New Baby Formula Plant In PA To Help Ease U.S. Shortage

EXETER TOWNSHIP, PA — Gov. Tom Wolf and other officials on Wednesday lauded efforts by a baby formula plant near Reading that hopes to provide relief to Pennsylvania parents and ease an ongoing nationwide shortage.

New York-based ByHeart opened a new plant in Exeter Township on March 23, making it the first new federally-approved U.S. formula maker in 15 years, the Reading Eagle reported. The new plant began production amid a shortage fueled in part by a recall and a plant shutdown at one of the country's largest producers.

Wolf and other officials were at the plant this week to tout the state's $1.75 million investment in ByHeart. The funds helped complete the $21.6 million facility, where every aspect of formula production is done, according to the Eagle. The plant is only the fourth end-to-end formula manufacturing site in the United States.

He also expressed hope that the new plant will ease the shortage in Pennsylvania.

"No one solution is going to solve this problem, and ByHeart, as important as it is, by itself is not going to solve it, but every bit helps," Wolf said, according to a report by WTAE.

In recent weeks the federal government has imported foreign supplies and used the Defense Production Act to speed domestic production of infant formula. Those steps began in mid-May, once retailers began rationing supplies and store shelves were emptying.

President Joe Biden on Wednesday hosted the roundtable with leaders of ByHeart and other manufacturers including Bubs Australia, Reckitt, Perrigo Co. and Gerber. Notably absent was Abbott Nutrition, whose Michigan plant was shut down in February over safety concerns, leading to the domestic shortage.

The White House also announced the third and fourth round of formula shipments from overseas will begin next week from producer Kendamil in Britain and from Bubs Australia.

The first shipments will include Kendamil Classic Stage 1 and Kendamil Organic formulas, which will be available at Target stores across the United States. Bubs Australia will ship the equivalent of 4.6 million 8-ounce bottles of its infant formula to Pennsylvania and California on June 9 and June 11, respectively.

ByHeart currently only sells formula online, WGAL reported. The company says it's only able to fill orders for current customers right now, but new customers are encouraged to join a waiting list.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.