By Canadian Press

Feds mull stopgap plan for formula shortage before overhauling approval process: docs

Aug 28, 2023 | 12:00 PM

OTTAWA — An internal memo shows the federal government is looking for ways to bring more infant formula products to store shelves while it overhauls the way it is regulated to prevent future shortages.

Many parents still struggle to find the right formula for their babies at a reasonable price after last year’s temporary shutdown of a U.S.-based manufacturing plant caused a major shortage of shipments to Canada.

The government is expected to reveal its long-term plans to deal with the problem this fall as part of an overhaul of outdated rules that govern how Canada approves infant formula products.

Those changes could take years, so the government is considering a stopgap that would exempt products from certain requirements.

The plans are laid out in a heavily redacted memo to the deputy health minister in April, which The Canadian Press obtained through the Access to Information Act.

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For now, Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have relaxed the enforcement of some rules to allow for the import of 70 baby formula products from countries with similar standards until Dec. 2024.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 28, 2023.

The Canadian Press