Bubs Australia has dispatched its first consignment of infant milk formula from Melbourne Airport as part of United States President Joe Biden’s fourth ‘Operation Fly Formula’ mission, to help ease the national supply shortage in the United States.
The flight held about 95,000 tins of Bubs infant formula — to fill just over two million bottles — and will be purchased by two major infant formula retailers in the US: The Kroger Co and Albertsons Companies.
Distribution to stores will be expedited and product is expected to be available in retail stores from June 20.
Bubs Australia plans to ship at least 1.25 million cans of its baby formula to the US.
Bubs' supply is one of the imports allowed by the US Food and Drug Administration as part of its regulatory flexibility started earlier this month in an attempt to mitigate one of the biggest baby formula shortages in recent US history.
The shortage is partly due to Abbott Laboratories' manufacturing plant in Michigan recalling some products, including Similac, in February.
Abbotts said it intended to be back in production at the end of June.
Meanwhile, Burra Foods has entered into a partnership with Bubs Australia to supply the company with A2 nutritional base powders.
Earlier this year, Bubs Australia announced the launch of its Supreme A2 Beta-Casein Protein Infant Formula range with advanced premium formulation.