June 15 (Reuters) - Global companies that make baby formula are bringing
products into the United States after the country's health regulator relaxed its
import policy to address a nationwide shortage partly triggered by Abbott
Laboratories' manufacturing plant in Michigan recalling some products in
February.
    Importers include Neocate maker Danone SA, while New Zealand's
dairy giants Fonterra and a2 Milk have submitted applications
to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for supplying baby formula to the
United States.
    Once the products arrive in the country and receive a sign-off from the FDA,
the manufacturers will distribute them through their existing supply chains and
cater to unfulfilled orders, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services said.
    Abbott said on June 4 that it had reopened its baby formula production plant
at Sturgis, Michigan.
    
    Here's a list of companies that are bringing in baby formula to the U.S.
market in the wake of the crisis:  
 Date of       Manufacturer               Major imports
 announcement                             
 May 27        Bubs Australia Ltd         Plans to ship at least 1.25 million
                                          cans of several varieties of its
                                          formula             
 May 26        Danone SA                  Has doubled shipments of its
                                          formula, with about 500,000
                                          additional cans to be sent to the
                                          U.S.                          
                                          
 June 3        Nestle SA                  U.S. FDA says about 1.3 million cans
                                          of Nestle's Gerber Good Start Gentle
                                          from Mexico to be available from the
                                          beginning of July through October.
                                                       
 June 2        Nestle SA                  U.S. FDA says 249,500 cans from
                                          Germany of Nestle's NAN Supreme Pro
                                          1 and NAN Supreme Pro 2 baby formula
                                          to be available in June and July(https://bit.ly/3m8DqFS)
                                          
 May 25        Nestle SA                  114 pallets of Gerber Good Start
                                          Extensive HA formula delivered in
                                          Virginia
 May 22        Nestle SA                  Has been flying supplies from the
                                          Netherlands and Switzerland and
                                          delivered 132 pallets of its Health
                                          Science Alfamino and Alfamino Jr
                                          infant formulas              
                                          
 May 24        Kendal Nutricare           About 2 million cans of infant
                                          formula expected to reach U.S. store
                                          shelves from the UK, beginning June,
                                          with 40,000 cans in stock for
                                          immediate dispatch             
                                          
 June 15       Reckitt Benckiser          U.S. FDA says 4.5 million pounds of
                                          base powder for Reckitt subsidiary
                                          Mead Johnson's general infant
                                          formula Enfamil Stage 1 will begin
                                          shipping in June through November (https://bit.ly/3tH4aBx)
 
    
 (Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Leah Douglas
in Washington and Leroy Leo in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Maju
Samuel)