Baby formula shortages are increasing across the U.S., and they are expected to continue the rest of the year.
Out-of-stock rates for baby formula hit 31% in April, according to recent data from Datasembly, a company that tracks grocery and retail pricing records. At the beginning of April, 20 states had out-of-stock rates between 30% and 40%, and several states had rates higher than 40%.
Formula shortages have grown worse each month so far in 2022, the company reported, with out-of-stock rates starting at 23% in January and increasing from there.
"Inflation, supply chain shortages and product recalls have brought an unprecedented amount of volatility for baby formula," Ben Reich, founder and CEO of Datasembly, said in a statement.
"We expect to continue to see the baby formula category being dramatically affected by these conditions," he said. "Baby formula stock, which has been one of the more affected categories so far in 2022, and one that will continue to demonstrate higher than average out-of-stock levels."
In response, major retailers are limiting the amount of baby formula that customers can buy, according to The Wall Street Journal .CVS, Kroger, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart have placed limits on formula purchases, per the FDA's request.
