in a statement that “there is no evidence to link our formulas to these childhood diseases.” However, the plant remains closed to the investigation, and the American retail tracking company Datasembly said that the rate of depletion of baby adapters in the United States reached 43 percent in the first week of May.
While Canadian retailers have generally not experienced the bare shelves seen in many stores in the United States so far, some Canadian parents are still concerned about the potential impact, especially since many products are special formulas made for babies with special dietary requirements.
“Some retailers I spoke to have had an impact since last year because of these challenges to the global supply chain. But it has definitely gotten significantly worse since the closure of production facilities and the withdrawal of products, “said Michelle Wasilishen, a national spokeswoman for Canada’s Retail Council, in a telephone interview Friday.
Other retailers had less impact, she said.
“Most of this section in their stores, the baby formula is loaded. If there are interruptions or shortages on the shelves, they should be temporary for the most part. “
Wasylyshen said there was no clear answer as to whether supply problems were regional, as food traders use different supply chains within the country and even within a province, and there are different types of agreements and suppliers.
Walmart Canada told CTVNews.ca that there are numerous ongoing global challenges in the supply of infant formula across the industry that have been going on for years and that it continues to work closely with its suppliers.
Despite these challenges, including the latest withdrawal of the brand … [we] We have provided strong deliveries of baby formula for many brands and formats (concentrates, powders and ready-to-eat) to be available for sale both in-store and online, ”spokeswoman Felicia Fefer said in an email Friday.
Costco and two of Canada’s three major food chains, Loblaws and Sobeys, have not yet responded. Metro declined to comment, saying the problem was not specific to Metro.
STORES BRANDS, HEALTH CANADA ORDERING AID
Despite concerns, there are differences between Canada and the United States that have helped disperse some of the impact so far, Wasylyshen said.
All major grocery chains in Canada have strong “private labels” or home brands, including for the infant category, she said. Although some of these versions of the trademark formula can also be manufactured by the same company as the main labels, most are supplied by competitors, which gives buyers more alternatives and avoids double impact.
Health Canada has also approved a temporary policy that temporarily allows other brands of infants to be imported into Canada from the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Germany. The policy aims to “help prevent and alleviate shortages of these products in Canada in connection with the temporary closure of a large manufacturing plant in the United States, while ensuring the safe delivery of these products to vulnerable Canadians who rely on them” documents.
The policy, which runs until June 30, also notes that safety assessments have been performed by Health Canada for each listed product.
“Health Canada reviews infant feedings provided by manufacturers, including labeling and composition requirements, before selling infant formula in Canada,” Health Canada spokeswoman Marie-Pierre Burel told CTVNews.ca on Friday.
“The products listed in Annex A of the Interim Policy are imported from countries that have similar regulatory standards as Canada and are safe to use. Normally, these products would not be on the Canadian market, as Health Canada did not receive a request from the manufacturers to conduct a regulatory review before placing it on the market.
The products may not meet certain requirements such as labeling in French and English, for example, Wasylyshen said.
“They are all still products that are safe and regulated, they are just now temporarily allowed in Canada until we get a little more stability with the system,” she said, adding that this has been done in the past in situations where the supply of basic consumables has been hampered.
CASCADE PROBLEMS
Current problems with the global supply chain during the pandemic were already a problem before the withdrawal, including a global shortage of raw ingredients that go into the production of baby formula, Wasylyshen said. But complicating the current situation is that other suppliers are now beginning to experience problems due to increased demand for other available products.
“It’s not a big problem yet, but the longer we continue to see a shortage of Abbott or Abbott products missing from the shelves, other vendors may experience additional problems within a month or two – maybe by summer, so Certainly this is something we “will want to keep an eye on.”
Add Comment