CVS, Target Latest Florida Stores Limiting Baby Formula Purchases

FLORIDA — Florida parents who rely on formula to feed their babies may be limited to how much they can buy the next time they head to the store.

National retailers CVS and Target have joined Walgreens in putting limits on how much baby formula customers can buy per visit to stores in Florida and other states.

Both companies told the Wall Street Journal that customers can only purchase three infant and toddler formula products per visit in-store or online.

Patch reached out to Florida-based Publix to see if the grocery store chain has plans to limit baby formula purchases. So far, the company has yet to comment.

Supply chain issues and baby formula recalls are among the factors contributing to a nationwide shortage.

Walgreens told Patch it was also enforcing the policy at all of its more than 9,000 locations across the United States. The Illinois-based company has more than 800 pharmacies in Florida.

"Due to increased demand and various supplier challenges, infant and toddler formulas are seeing constraint across the country," a Walgreens spokesperson told Patch. "Similar to other retailers, we put into effect purchase limits of three per transaction on all infant and toddler formula to help improve inventory. We continue to work diligently with our supplier partners to best meet customer demands."

CVS currently has 868 locations in Florida, while the state has around 127 Target stores.

A Walmart representative told WSJ the company already has a five-per-day product purchase limit on baby formula in most states.

In February, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced an investigation into consumer complaints of Cronobacter sakazakii and salmonella newport infections following a number of reported cases.

Among the cases, two infants died of illnesses from Cronobacter sakazakii, a rare and dangerous germ that is particularly deadly to infants. All the cases are reported to come from consumed powdered infant formula produced from Abbott Nutrition's Sturgis, Michigan, facility.

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