Effects of the baby formula shortage in the United States have seeped into the Okanagan, prompting an organization that works to help mothers in need to issue a plea for families to remember they’re “in this together.”
“My only advice would be please don’t create a two-tiered formula affordability system by charging $200 online for a case of formula that costs $30 in the store,” said Shannon Christensen, CEO and founder of Mamas for Mamas, a national charity that started in Kelowna.
“I mean really and truly at the end of the day, we’re in this together. Let’s be in this together.”
Just as shelves at local grocery stores rapidly emptied of formula over the last few weeks, so have the shelves at Mamas for Mamas.
“There are certain ones that are almost impossible (to find),” Christensen said.
“They’re the ones that are lactose-free (or) dairy-free. They don’t have the proteins in them that sometimes really upset those babies’ tummies, with allergies (or) sensitivities. It’s just not always possible to breastfeed. So we need an alternative.”
Earlier this month Health Canada said the country was facing a shortage of baby formula made for infants with food allergies and some medical conditions due to a safety-related closure of a large manufacturing plant in the U.S. that is affecting global supplies.
In particular, supplies of extensively hydrolyzed infant formulas and amino acid-based formulas were a hot commodity.
Health Canada said it is working to provide parents with safe and healthy options. The agency recommended that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) allow the importation and sale of products approved by foreign regulatory authorities until June 30.
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While there may be work happening to alleviate the pressure on the supply, an Okanagan lactation consultant said that the situation puts another issue in sharp focus.
As part of the B.C. Lactation Consultants Association, a group that lobbies the government to support breastfeeding across the province, Tiffany Hodsworth-Taylor said the issue is more pronounced because breastfeeding rates are plummeting across the country, putting more pressure on formula supply.
That said, it would be “a bit overly simplistic to say we can ameliorate a formula shortage by just breastfeeding more.” Government support will be required, she said.
In the meantime, Okanagan grocery stores are limiting the amount of formula that can be purchased until supplies increase.