Baby formula shortage impacting Central Florida moms
ORLANDO, Fla. - Empty store shelves and holes in the inventory – that’s what some new moms are finding when they head to the store for baby formula.
"It’s definitely extremely exhausting," said Orange County mom Kayt Reed.
Reed says she’s been dedicating part of her day off to finding a formula for her 6-month-old son.
"For instance, I’ve gone to Target before where online it says they’re stocked up, and I’ve literally gotten there, and it’s gone within the hour," Reed explained.
There’s a baby formula shortage nationwide.
Market researchers from IRI are tracking the inventory.
"It seems to be the supply chain issue. Across a bunch of categories that we track – we are seeing some in-stock rates come down because of Omicron surge, labor shortages, supply chain bottlenecks," said Krishnakumar Davey, President of Client Engagement at IRI.
The company says in-stock baby formula has dropped by about 10 percent since the start of the pandemic to 85%.
It doesn’t seem like a lot, but for moms who need a specific brand, it can mean their formula has been wiped out.
Local non-profits are preparing to step in for families in need.
"We’re gonna have to try to figure out how to bridge this gap for a period of time until our families become stable again," said Thelisha Thomas, Exec. Dir. of Healthy Start Orange County.
Experts say there’s no telling when the formula supply will get back to normal.
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