Health officials strengthen baby formula testing

The Food and Drug Administration plans new actions to ensure the safety and nutritional value of infant formula, according to a Tuesday statement from the Department of Health and Human Services. The plan, known as Operation Stork Speed, will re-evaluate the formulas that families rely on and make sure children have a healthy start to life, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The secretary met with CEOs of top infant formula manufacturers on Tuesday.

What are some of the initiatives Operation Stork Speed includes?

• Reviewing and updating the FDA’s infant formula nutrients for the first time since 1998

• Encouraging formula producers to increase product transparency and make labels easier for consumers to understand

• Increased testing for contaminants, like heavy metals, in formulas and other baby foods

• Collaborating with the National Institutes of Health to address scientific research gaps around the short- and long-term health effects of formula feeding on infants

• Communicating with formula producers and consumers on major product updates and health outcomes