FDA Eases Baby-Formula Import Rules to Boost Supplies

U.S. health regulators took steps to allow more foreign baby formula on American shelves, easing rules that had effectively prevented shipments from many overseas manufacturers.

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday said it encouraged the overseas manufacturers to apply to ship their formula to the U.S.

Government officials said the moves will allow more formula products to enter the U.S. baby market, which is dominated by Abbott Laboratories, Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC and Nestlé SA’s Gerber business.

It could be weeks, however, before the products come to store shelves in the U.S., an FDA official said. Manufacturers will first have to apply with the agency to be able to ship their products to the U.S., and then the agency will have to conduct a review to assure quality control and safety.

“FDA will prioritize review of applications that are most likely to be successful and will get the most formula to U.S. shelves as quickly as possible,” White House press secretary Karine Jeane-Pierre said.