Baby Formula Shortage Should End in Late July After 'Gradual Improvement,' FDA Commissioner Says

Parents should see a return to normal in baby-formula stock around the end of July, according to Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf.

On Thursday, Califf testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee about the ongoing formula shortage, saying, "It's going to be gradual improvement up to probably somewhere around two months until the shelves are replete again," CNBC reports.

He also discussed the reasonings behind the shortage, saying in part, "We knew that ceasing plant operations would create supply problems, but we had no choice given the insanitary conditions."

Califf ended his opening statement by saying in part that the FDA "will not rest until our shelves are replete with safe and nutritious infant formula."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

In a Thursday release, Califf said, "We have made tremendous progress, including notable steps in just the past week, which will allow us to immediately begin bringing specialty and infant formula products into the U.S. as quickly as possible."

"We continue to work closely with our U.S. government partners and domestic and international manufacturers to identify additional formula product that will be available to parents and caregivers in the weeks and months ahead," he added. "It is our goal to ensure that hospitals, specialty pharmacies, and retail store shelves will begin seeing adequate supplies again in the coming weeks."

President Joe Biden is taking steps to ameliorate effects of the shortage, the White House said on May 12, after Abbott Nutrition, the nation's largest manufacturer of infant formula, recalled products made in a Michigan plant in February due to possible contamination of cronobacter and salmonella.

Abbott Nutrition also released a statement on May 13, outlining steps it has taken since to "get as much product into the hands of parents as we can."

RELATED VIDEO: Over 70,000 Lbs. of Baby Formula Lands in the U.S. from Europe as Operation Fly Formula Begins

"We understand the situation is urgent — getting Sturgis up and running will help alleviate this shortage," the company added. "Subject to FDA approval, we could restart the site within two weeks."

Robert Ford, Abbott Laboratories CEO, wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post and vowed that by the end of June, the company "will be supplying more formula to Americans than we were in January before the recall."

As part of Operation Fly Formula, the first batch of formula imported from abroad arrived in the U.S. last weekend. The shipment was enough to fill over half a million baby bottles, the Associated Press reported, and weighed 78,000 pounds, per White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

"Our team is working around the clock to get safe formula to everyone who needs it," Biden, 79, said in a tweet at the time.