Sask. parents calling for investigation into formula shortage

Some parents in Saskatchewan are frustrated over — and worried about — where their child’s next meal is going to come from.
Formula shortages have been reported across North America.

Sherry Rapley and her five-month-old daughter Amaryllis were with other parents at the Saskatchewan Legislature on the last day of sitting Wednesday, and only a week after another group of parents had done the same.

“I have alarms set in my phone on three days of the week to remind myself to call the stores because those are the days they could potentially get stock in,” said Rapley. “And every week it’s the same thing — no, they haven’t gotten any.”

Some parents have driven to other provinces or into the U.S. to find formula.

The parents, alongside the Saskatchewan NDP, are asking the provincial government to launch an investigation into the problem.

“We know that there have been issues with manufacturing with some manufacturers, but we have been, as a group, in contact with Perrigo, which is the sole manufacturer of the store brands …

They have had no supply chain issues. And so if that’s the case, we still don’t know why we’re not getting them on our shelves,” said Rapley.

“That’s something that we, ourselves, can’t investigate so we need the government to get on this and help.”

Aleana Young, the NDP’s trade and export critic, said looking at any parent groups or speaking with parents right now who formula-feed will drive home the problem.

“In a province like Saskatchewan, it’s strange to think that bare shelves and babies unable to get the food that they need to grow and be happy is the norm right now,” said Young.

She said other provinces acted a while ago to deal with the shortages; B.C. put aside supplies of specialized formulas behind pharmacy counters and Manitoba opened an order service for parents who need those formulas.

Young said Saskatchewan’s premier will write open letters “lauding” convoy protesters.

“But you have parents who are asking desperately for advocacy, work on supply chains, investigations, advocacy to Health Canada who has a huge role to play in this, and we’re getting crickets,” she said.

In answers during question period on Wednesday, Health Minister Paul Merriman said he’s been in contact with the federal government and has written a letter to his federal counterpart on the issue.

Merriman also disagreed with what Young had said in her question to him, that shelves were bare.

“The shelves are not bare, there is baby formula out there, but it is a challenge to get to and as a parent of four, I completely understand that there are challenges and children get very used to a specific formula,” Merriman said in his answer.

The minister said he has been assured that the problem is going to be fixed soon and that it’s a labelling issue