美国国家公共电台 NPR--A shortage of baby formula is making it hard for parents to feed their infants

A shortage of baby formula is making it hard for parents to feed their infants

Transcript¹

NPR's Rachel Martin talks to FDA Commissioner² Robert Califf about February's shutdown of formula giant Abbott Nutrition, which led to a surge in demand that other formula makers⁴ struggle to meet.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Many American parents are living a nightmare right now. A nationwide shortage of baby formula means they literally⁵ cannot feed their infants. How could this happen? Part of it has to do with the fact that nearly the entire U.S. infant formula market is controlled by a handful of companies. And one of them, Abbott Nutrition, the maker³ of Similac, had to stop production a few months ago under an order of the Food and Drug Administration. It's doing a massive product recall because of a bacterial⁶ contamination at the Michigan plant.

To help us understand everything happening right now, we have called on FDA commissioner Dr. Robert Califf. Commissioner, welcome to the program.

ROBERT CALIFF: Good to be here. Glad I could be here with you.

MARTIN: You know this. Right now, there are parents listening to this conversation, and they want to know how, in the year 2022, in the United States, there is not enough baby formula for them to feed their children. What can you tell them?

CALIFF: Well, first of all, I want to reassure⁷ all Americans that we at FDA are very concerned about this and doing everything we can and working 24-by-7 to get things righted. It is a complicated situation that we can break into parts that I'm glad to discuss with you so that people can understand it. But I'll also point out that we are committed that the parents should be able to get formula for their infants. We know how desperate parents can be for this fundamental need, but we are committed to make sure that everyone does have formula now and ongoing⁸.

MARTIN: So how is that going to happen? I mean, the FDA ordered the shutdown of this Abbott plant over three months ago. Why isn't it back online yet?

CALIFF: Well, you know, when you - it's a very delicate thing to shut down a plant for the reason that we're now seeing. If it's a major manufacturer, then that can produce supply chain problems and shortages in particular areas. And then when there is a problem in a plant to the extent that we saw, multiple measures need to be taken to make sure that the formula that's being made is safe and also has all the constituents⁹. We're working closely with Abbott on this and would expect to have a path forward announced really within the next very short period of time.

MARTIN: What does that mean - short period of time? I mean, when you're talking about - you know, some families are just, day by day, driving many hours to try to find formula for their children.

CALIFF: I really mean within a day or days, just making sure we got everything right so that when the plant does reopen, that the product that's being made is safe for families. But I also want to emphasize that there is enough formula to go around right now. It's just that we don't have the right formula in the right place in circumstances that the news has been reporting on, appropriately so. A tremendous amount of work is going in to make sure the distribution systems are moving the product to the place where it's needed.

MARTIN: Are we living through the consequences of the reality that just four companies in this country control nearly 90% of the infant formula supply in the U.S.? I mean, how could something as critical as baby formula be made so vulnerable this way?

CALIFF: Well, you know, I learned a lot about this. Right before becoming commissioner, I was on a supply chain committee at the National Academy of Medicine. And I say, this is the case in many industries. And when an industry is less diversified¹⁰, then you have less resilience in the system. That is, as long as everything's normal, it works great. Then when something goes wrong, it's very difficult to compensate¹¹ for it. This will be the subject of a lot of attention by Congress, as you might imagine. We have our budget hearings this week. We're very interested in getting this right, going forward.

MARTIN: Can you quantify the shortage for me?

CALIFF: Well, there's a number called the percent of stock on the shelves. Right now, that's about 80%, which is down about 10% from what it was before the recall. So while this is a real problem, particularly in certain areas, the overall amount of stock is not as low as it might appear. Nevertheless, we're going to work night and day until we get it back up to normal levels.

MARTIN: Though I do need to follow - is it true that about half of the total infant formula purchased in America is done so by low-income benefit recipients¹² of the WIC program for women, infants and children?

CALIFF: That's correct. This is really an essential product for low-income families and their children. And so we are going to work night and day to get this right.

MARTIN: Dr. Califf, thank you.

CALIFF: Thank you.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

3 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

4 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

6 bacterial   

a.细菌的

参考例句：

• Bacterial reproduction is accelerated in weightless space. 在失重的空间，细菌繁殖加快了。
• Brain lesions can be caused by bacterial infections. 大脑损伤可能由细菌感染引起。

7 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

8 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

9 constituents   

n.选民( constituent的名词复数 )；成分；构成部分；要素

参考例句：

• She has the full support of her constituents. 她得到本区选民的全力支持。
• Hydrogen and oxygen are the constituents of water. 氢和氧是水的主要成分。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 diversified   

adj.多样化的，多种经营的v.使多样化，多样化( diversify的过去式和过去分词 )；进入新的商业领域

参考例句：

• The college biology department has diversified by adding new courses in biotechnology. 该学院生物系通过增加生物技术方面的新课程而变得多样化。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Take grain as the key link, develop a diversified economy and ensure an all-round development. 以粮为纲，多种经营，全面发展。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 compensate   

vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消

参考例句：

• She used her good looks to compensate her lack of intelligence. 她利用她漂亮的外表来弥补智力的不足。
• Nothing can compensate for the loss of one's health. 一个人失去了键康是不可弥补的。

12 recipients   

adj.接受的；受领的；容纳的；愿意接受的n.收件人；接受者；受领者；接受器

参考例句：

• The recipients of the prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者的姓名登在报上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The recipients of prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者名单登在报上。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》