As supplemental food subsidies are set to end due to the government shutdown, affecting some 16 million children, one baby formula company is stepping up to help families in need.
Bobbie, a baby formula company, announced it is cutting prices for SNAP-eligible families. Meanwhile, parents are navigating concerns about formula safety following a recent investigation.
When Adele Treacy started feeding baby formula to her infant TJ, she struggled with feelings of inadequacy.
"I'm not like an emotional person. Holy cow," Treacy said.
When asked if she felt pressure about her feeding choices, Treacy responded, "Yeah."
After her son arrived five weeks early in March, she couldn't keep up with feedings every 90 minutes.
"In my brain I was like, I want my baby to be breastfed. That's what I want," Treacy said.
Around the same time, a Consumer Reports investigation of powdered infant formulas caught her attention. About half of the 41 samples tested contained potentially harmful levels of at least one contaminant including lead and arsenic. The other half showed low or no levels of concerning chemicals.
Sana Mujahid, manager of food safety research and testing at Consumer Reports, offered perspective on the findings.
"We think parents should keep these results in perspective. Our results show that it is possible for manufacturers to produce infant formula with low or undetectable levels," Mujahid said.
Laura Modi, 39, is the founder and CEO of Bobbie, an infant formula company based in Heath, Ohio. Consumer Reports graded Bobbie as one of the safest options.
"What we did was design a product that meets the European nutritional standards while also being FDA regulated. It was also about going out and sourcing the highest quality organic ingredients," Modi said.
Modi is test-obsessed. Every batch goes through 2,000 quality checkpoints before leaving the plant.
The FDA, led by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced Operation Stork Speed, an initiative to expand options for safe formula and increase testing for heavy metals and contaminants. Modi is advocating for higher nutritional standards.
When asked about concerns that Kennedy won't use science to improve baby formula, Modi responded firmly.
"So if that is the belief, if that is the concern, then by God, I better be at the table and to push my voice and the concerns of everyone around to make sure that the future of infant formula is reflective of the greatest science," Modi said.
Treacy carefully selected the formula she gives her son.
"I will say he slept for the first time yesterday," Treacy said.
When asked how that felt, she replied, "Oh my goodness. It was the best night of my life actually."
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