By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Barton County Commissioner Jennifer Schartz said any time she goes to Walmart she is curious on the status of the baby formula supply. Schartz said the shelves have never been completely empty, but understands specific varieties might not be in stock.
There has been a nationwide shortage of infant formula
since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shut down a large manufacturer in
Michigan over safety concerns.
Barton County Health Department staff, including Karen Winkelman and Christy
Huslig, said the local Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program has been working with
parents to track down needed formula.
"Our WIC department has been fielding calls on different brands that are comparable, but the availability is still limited," said Winkelman.
"WIC has done a really great job to cover comparable brands," added Huslig.
The manufacturer in Michigan, Abbott Nutrition, had dangerous bacteria in parts
of their plant. The FDA forced the facility to close and a large recall was
made on its formula in February.