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America's baby formula crisis: The role of regulations and trade policy

Baby formula has been is short supply in many stores around the country for several months. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Baby formula has been is short supply in many stores around the country for several months. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

In the U.S., 40% of the nation’s baby formula is out of stock.

Contaminated formula by a major producer, recalls and the coronavirus pandemic have all contributed to the shortage — but that is only part of the problem, according to Derek Thompson, staff writer for the Atlantic.

Thompson explains why he thinks U.S. trade policies and the Food and Drug Administration’s regulation of formula have made the country much more vulnerable to supply chain issues.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.