Current Events > The baby formula shortage is a result of stupid capitalism

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WingsOfGood
05/15/22 6:18:41 PM
#1:


https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/9/7/AAefUOAADPDh.jpg

https://fortune.com/2022/05/14/baby-formula-shortage-milk-monopoly-fda/

The baby formula market exists as a shared monopoly, with only a few manufacturers controlling nearly all supply.
Abbott had an approximately 43% market share a decade ago, according to a USDA report from 2011 the most recent number available. Little has changed since then. The company still maintains exclusive provider contracts in many states with WIC, the USDAs supplemental nutrition program for low-income families, which makes up nearly half of formula sales nationwide. A few other manufacturers, including Mead-Johnson and Nestl, also have WIC contracts and control the rest of the market.
In addition to its highly concentrated structure, the baby formula market is difficult for another reason. Its demand is set by the nations birth rate, and the market has been shrinking for years. The number of births has declined every year since 2008, except for 2014, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
With only a few key players whose capacities are tied to a shrinking market, repercussions are inevitable when anything gets in the way of a certain product getting to store shelves. Other manufacturers are bound to struggle with an influx of new demand from consumers who cant get what theyd typically buy.

The dilemma [manufacturers] have is that it's not a very lucrative market, says Patrick Penfield, a professor of supply chain management at Syracuse University. The only way you can grow your market share is if youre aggressively going after competition.
Because Abbott is one of the biggest players in the game already, significantly expanding its share is not really an option.
If you can't grow your market share, then you look at how you can reduce costs, says Penfield. And sometimes when you reduce the costs, you may not have the right protocols or procedures in place to make sure that you're doing things properly.
Im not saying that's what Abbott Laboratories did, he cautions. But that would be an assumption of mine.


tl;dr

one plant shutting down shouldn't cause a nationwide shortage except that the profit driven model of capitalism means neither the company with a monopoly on this or competitors kinda care to solve the issue.
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cardoor123
05/15/22 6:22:17 PM
#2:


So what? Support the business next time when they're already here so you don't have to bitch and moan when they're gone and you really need them. _
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#3
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Turbam
05/15/22 6:24:05 PM
#4:


cardoor123 posted...
So what? Support the business next time when they're already here so you don't have to bitch and moan when they're gone and you really need them. _
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/1/2/2/AAdBoFAADNWi.jpg

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Jiek_Fafn
05/15/22 6:28:03 PM
#5:


That's okay. I'm sure sure some very scientifically minded politicians will just create a law requiring all women to breastfeed.
/s

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Ar0ge
05/15/22 6:31:38 PM
#6:


cardoor123 posted...
So what? Support the business next time when they're already here so you don't have to bitch and moan when they're gone and you really need them. _

Wut...
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WingsOfGood
05/15/22 6:40:03 PM
#7:


cardoor123 posted...
So what? Support the business next time when they're already here so you don't have to bitch and moan when they're gone and you really need them. _

@cardoor123 do you believe monopolies form because people don't support the business?
If you do, you should probably research and educate yourself
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Dat_Cracka_Jax
05/15/22 6:41:38 PM
#8:


No no. We need to deregulate the market to let others enter more freely. Who cares if we just had a contamination issue that caused sick/dead babies.

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WingsOfGood
05/15/22 6:43:42 PM
#9:


Dat_Cracka_Jax posted...
No no. We need to deregulate the market to let others enter more freely. Who cares if we just had a contamination issue that caused sick/dead babies.

If monopolization was to prevent contamination issue, why did the monopoly become contaminated?

@Dat_Cracka_Jax

Funny how the kneejerk capitalist defense arguments are always so brainless.
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kingdrake2
05/15/22 6:44:58 PM
#10:


more bad news: it's going to suck the whole year.
they cant get more formula onto shelves.

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WingsOfGood
05/15/22 6:45:26 PM
#11:


kingdrake2 posted...
more bad news: it's going to suck the whole year.
they cant get more formula onto shelves.

tHaT iS ThE CoNsUmErS FaUlT !!!!!
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Dat_Cracka_Jax
05/15/22 6:45:37 PM
#12:


WingsOfGood posted...
If monopolization was to prevent contamination issue, why did the monopoly become contaminated?

@Dat_Cracka_Jax

Funny how the kneejerk capitalist defense arguments are always so brainless.
I thought that I laid it on pretty thick that I was being sarcastic

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WingsOfGood
05/15/22 6:47:07 PM
#13:


Dat_Cracka_Jax posted...
I thought that I laid it on pretty thick that I was being sarcastic

being sarcastic about opening the market... supports monopolization?

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MedeaLysistrata
05/15/22 6:51:25 PM
#14:


Are things gonna get worse lol


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MedeaLysistrata
05/15/22 6:52:32 PM
#15:


WingsOfGood posted...
being sarcastic about opening the market... supports monopolization?
If it isn't profitable who will open up shop?

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WingsOfGood
05/15/22 7:03:33 PM
#16:


MedeaLysistrata posted...
If it isn't profitable who will open up shop?

therein lies the rub

what do when babies need something to live but your economy is based on greed and babies cannot satiate it?
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Inferno Dive Dragoon
05/15/22 7:13:16 PM
#17:


WingsOfGood posted...


therein lies the rub

what do when babies need something to live but your economy is based on greed and babies cannot satiate it?


Clearly the solution is to forcibly create more babies, preferably unwanted ones. Aren't Republicans just the coooolest?~
I shouldn't have to say this is sarcasm, but CE is home to some truly gifted individuals.

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MabusIncarnate
05/15/22 7:15:35 PM
#18:


cardoor123 posted...
So what? Support the business next time when they're already here so you don't have to bitch and moan when they're gone and you really need them. _
Lmao so basically "I have no idea what I'm talking about"

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MedeaLysistrata
05/15/22 7:15:37 PM
#19:


WingsOfGood posted...
therein lies the rub

what do when babies need something to live but your economy is based on greed and babies cannot satiate it?
oh my god... they're gonna eat the babies

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Mezcla
05/15/22 7:16:56 PM
#20:


yeah its fucking insane. we feed our kid formula. i go to target, and the shelf is empty.

luckily, costco still has a lot, for now, but who knows maybe they'll run out too.

part of me is panicky and wants to just stock up for the rest of his life that he'll need it (about 2-3 months) but shit

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WingsOfGood
05/15/22 7:17:58 PM
#21:


MedeaLysistrata posted...
oh my god... they're gonna eat the babies

or... what if... what if we had profit incentive to feed the babies like say.... using their body head to create a lucrative energy plan... YES! GENIUS

Then tons of baby formula would be created because all the wonderful bodyheat made from the babies!
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Inferno Dive Dragoon
05/15/22 7:20:43 PM
#22:


MedeaLysistrata posted...

oh my god... they're gonna eat the babies


Baby formula made from real babies is a hell of a sales pitch.

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Unsugarized_Foo
05/15/22 7:22:08 PM
#23:


Food security is a division of the Pentagon that's taken very seriously. I'm surprised they aren't knee deep in it. The last thing the government wants to do is add another thing to do to their list, like manufacturing baby formula

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DeadBankerDream
05/15/22 7:22:25 PM
#24:


Did Hasan confirm that evil capitalism is evily behind this?

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Smashingpmkns
05/15/22 7:22:45 PM
#25:


US bans formulas that are made in Europe that actually go through stricter regulations and have higher standards.

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GregShmedley
05/15/22 7:25:14 PM
#26:


Is there any reason why Biden can't invoke the Defense Production Act and get some formula manufactured?

Or use HUD or FDA to authorize some sort of outside importing, bypassing any restrictions?

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whitelytning
05/15/22 7:25:52 PM
#27:




Based on TCs logic isnt everything kind of a result of capitalism. What are you trying to say?

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#28
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Flauros
05/15/22 7:28:27 PM
#29:


Stuff like baby formula should be made by government run facilities and given free to all babies.

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GregShmedley
05/15/22 7:29:03 PM
#30:


Flauros posted...
Stuff like baby formula should be made by government run facilities and given free to all babies.

Was thinking the same thing, tbh.

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Shablagoo
05/15/22 7:29:43 PM
#31:


We need planned, organized production. This shit is just asinine.

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Smashingpmkns
05/15/22 7:29:48 PM
#32:


GregShmedley posted...
Is there any reason why Biden can't invoke the Defense Production Act and get some formula manufactured?

Or use HUD or FDA to authorize some sort of outside importing, bypassing any restrictions?
I mean there's a reason there's a ban on EU formulas. US manufacturers don't want competition. See: regulatory capture.

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MegaManXYZ123
05/15/22 7:30:36 PM
#33:


Sucks for parents and babies, though isn't it better to breast feed?

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Unsugarized_Foo
05/15/22 7:31:48 PM
#34:


Smashingpmkns posted...
US bans formulas that are made in Europe that actually go through stricter regulations and have higher standards.

I bet they do that in order to force domestic supply to avoid stuff like this

Whoops

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GregShmedley
05/15/22 7:32:57 PM
#35:


Smashingpmkns posted...
I mean there's a reason there's a ban on EU formulas. US manufacturers don't want competition. See: regulatory capture.


Seems like that should change.

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Mezcla
05/15/22 7:33:09 PM
#36:


MegaManXYZ123 posted...
Sucks for parents and babies, though isn't it better to breast feed?
some women can't breastfeed.

my wife, for instance. she tried and it was working at first, but her boobies just said "yeah fuck this im out" and quit on her.

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#37
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Unsugarized_Foo
05/15/22 7:35:11 PM
#38:


GregShmedley posted...
Seems like that should change.

Well, it should be like a switch. You don't want foreign reliance on food if you can help it. But if you need it and someone's got it, Prime ship that ish

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Smashingpmkns
05/15/22 7:36:17 PM
#39:


GregShmedley posted...
Seems like that should change.
Yeah but it won't. And decades of misinformation about EU formula pushed by US corporations wouldn't help if they did manage to change it. Public perception is already spoiled on EU formula, even though formula in the US uses shit like corn syrup instead of lactose.

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Kim_Seong-a
05/15/22 7:40:12 PM
#40:


WingsOfGood posted...
do you believe monopolies form because people don't support the business?
If you do, you should probably research and educate yourself

dont respond to cardoor. it's someone's alt that only gets dusted off to post the world's shittiest, psychopathic takes.


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WingsOfGood
05/15/22 8:12:55 PM
#41:


Smashingpmkns posted...
US bans formulas that are made in Europe that actually go through stricter regulations and have higher standards.

and why is that?

edit: saw it answered

ofc US monopoly doesn't want foreign competition :)
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WingsOfGood
05/15/22 8:14:01 PM
#42:


[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


isn't it funny how you either have to have broken monopolies that lead to dead babies or communism

no middle ground

hmmmm
hmmm

why could that be?
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Shablagoo
05/15/22 8:22:58 PM
#43:


I mean hes just wrong too, communist countries basically always had/have better adjusted nutrition and lower infant mortality rate, etc.

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whitelytning
05/15/22 8:25:48 PM
#44:


Shablagoo posted...
I mean hes just wrong too, communist countries basically always had/have better adjusted nutrition and lower infant mortality rate, etc.


lol

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David1988
05/15/22 8:35:42 PM
#45:


Shablagoo posted...
I mean hes just wrong too, communist countries basically always had/have better adjusted nutrition and lower infant mortality rate, etc.

do you have a source for this?

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bknight
05/15/22 8:38:26 PM
#46:


Just need more lactating moms willing to nurse other babies and get paid for it, so need more mommy milkers is all I'm saying.
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RustyFerret
05/15/22 8:39:53 PM
#47:


Reading the article, I don't see how it's "capitalisms" fault for this, whatever that means.
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MedeaLysistrata
05/15/22 8:43:32 PM
#48:


RustyFerret posted...
Reading the article, I don't see how it's "capitalisms" fault for this, whatever that means.
important products don't get made because they're not profitable

this is stuff the government should be supplying (manufacturing, maybe), though

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WingsOfGood
05/15/22 8:43:43 PM
#49:


RustyFerret posted...
Reading the article, I don't see how it's "capitalisms" fault for this, whatever that means.

allowance of monopilies

the company has a 43% market share and has no fail safe when 1
that is one factory goes offline

because it costs too much and that is all it is about

if you still can't see then well....
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MedeaLysistrata
05/15/22 8:48:56 PM
#50:


wow that one plant was making all that formula...

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