Canada’s health minister and his own department offered conflicting views on whether the infant formula shortage might end on Tuesday.
In the eyes of Health Canada, the empty tablets that have discouraged parents for months will soon be a thing of the past.
“Although the situation has not quite returned to normal, the shortage of hypoallergenic infant formula has largely subsided, the supply is relatively stable and the demands are being met,” the ministry said in a statement.
“While the total national supply of regular infant formula remains sufficient at this time, we are aware of concerns regarding the availability of private label or less expensive infant formula,” Health Canada added, adding that it had received confirmation “that regular shipments of generic or private label preparations, including Kirkland and Parent’s Choice, will continue over the coming weeks.”
This exit from Health Canada is intended to be reassuring, but comes up once morest the words of its boss, the Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos.
The latter acknowledged, in an interview with “Le Droit” on Tuesday, that the shortages are not over.
“In the coming weeks, the scarcity [de préparations pour nourrissons] will continue to be there”, he said daily, calling on parents not to make reservations to give everyone the chance to get their hands on preparations.
This exchange follows the recall, on Saturday, of lots of Nestlé Good Start Soothe infant formula due to possible contamination with Cronobacter sakazakii bacteria.
Here once more, Health Canada wanted to be reassuring by stating that “the recalled product represents a very small proportion of the Canadian market for powdered infant formula”.
The infant formula supply chain was turned upside down in February 2022, when the multinational Abbott had to close its factory in Sturgis, Michigan, where the Similac brand of formula is manufactured, following a devastating inspection by health authorities .
