Exclusive-Nestle flies baby formula supplies to U.S. from Europe

By Richa Naidu

LONDON (Reuters) -Nestle SA is flying baby formula supplies to the United States from the Netherlands and Switzerland to alleviate the shortage in U.S. supermarkets, the company said on Tuesday.

Nestle is moving Gerber baby food formula to the United States from the Netherlands and Alfamino baby formula from Switzerland to the U.S., it said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

"We prioritized these products because they serve a critical medical purpose as they are for babies with cow's milk protein allergies," the company said. "Both products were already being imported but we moved shipments up and rushed via air to help fill immediate needs."

Baby formula aisles at U.S. supermarkets have been emptied by panicked parents since top U.S. manufacturer Abbott Laboratories in February recalled dozens of types of its Similac, Alimentum and EleCare formulas.

Reckitt Benckiser is boosting baby formula production by about 30% and making more frequent deliveries to stores as it looks to counter a nationwide shortage in U.S. supermarkets, an executive told Reuters on Tuesday.

(Editing by Matt Scuffham and Jason Neely, Editing by Louise Heavens)