FACT CHECK: Does This Photo Show Stacks Of Baby Formula Boxes At The Border In May 2022?

Anna MockMay 18, 2022

An image shared on Facebook allegedly shows pallets of boxes containing baby formula at the U.S. southern border.

Verdict: Misleading

The image, taken in 2020, shows a stockpile of medical supplies collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. The image has nothing to do with the current formula shortage.

Fact Check:

The U.S. is currently in the midst of a baby formula shortage due to a series of recalls, shutdowns and supply chain issues, according to The Guardian. One image shared on Facebook claims the product is being stockpiled at the U.S. southern border.

The image shows a screenshot of a tweet that includes a photo of dozens of boxes piled in a warehouse. “#BabyFormulaShortage Plenty at the border,” reads the tweet’s caption.

👇👇👇😡 #BabyFormulaShortage Plenty at the border‼️😖 pic.twitter.com/SdS37Yf4rg

— Sally Mac 🇺🇸UltraMAGA🇺🇸 🍊 (@SallyVee19) May 12, 2022

The photo is not related to the ongoing formula shortage. A reverse image search revealed the photo first appeared in a 2020 Los Angeles Times article titled, “Feds’ stockpile for coronavirus response is exhausted, amid questions about how supplies were distributed.”

The image’s caption explains the boxes are filled with medical supplies, not formula. “L.A. County Fire Department lifeguard Danielle McMillon surveys a stockpile of surgical and protective masks in a secret government warehouse and destined for local hospitals,” reads the caption.

The same photo with the same caption was also included in an April 2020 article from The Guardian showcasing the “best photographs of the day.” (RELATED: Will Tricare Provide Free Baby Formula And Ship It Directly To Anyone Who Applies?)

Some Republican lawmakers have criticized the Biden administration for its handling of the shortage and at least one has connected it to the situation at the southern border, according to CBS News. Republican Florida Rep. Kat Cammack shared an image on Twitter that she claimed shows a stockpile of baby formula at the border, writing, “This is what America last looks like.” Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas renounced the insinuation that the stockpile at the border is responsible for the shortage as “false and repugnant,” CBS News reported.