Taking a dig at the U.S. formula shortages, a bizarre news article from North Korean state media randomly claimed that Kim Jong Un personally oversaw the perfection of the nation's baby formula recipe.
What Happened: According to an English translation of a Voice of Korea article via KCNA Watch, the "supreme leader" in September 2021 had tasted a trial batch of "diluted dry milk" for children and "pointed out the shortcomings one by one" to a senior official of the Pyongyang Municipal Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea.
Kim – who is known for ordering executions of many citizens for offbeat reasons – was described in the report as "a mother who tastes a food for her child first to see if it is too hot and if it is too salty."
The development came as the U.S. faced a nationwide shortage of the most popular baby formula brands due to the supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, President Joe Biden told reporters that the U.S. is working with manufacturers to increase imports of baby formula. "We're going to be getting significantly more formula on shelves in a matter of weeks or less," he said.
FDA will announce plans next week detailing how manufacturers and suppliers abroad will be able to import their products into the United States and new options for U.S. companies.
Meanwhile, Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) also said it had shipped millions of cans of infant formula powder into the U.S. from its Ireland facility.
North Korea's COVID-19 infection rate moves past the 1-million mark with a death toll of 56. The administration has deployed the country's "powerful forces to all pharmacies in Pyongyang City and began to supply medicines."
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